JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met…

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly-imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary is a gorgeous, uplifting romantic comedy about two London flatmates who share a bed but have never met.

Leon is a palliative care nurse who works evenings and spends all his weekends at his girlfriend’s house. His brother is in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and Leon is using whatever money he has to pay his brother’s lawyer. Leon decides to advertise online for a roommate. The arrangement makes perfect sense — Leon would have the flat during the day, and the roommate would have the flat to themselves on the weeknights and weekends. They’d never even need to meet!

Leon chooses Tiffy to be his flatmate. She’s a quirky, upbeat book editor at a publishing house with a passion for reading and a habit of baking and cooking too much food. Her boyfriend Justin has dumped her for the girl he cheated on her with, and she needs a new place to live that doesn’t cost a fortune.

“I was so lucky to have him. Justin was always so…fun. Everything was a whirlwind; we’d by flying from country to country, trying everything, staying up until four in the morning and climbing on to the roof to watch the sunrise. Yes, we fought a lot an dI made a lot of mistakes in that relationship, but mostly I’d just felt so lucky to be with him. Without him I feel….lost.”
TIFFY

Leon and Tiffy slowly build a friendship in a most unconventional manner, bonding over post-it notes, text messages and leftover food. The book moves through the year quite clearly, consistently switching back and forth between Tiffy and Leon’s POV. Leon is shy, punctual, factual and to-the-point. He’s observant and logical and practical.

Tiffy is a chaotic person — hopeful, energetic, cheerful and always trusting. She worries a bit too much about things she shouldn’t need to worry about, and she’s caring and considerate towards her friends and colleagues.

Beth O’Leary has done a fabulous job of capturing Leon and Tiffy’s unique voices from their internal and external dialogue, and the various post-it notes that each characters leaves around the apartment.

“Letter is crumpled in trouser pocket. Tiffy asked me to read it before I send it on to Richie. But haven’t, yet. It’s painful. Feel suddenly sure that she won’t understand. That she’ll say he’s a calculating criminal, just like the judge did. Say his excuses don’t add up, that given his character and his past he’s exactly what we should all have expected.”
LEON

Admittedly, I felt there were a few flaws. It’s quite a long book and three-quarters of the way through the story I felt like it was a bit too slow. There are a lot of post-it notes and text messages, and a lot of chapters that felt like they were being dragged out.

There’s also a particular scene at the end of the novel involving Tiffy and her ex-boyfriend that felt unrealistic and quite cringeworthy. And the friendship between Tiffy and Leon’s brother, and her involvement in his appeal is all a little bit ‘Hollywood’ that is a bit hard to believe at times. It’s nice and pleasing, but I do think you have to stretch the imagination to go along with the story.

I recommend The Flatshare to readers of romance comedy, light-hearted and tender novels about family and relationships. It’s fun and cute, but it is also emotional and heartfelt. By the end, you’ll want to move in with Tiffy and Leon.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Flatshare
Beth O’Leary
May 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

The Bad Mothers’ Book Club by Keris Stainton

Meet Emma, the new Mum on the block. Since moving to the Liverpudlian seaside after her husband’s career change, her life consists of the following: long walks on the beach (with the dog), early nights (with the kids) and Netflix (no chill).

Bored and lonely, when Emma is cordially invited to the exclusive cool school-mums’ book club, she thinks her luck may finally be about to change. But she soon finds the women of the club aren’t quite what they seem – and after an unfortunate incident involving red wine and a white carpet, she finds herself unceremoniously kicked out.

The answer? Start her own book club – for bad mothers who just want to drink wine and share stories. But will this town let two book clubs exist? Or is there only room for one queen of the school gates…?

The Bad Mothers’ Book Club is a fun, contemporary fiction by Keris Stainton — it’s about struggling mothers, failing relationships, well-kept secrets, and the difficulties that women face on a day-to-day basis.

Emma is bored and lonely. She’s just moved to a new town, her husband is at a new job and is working really long hours. Emma is left to take care of the kids and the home, and all that comes with it. She doesn’t feel like she belongs in Liverpudlian yet, and on her kids’ first day, she makes an enemy out of the glamorous and popular Jools.

“Emma was early for pick up. She’d walked and made sure to set off in plenty of time; she really didn’t want a repeat of the morning’s chaos. She’d taken Buddy for such a long run that morning that he’d spent the entire afternoon asleep on the sofa in the kitchen.”

