Sowing Secrets by Trisha Ashley

I really enjoyed this book. The plot seemed familiar to something I've read before, and it was predictable, but I'm not the type of person to moan about that. In fact, I feel quite comforted by it! I really liked the sound of the village that it is set in, and the gardens that are described, particularly the roses. I felt very close and attached to the main character, Fran, and felt very defensive of her when her husband, Mal, was saying horrible things to her about her weight. Gabe the gardener was a brilliant leading man, seemingly nice and ruggedly handsome. Overall, the book was just a really cosy read, similar to how Katie Fforde writes, and she's may favourite author so that is a real compliment. I give this book 9/10.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

I absolutely loved this book. As soon as I picked it up, I fell in love with it and couldn't put it down. I loved the main character Issy and all of the characters like Pearl, Helena and even Caroline! The only problem was that it made me want to eat cake all the time because they sounded so delicious! The cafe sounded perfect and I could picture it exactly in my mind, with the courtyard and all. Gramps was a lovely character and it made me sad when he died. The only thing I didn't like was at the very end when Austin hinted that he would be leaving the country and he wanted Issy to go with him and she seemed happy to. It kind of goes against everything she stood for and undermined the journey she'd been through in setting up the cafe. But other than that, everything else was perfect! I give it 10/10!

Laying the Ghost by Judy Astley

I can't really decide whether I liked this book or not. I didn't dislike it, but I wasn't drawn to it, either. However, my opinion might be tainted by the stress of exams at the moment so I will try not to be too harsh. The problem was that I never felt truly connected to the main character, Nell. And I didn't really like how some sections of the book were from the perspective of her teenage daughter, Mimi. I also didn't like the character of Steve. Although I knew I wasn't supposed to like him, the whole S&M side of him was just strange. The storyline of him stealing the letter for Patrick and writing a fake reply was good, though. And I did like the character of Ed and wished I'd heard more from him and his budding feelings for Nell. However, what I did really like was Nell's career as an artist and I enjoyed the descriptions of her work and her studio. Overall, I'd give this book 6/10.

Mother of the Bride by Kate Lawson

I chose to read this book because of the Royal Wedding and I'd read a good review about it and because it has been sitting on my bookshelf unread since Christmas. I think I'b been putting it off because I wasn't sure I'd like a wedding story, but I absolutely loved it. I loved all of the characters you were meant to love and hated all the characters you were meant to hate! I particularly like Molly and Jess and felt I really got to know them throughout the book. My dislike of Max grew steadily throughout the book as Jess slowly began to realise that maybe he wasn't the right man for her after all. I particularly liked the description of Jess's little cottage, it sounded like my ideal home! So I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I give it 9/10.

The Sweetest Thing by Cathy Woodman

I absolutely loved this book! It is exactly what I look for in a romantic novel. Whilst it is clearly predictable, it is enjoyable to divulge into the world of Talyton St. George again. I loved the character of Jennie, and her two little girls who were incredibly sweet. I wasn't so sure about the sub-plot of her son drinking alcohol when he was down - he was only fourteen - but at least it brought them all together by the end of the book. I loved how each chapter had the name of a cake at the beginning, and then how that cake somehow featured in the chapter. And I also loved all of the animals in the story. I hope Cathy Woodman brings out more books like this as it is exactly what I'd hoped for when I bought it! I even bought a copy from Waterstones rather than wait longer for the cheaper play.com copy to be released because I'd really enjoyed the previous two Talyton St. George novels. It was nice that we saw some of the same characters briefly from those stories, too. I give it 10/10!

It's Now or Never by Carole Matthews

I really enjoyed this book, it was actually very inspirational. I loved both the characters of Annie and Lauren and felt like I got to know them really well throughout the book. I felt proud of them when they finally achieved what it was they wanted/needed. Although the character Jude was horrible, he was written really well, and seeing the transition of Lauren falling out of love with him was actually enjoyable, because he just kept making more and more mistakes and got what he deserved! I didn't like the character of Greg, though, even when he changed at the end. I'm not sure why, but he just irritated me a little bit. But a good book overall. I give it 8/10.

The Ballroom on Magnolia Street by Sharon Owens

When I picked this book up, I wasn't sure I was going to like it because of the synopsis on the back. However, the story wasn't that much like the synopsis at all! There were hints on the back of the book that suggested that Kate was going to hit on Johnny Hogan and this seemed strange. However, she actually intended the double wedding to be with Kevin McGovern. The entire way through the book I was thinking 'When is she going to leave Kevin and go after Johnny?', but she never did and I was glad about that. The synopsis also suggested that Johnny got involved with his newly-discovered son's wedding, when he didn't even go! But despite the fact the story didn't really match the synopsis, I did really enjoy the book. I really liked the characters of Marion and Eddy. At first Sharon annoyed me a little bit but I grew to love her. Kate annoyed me almost the entire way through, but her character needed to be this way to show how she changed towards the end. I give this book 7/10.