SydneyGen

Review: The Boyfriend Sessions by Belinda Williams

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boyfriendsessionspolGenre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

Please take your seats. The journey to happiness may involve some turbulence.

Christa Morrison has commitment issues, a fact that quickly becomes apparent after she flees a romantic proposal in Paris, the thunder of impending wedding bells ringing in her ears.

Back in Sydney, she turns to her closest friends for reassurance. Instead they offer her a startling and painful diagnosis: she’s a relationship junkie. The cure? An extreme rehabilitation program guaranteed to reform even the most L-word illiterate.

With her girlfriends along for the ride, Christa commits to their radical plan and the chances of recovery look good. The only problem is Max Spencer. The one guy Christa—and her friends—never expected her to fall for. But he’s proving to be a temptation she may not have the willpower to resist …

For a shot at happiness, is being with Max worth betraying her friends? And will Christa have the strength to trust her heart when her colorful relationship history comes back to haunt her?

It might just be enough to make a poor girl leave the country (again).

 SGMyReview

I saw the cover for this and it piqued my curiosity! This a new release you need to get onto! The Boyfriend Sessions is a great read. Christa is always running away from commitment, but doesn’t know why, or how to stop it. After a surprise proposal in Paris, she runs back to Australia and finds comfort with her friends. All is not as it seems though, as the friends band together and put her through her paces, imposing a man-ban and starting weekly counseling sessions over wine (WINNING – I mean, great idea!).

I loved reading this book. The author does a lovely job of creating believable situations and scenery, and as I was reading about all the places in Sydney, I could see it clear as a sunny harbour day. So much fun to think about walking exactly where the characters were walking, or sitting, or doing boot camp! There were times where I was sad, or my heart was clenching a bit. There were also times were I smiled and fist pumped. All through the book, although I was a little frustrated with her, I still found Christa to be likeable. The way the author writes her, you have empathy and compassion for her past, rather than thinking she’s an idiot for just “not getting it”.

This was a well thought out story and one I highly recommended if you’re after a lovely Aussie based romance to read on a sunny day.

And just in case you weren’t sure.. here’s a little Max-spiration from the author’s website!

mighty-max-promo

Authors Website: Goodreads: Facebook : Twitter

CLICK FOR VARIOUS BUYING LINKS

books1b*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review – very glad so say I loved it!

New Release & Review – Cutting Out by Meredith Shayne

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cutting-outpolaroid Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance. Adult Fiction.

A twenty-year veteran of the shearing shed, Aussie Shane Cooper loves his job, and the home he’s made for himself in New Zealand. If he’s a little lonely, he’s got good mates to keep his spirits up. When a hot, cocky young shearer named Lachlan Moore catches his eye at a competition, he’s content to look but not touch, knowing the young man is out of his league.

Lachie wouldn’t mind a piece of Shane, but the gorgeous gun shearer from Australia is soon forgotten when the Christchurch earthquake hits, and tragedy strikes Lachie’s family. Lachie deals with it the best he can, cutting himself off from all he knows. A year later and he’s back in the shearing shed, out of practice and lacking confidence. That Shane’s there to watch him flounder doesn’t help his nerves.

As Lachlan struggles to re-acclimatise, Shane can’t resist giving him a hand to get back on his feet. As they move from friends to something more, Shane finds himself wanting to know everything he can about Lachie. But Lachie’s got secrets he desperately wants to keep, and when things come to a head, those secrets might just mean the end of them before they’ve truly begun.

This novel, about sheep shearers in picturesque New Zealand, was an entertaining read. The author used a wonderful voice to portray both main characters, and the emotion came through on the pages. The story line weaves in the world of shearing in a way that makes you feel like you can smell, and hear the hustle and bustle of the shearing shed. I really enjoyed the camaraderie around the gangs that work together, and the portrayal of bonds formed in the roughest of conditions. The integration of slang was enjoyable, and make me chuckle a few times.     The main characters, Shane and Lachie were wonderfully written, and the author did a really great job of making me feel every emotion available. At times I had to take a moment to relish the fact that I was frowning, or smiling, or having my heart crushed at the devastation that the Christchurch earthquakes had on families. In my humble opinion, when an author can make a reader feel that, they really have a gift. Read this book if you’re after a love story between characters that push and pull, and create a slow burn. Cutting Out is a wonderfully portrayed romance novel, with blokes and beer, instead of wine and flowers.

BUYING LINKS:

Smashwords Apple iBooks – Coming Soon

About the Author: A scientist in a past life, these days Meredith Shayne mainly uses her scientific training to poke holes in television pseudoscience. Originally from Australia, she moved to New Zealand to start a new life a few years ago and hasn’t regretted it for one minute, even if she frequently wishes that the New Zealand weather was a little better; if she’s forced, she’ll admit that the refreshing lack of animals that can kill you in New Zealand makes up for a little rain. Meredith travels a lot, so much so that she has developed a shameful love of airplane food and knows her passport number by heart. When she is at home, she enjoys baking, horrible music from the 1980s, reality television, and gloating any time Australia thrashes the living daylights out of New Zealand on the sporting field. Find Meredith at her website: http://www.meredithshayne.com   : Twitter  : Goodreads : Booklikes books1b*I received this book as an ARC from the publisher. All reviews expressed are solely mine.

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I’ve done it, again!! I’ve started another blog! This one comes as I’m taking a uni break and find myself reading like a crazy person! I do have Goodreads, and enjoy leaving comments over there, but I also love to blog. So here we have it. A crazy, lil blog of what I’m reading, and what I thought. If I like something I’ll preach it to the world. If I don’t like something, I’ll share it, and let you make up your own mind.

I like to read most genres, although I tend to shy away from horror. My imagination is crazy enough! If you have any book recommendations you would like to give, please, let me know!

I’m based in Australia, and look forward to showcasing lots of Aussie authors (plus international!!) as I get ready for the upcoming Fictionally Yours – Melbourne – Author Invasion, in October 2015!

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