The chapters move between different women. There’s Emma, who’s struggling with how different her life has become since moving. There’s Maggie, whose husband Jim is keeping secrets from her and is staying out late each night. And there’s Jools, who is keeping a secret of her own because she wants to feel in control of her life.

All of the women have something to prove, someone or something they’re either fighting for or trying to understand. Readers will be able to relate to all of the women, and even though this is a fun read, there are moments in the book that are emotional and turbulent, and challenging.

“She’d been looking forward to him coming home too. Thought maybe they could have had a glass of wine together and sat at the kitchen table talking about their day, the way they used to in London.”

I’m not sure what to make of the positioning of the book — in particular, the blurb and the overall plot of the story. The bad mothers’ book club? That group is only formed towards the very end of the book, so the entire story doesn’t really have anything to do with that.

I couldn’t help but feel that the story started in the wrong place, that perhaps we spend too much time reading about these women before they form their own book club. I think there could’ve been more tension and conflict built from the bad mothers book club, but it would’ve needed to have been created earlier in the story.

“Maggie drank more tea. It actually was what she’d imagined for herself. Growing up, she’d pictured adulthood as a house and a car and a family that looked exactly like this — almost exactly, there would actually be two kids — and she hadn’t really thought beyond that.”

I recommend this book to readers of romance fiction, and contemporary fiction. It’s light and quick to read — quirky and fun. There’s plenty of heart and humour, and fantastic characters.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bad Mothers’ Book Club
Keris Stainton
May 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

A Dream of Italy by Nicky Pellegrino

Here is your chance to buy your own home in southern Italy for less than the price of a cup of coffee. The picturesque mountain town of Montenello is selling off some of its historic buildings for just ONE EURO each. To be considered as a future resident of Montenello contact the town’s mayor, Salvio Valentini.

Many people read Salvio’s advertisement with excitement. Elise is in her twenties and desperate to get on the property ladder. Edward wants to escape a life he finds stifling. Mimi is divorced and starting afresh. And there is one person whose true motivation won’t be clear for some time.

These four people all have a dream of Italy. And it’s going to change their lives. The passionate and gorgeous new novel by Nicky Pellegrino, the bestselling author of A Year at Hotel Gondola.

A Dream of Italy by Nicky Pellegrino is a romance novel about relationships, family, identity and the notion of throwing all your plans into the wind and taking a chance on something that seems utterly bizarre and crazy.

Oh my — this was such a fun novel. I had no idea I was going to love it as much as I did. I absolutely devoured it, and I churned through the chapters within hours of picking it up. The premise is fantastic, the characters are relatable and engaging, and the setting of Italy is captured so perfectly it made me want to book a holiday straight away.

“Mimi had to stop herself calling Salvio straight away. She would let what the architect had said settle in, allow herself to think and dream a little longer before making a commitment. Still, she was so close now and, even though it wasn’t hers yet, she had the urge to buy something for the house.”

All of the characters who’d been given a house in Italy had something in their lives they needed to work through. Whether it was a failed relationship or a failing one, or a life that just wasn’t what it was supposed to be. All of the characters were looking for a new direction, and the house in Italy offered that to them.

Over the course of the novel, the characters become more reassured of their decision. They learn to trust themselves more, to listen to themselves instead of others, and they grow in confidence.

My favourite storyline was Elise, whose been in a relationship with Richard for a number of years and they’ve worked so hard to buy their own property. When the home in Italy comes up, Richard is a complete killjoy. He wants to continue as they are, and Elise feels trapped. She wants to take a chance on something, and so she moves to Italy and buys the property on her own.

“Gino’s back stiffened immediately but nothing else changed. There was no lull in the conversation, the sisters didn’t remark on it, the husbands appeared not to notice. Only Gino’s father seemed to care. Edward met his gaze. The old man didn’t look unhappy, just watchful, as if he was waiting to see what might happen next.”

Just a slight negative about the book — there isn’t much renovating in the story. I thought the plot of the book would be about them getting the house, arriving, and then working on the renovation and making the houses their own. But, most of the book is the lead up to them arriving, and then the pacing starts to quicken. But we never really arrive too much at the ‘fix up’ part. I think perhaps that’s a missed opportunity, but I still enjoyed the book.

