The Summer Season by Julia Williams

I really enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters within it. It was interesting to see the story progress from the perspectives of the main characters, who slowly revealed their pasts to the reader. I particularly liked the chapters which revealed the story behind Heartsease House with the lives of Edward and Lily. The gardening aspect of the story was also enjoyable, with the descriptions of the gardens. The only part of the book that I didn't like was Kezzie's use of drugs, mostly because she didn't stop using them after they nearly ruined her relationship. I like a story where the characters learn from their mistakes and has some sort of moral lesson behind it. I give it 8/10.

Warnings of Gales by Annie Sanders

Although it has taken me a long time to read (due to being busy), I quite enjoyed this book. I instantly warmed to the character of Imogen but it took me a while to like Jo, who at first irritated me a little. But in many ways, this reflected how the characters' feelings developed throughout the book. By the end, I loved both of these characters in their own way. The other main female character was Sophie, but I didn't feel very connected to her so felt she could have been developed a bit more. However, I did enjoy how the story was told from the two perspectives of Imogen and Jo, who both clashed and were on very different journeys in their life. It reveals how women can totally misunderstand each other but eventually realise the grass isn't always greener on the other side, which I feel is an important message, and deal with their own problems head on. I give this book 8/10.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I don't normally read many non-chick-lit type books, but this was a present which came highly recommended so I decided to give it a go. It was actually really good, though, so I was pleasntly surprised. It took a while for the plot to take off, but when it finally did I was hooked. There were some really surprising twists in the story which I didn't expect. And I felt that I really got to know a lot of the characters in depth. Although sometimes I got confused between some of the Spanish names which seemed similar at first. And another complaint is that the author sometimes came across as a bit pretentious when he chose to use long and complicated words and sentences when describing ordinary things. I'm still going to be reading chick lit most of the time, but it was interesting to read something different for a change. I give it 8/10.

The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson

I do not usually read many non-fiction books all the way through, but this one was difficult to put down! As someone who loves taking pleasure in the small things in life, this book was perfect for me. I picked this book up off the shelves at my local library on a whim but totally fell in love with it. I love the way it goes through activities to do by season, as I feel that people do not really appreciate the changing seasons enough. Whilst some things were maybe not in my price range (such as buying expensive bedding), other suggestions could be took up by anyone. I do not usually review non-fiction books, but this was something special, which I read like a novel, and so I give it 9/10.

The Girls' Guide to Homemaking by Amy Bratley

I really enjoyed this book. I loved and felt really connected to the main character, Juliet, although this may be because she is very similar to me! I felt empathetic towards her and her situation and enjoyed watching her solve her problems and develop as a person. I particularly liked the theme of homemaking and how Juliet used her gradmother's homemaking manual to help her build her new life. I loved hating her (ex)boyfriend, (ex)best friend and (ex)boss throughout the story, too. I also enjoyed the revelations that were gradually revealed about Juliet's past and family, that let me get to know her better as a character. It was a thoroughly enjoyable story. I give it 10/10.

One Day in May by Catherine Alliott

At first, I wasn't so sure this book was for me, but as I got into the story and I grew to love the main character, Hattie, I found myself really enjoying it. I liked her best friend, Maggie, and her family, some of which you got to know better during the chapters that described her past. I also really enjoyed the twist in the story towards the end of the book. The type of books I usually read are fairly predictable (which I actually love), but I was genuinly surprised by this revelation, and not in a bad way. I feel it really added to the story. I also liked how the story ended, as it almost had a moral message behind it and showed Hattie's development as a character. I give this book 8/10.

Recipe for Disaster by Miriam Morrison

I quite enjoyed this book. I really liked the character of Jake, who I felt I knew very well from the stories told from his past and all his thoughts and feelings. I don't usually like male narrators but this was done very well. The story was also told from the viewpoint of Harry and Kate at times. Harry was a brilliant character to hate, as all his thoughts corresponded with his evil actions, so it was easy to dislike him. However, I didn't feel as attached to Kate as I should have done. I couldn't really sympathise with her that much when she couldn't come clean to Jake about being a journalist instead of a waitress, and I felt he forgave her far too easily. Also, when he banged his head and temporarily forgot who she really was, it was difficult to tell when and exactly what he remembered. Other than that, I liked the storyline and the style of writing. I give it 8/10.