This is a fabulous read — fun and carefree, and just really fantastic. If you’re going on a holiday soon and you’re looking for the perfect vacation read, then this is it. If you’re looking for a book that’s light and carefree and will make you feel great, this is it. I highly recommend this.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Dream of Italy
Nicky Pellegrino
April 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

REVIEW AND AUTHOR INTERVIEW: What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

You know those movies where teenagers have the summer of their lives?
This summer is probably not going to be that.

Here lies Maisie Martin, dead from embarrassment, aged sixteen.

The last thing Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing this summer is entering a beauty pageant. Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone.

Not when her Dad is AWOL for Christmas and her best friend starts going out with the boy she’s always loved. But Maisie’s got something to prove. And she’s not going to let anything or anyone – including herself – hold her back.

What I Like About Me is the debut YA novel from Jenna Guillaume, exploring topics such as body image, self-love, feminism, body positivity, relationships and family turmoil. This book is perfect for readers aged 12+

Maisie goes to a lot of effort to hide her body from others. When everyone else is swimming on the beach, she’s on the sand wearing jeans. Maisie avoids the summer beauty pageant because she doesn’t feel like she’d get in, despite being very keen to be involved. She’s a kind, compassionate girl who has to learn to love herself, and above all else, she needs to learn that she is worth loving. Just because someone is a certain body size doesn’t mean they don’t deserve their happy ending.

“When we were younger, Eva and I talked about entering together. We couldn’t wait until we were both old enough. We’d do a joint talent entry and dance together. We didn’t care if that was allowed or not. We’d do it anyway.”

The novel takes place over one summer holiday. Maisie Martin accompanies her mum and her glamorous childhood best friend Anna to the beach, where she’s forced to face her unrequited crush on Seb. Unfortunately, Maisie’s dad can’t come on holiday because he has to work, but over the course of the novel her dad grows more and more distant and her parents are fighting and Maisie wonders if there’s more to his absence than he’s saying.

What I Like About Me is written in diary form, so the book allows for Maisie’s voice to really shine through the pages. She’s sassy and intelligent, but also really considerate. She wants to love and be loved, and she has always wanted that with the gorgeous Seb. But when Seb and Anna start dating, Maisie forms a bond with an unlikely friend — Beamer.

“If this were a montage in a movie, it would have been all romantic and cute. It would have been with the dreamy leading guy and the beautiful leading girl, not the smart-arse best friend the chubby sidekick. But Anna and Sebastian were off making out somewhere in the dark — probably next to a dumpster, let’s be real. Because life is not a movie.”

Maisie has poor self-esteem, particularly when she’s around her sister Eva. Her sister has always been a high achiever and popular, and thin, and Maisie’s confidence slips whenever she’s around her. When Maisie applies to be in the local beauty pageant and is accepted, she must learn to love the body she has and to stop comparing herself to others. She’s beautiful — inside and out.

One of the strengths of this book is how well Jenna has captured the glorious Australian summer and the teenage experience. Reading it, you can remember how it feels to hang out with your friends by the beach, but readers will also relate to how nervous and worried you got as a teenager whenever you had a crush on someone else and you weren’t sure if they felt the same way.

“Here lies Maisie Martin,
dead from embarrassment,
aged sixteen.”

Young YA readers will love this book, and there’s plenty of teen romance in these pages to satisfy young fans of romance. The most important relationship, however, is the one that Maisie has with herself.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

What I Like About Me
Jenna Guillaume
March 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

***

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH JENNA GUILLAUME

How has your love of romance fiction evolved or changed since your teenage years?
I’ve been a sucker for romance ever since I was a kid. Even when I was 8 and reading The Baby-Sitter’s Club, my fave stories were ALWAYS the ones where one of the girls had a crush or went on a date. That never changed as a teen and has carried on through to adulthood – if anything, I’ve embraced my love of romance more and spend more time reading it! It’s my comfort reading and happy place.

Alongside writing your novel, you also have years of experience writing short-form pieces for outlets such as Girlfriend and Buzzfeed, and now many more through your freelancing career. What do you like about short-form writing, but also novel writing? How do the two compare?
I like writing about a variety of things, and sharing my thoughts and feelings on topics that are interesting me at any given moment. With short-form writing, it’s great to have an idea and quickly be able turn it around so you can see it published and immediately get feedback on it. Novel-writing is obviously a much bigger and much, much longer process. It’s a lot more work overall but it’s incredibly rewarding and satisfying. To have people contacting me about how much they love What I Like About Me, after years of hard work, means the world to me.

What I Like About Me explores many important messages and topics – self-esteem, body positivity, bullying, relationships etc. But it’s also about Maisie learning to love herself. How important do you think it is for a teenager to reflect on what they like about themselves? Is this something you wish you could tell your younger self, given the chance?
When I was a teen and even as an adult, every time I looked in the mirror, I’d automatically see the things I didn’t like about myself. I really wanted to challenge that all-too-natural instinct and make people stop and consider what they actually do like about themselves. I think girls in particular are socialised to minimise their accomplishments and strengths, when really we should be recognising and celebrating what makes us ALL great. I always say you should treat yourself like you treat your best friend – you point out all their good points and don’t criticise them, so you should love yourself like that as well. You deserve nothing less.

And finally, is there anything you can tell us about what you’re working on right now (either novel or freelance writing)?


I’m freelancing for a lot of publications – like the Sydney Morning Herald, Junkee, GOAT, Flicks and even BuzzFeed! It’s a lot of fun to be writing for different audiences and on a range of topics. In terms of novel-writing, I am working on a follow-up – I can’t say too much, but it is another YA rom-com standalone. It’s hopefully going to be a lot of fun!

REVIEW AND AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

Crush (n.): a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett found her dream man at age eight – ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough. Having conducted a global survey of men, she can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that he’s her twin brother’s best friend – oh, and that 99 percent of the time, he hasn’t seemed interested in her.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around – just to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts. But sparks start to fly – and not just because of the faulty wiring. Soon, a one percent chance with Tom is no longer enough. This time around, Darcy’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne is a heartfelt romance novel about two friends who grew up together and who might finally have their chance to start a relationship.

The timing never quite worked out for Darcy and Tom, and so Darcy buried her feelings about Tom and learnt to never get attached to anyone or any place. Tom has been in a relationship with another woman for almost ten years and so Darcy always assumed her love for Tom was unrequited and it was never going to happen between the two of them. But when Tom comes back into Darcy’s life and is now single, there’s a chance that her and Tom can finally be together. There’s a chance he feels the same way about her too.

Darcy Barrett is an interesting protagonist, a witty, self-deprecating woman who is bold, brash and very herself. She makes no apologies for who she is, and she doesn’t let other people’s opinions of her affect how she acts. She’s quite a unique main character for a romance novel, and a breath of fresh air to the genre.

The romance in the book is a slow-burn, building tension and anticipation for the climax of the story. This book will satisfy any reader looking for a good love story.

“I haven’t seen the colours of sunrise in a long, long time. In my old life, I’d be loading my car with photography gear even earlier than this and heading off to a shoot, a slave to this buttercream light. Everyone looks beautiful in this glow. It airbrushes in a way that my software package never could. It puts a flush in everything it touches.”

Darcy, Tom and Darcy’s brother Jamie have been friends since they were all kids. When they were eight years old, Tom got locked out of his house and turned up on their doorstep. It’s been eighteen years and Darcy has had a crush on him ever since.

Darcy and Tom have a lot of sexual chemistry that leaps off the page, and Sally Thorne has nailed the dialogue between them. It’s funny but also emotional, and one of the main strengths of the book.

There are many times in the book where it feels like Darcy is playing games with Tom, toying with him and making him suffer around her. I think this shows Darcy’s character — she’s confident and outgoing, but I think this masks her inner pain and confusion around Tom, and she is playing games with Tom so she can avoid really thinking about their friendship and where it’s possibly going.

Darcy’s best friend Truly is a fun addition to the novel, bringing humour and heart into Darcy’s life. Darcy may move around a lot and she doesn’t commit to guys or relationships, but her friendship with Truly seems to be one of the more stable parts of her life.

“Truly Nicholson is the queen of a cult indie underwear label called Underswears, and no, her name is not a nickname. Well, it was initially. She was called Truly in utero when she finally made her appearance on an ultrasound screen. That little baby was truly a miracle.”

I didn’t always like Darcy and I found her a bit mean, especially to Tom. Also, Jamie’s presence in the novel felt a little underwhelming. He’s mentioned a lot, and Darcy and Tom talk about him all the time and he’s heavily involved in the remodelling of the home, but he only appears at the very end of the novel? It felt a little jarring.

I wasn’t overly interested in the remodelling storyline because I don’t really care about construction/renovating/building etc, but that doesn’t matter. That plot just forms the skeleton of the story – the real plot is the development of Darcy and Tom’s relationship and the two of them navigating their feelings for the other person.

I’d recommend this to lovers of romance and contemporary fiction, and anyone who read and loved Sally’s previous novel The Hating Game.

99 Percent Mine is available now, Hachette Book Publishers Australia, RRP $29.99.

***

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH SALLY THORNE

How did you find writing 99 Percent Mine compared with The Hating Game?
I’ve never intentionally written a book before. The Hating Game was written as a gift for a friend’s birthday and I had no plans to publish it. However, that book wanted to get published very much, and it turned out to be a smash hit. 

Writing the second book was very hard. I’ve never experienced success before, and I haven’t had to follow anything up. The Hating Game felt like a fluke to me. I got writer’s block for a very long time. People would ask me how I was dealing with the pressure. I wasn’t dealing well at all. A successful book on sale in 25+ countries didn’t feel so great when I could barely write a single new word.

But, like anyone who’s written a book knows, you just have to ignore the voice in your head that says you’re a fraud. I nearly gave up many times, kept on going, and got out the other side. I was helped by my wonderful agent, who always told me that I’m talented and I can do it. I also had support from many established authors who sent emails to check in and helped me through it.

What’s important to your writing process?
I need a blank day on my calendar. If I have an appointment later in the day, I don’t write as well. But if I know I have all the time in the world, I can just gradually relax into that creative zone and just see what happens. It’s not a terribly practical way to get work done, but I do my best work when I have nowhere to be except my computer.

What’s not important to your writing process?
I personally don’t plot out my book beforehand, I just write the relationship between the characters and make things up spontaneously. I love the moments where my hands type out something I’ve never even thought of, and when characters just say things that seem perfect. I tried plotting once, but I got bored and never even started that book.

What do you think readers are looking for in a romance novel?


Intensity of emotion. It’s what I put the most effort into in my books. Every single moment that those two characters are together should feel electric. Readers want that delicious slow burn as the characters tease and back away, building up to something that should be beautiful and life changing when they finally give in to love. I want the reader of my book to feel like they’re in that character’s shoes, standing opposite that man, feeling every single heartbeat.

What do you like to read?


I like reading genres different to my own (rom com), so I do like reading Alice Hoffman’s beautiful magical-realism, Annie Proulx’s Wyoming short stories and also sexy intense dark romances. I can always count on Christina Lauren books to make me feel and laugh. I also have a penchant for Harlequin novels from the 1980s and 1990s. They’re great.
I should own up to the fact that in 2018 I was so stressed out writing 99 Percent Mine that I probably only read four or five books.

I read in an interview that you used to write fanfiction. How did that prepare you for writing your novels?
Fanfiction is something that I’d recommend to anyone who wants to try writing. It’s an in-built community who already likes a similar thing, and within that space you can really work on creating something with a point of difference. I was writing around 2008-9 and there’s an astonishing number of writers from that period who are now bestselling authors of original fiction. 

I think fanfiction prepared me for writing original fiction because it was uploaded like a serial, one chapter at a time. You learn to get good at ending chapters on a little cliffhanger or leave the reader wanting more- ‘Update soon’ is a very common request in reviews. You work on your pacing and heightening the will-they won’t-they aspects of romantic relationships to play your readers like a fiddle. Back then, all we wanted was reviews. We’d actually ask total strangers for feedback. How brave! Nowadays I don’t read my reviews at all.

What’s left on your bucket list?
I want to go to Korea, I would love to have the words New York Times Bestseller after my name and I’d love to sit in the cinema one day to watch The Hating Game movie.

And lastly, what are you working on next?
On the Hating Game movie front, the option was sold and is now in the development stage- David Mirkin (The Simpsons Movie, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion) is attached to direct it, a fabulous funny screenplay was written by Christina Menghert (I had input- how fun) and I’m hoping to have some meetings when I go over to the US in April for my book tour. I also signed another two-book contract for HarperCollins in December, and am drafting my third book.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

99 Percent Mine
Sally Thorne
February 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

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