A Girl’s Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber Reviewed by Jan Speedie

A Girl’s Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber Reviewed by Jan SpeedieLeanne and her daughter-in-Law Nichole are both coping with the aftermath of divorce and decide to compile a guide to help them move on.  Two years on both Leanne and Nichole have pushed forward with their careers and have found new relationships. Just as they feel life is good, people from their past try to spoil their new happiness and bring difficult family challenges which they must overcome to secure their bright future.

Debbie Macomber is a bestselling author in the USA with over 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. It is said she is a master of feel good stories, ones which raise the spirits of those dealing with relationship problems.

So how much of a master is she?

A Girl’s Guide to Moving On is easy reading and it certainly does bring raise the spirits in our hum drum world, especially as we wait for spring to be sprung.

The pace is brisk, the emotive thrust draws us in, and it is one of there rare things these days, a wholesome and satisfying read.

Another few million sales on the way it would seem. Great stuff.

Debbie lives with her husband, Wayne in Port Orchard, Washington. As well as her best selling fiction Debbie has published two cookbooks, numerous non-fiction works and two children books. Debbie is a devoted grandmother and works for several charities. Debbie and Wayne spend their winters in Florida.

 

Published by Arrow in paperback on 10th March 2016 at £5.99

 

 

30 Days of Gratitude Day 27 #30daysofgratitude

Today I am grateful for less. I have been decluttering our apartment for a while now, and it is amazing how much clearer you feel when you are not surrounded by junk. I have not been just throwing things in the bin as I hate waste. Just putting things in a landfill rather than your home does no one any favours. What I have been doing instead is recycling, selling and giving to charity. I feel better, have some money in my pocket and have less distractions. Win win.

What are you grateful for today?

30 days of gratitude

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What are you grateful for?

 

 

30 Days of Gratitude Day 26 #30daysofgratitude

Today I am grateful for social media. Social media is not perfect. It can stop us engaging with the real world and make our concentration worse. But as a self employed freelancer and a (relatively) new mum, I love it. For those who work from home, the internet is like our working office, those on Twitter and Facebook our work colleagues. It stops us feeling alone. We feel connected. Social media has become the social register of our times, a way of keeping up with friends and family. It has negatives but it also allows anyone to promote themselves and have their voice heard. While some of those people may be trolls, many others are good, decent people. I have met some of my friends on social media and my husband added me on Facebook the day we met, hurrying the dating process along. Social media has made the world more democratic, and for that we should all be grateful.

social media 30 days of gratitude

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What are you grateful for?

 

 

30 Days of Gratitude Day 25 #30daysofgratitude

Today I am grateful for the long weekend. Four days of family bliss. Happy Easter everyone.

easterbunnyphotocredit-wikipedia

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The Last Thing I Remember by Deborah Bee Reviewed by Frances Colville

The Last Thing I Remember by Deborah Bee Reviewed by Frances Colville

One of the launch titles for Twenty7 books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing Fiction, The Last Thing I Remember by Deborah Bee is a gripping read.  Sarah is in an induced coma after a mugging, unable to move, see or communicate or to remember anything about herself and her past life.   She is, however, able to listen in to conversations going on around her.  Can she make sense of what has happened to her, remember who she is and alert the medical team to the fact that she is not brain dead?  Kelly is a stroppy yet sensitive and intelligent teenager who spends a great deal of time at Sarah’s bedside. What part does she play in all this and can she help Sarah recover?  And who is the man who appears at Sarah’s bedside when no-one else is around and whom no-one knows?

 

Deborah Bee keeps the tension high and the reader guessing until the very last page.  I couldn’t put it down.  If you’re a fan of Gone Girl, or The Girl on the Train or any of Sophie Hannah’s psychological thrillers, this is a book for you.  Just one word of warning, if you object to very frequent (albeit integral to the story) use of the f-word then it might not suit you.

 

The Last Thing I Remember (Twenty7 books) is available as an Ebook from 3 March 2016 and in paperback from 28 July 2016.

 

 

30 Days of Gratitude Day 24 #30daysofgratitude

Today I am grateful for film. I love film and I have worked in the film industry. Going to the cinema is still one of my favourite things to do. So today I am grateful for film and all of the amazing people who make them. It’s a tough industry, but it’s worth it.

what-to-expect-when-youre-expecting film review Prose & Cons film day one. The_avengers assemble film review Flight Film Review Taken 3 Movie

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What are you grateful for?

 

 

Top of the Pop-Ups this Easter at the Perrier-Jouët Modern Mayfair Garden

Spring has sprung and what better way to celebrate than with a glass of fizz in an idyllic garden setting. Let’s toast this Easter at La Caprice, Mayfair and be sure to enjoy your lunch before or after perusing The Royal Academy of Arts’ latest landmark exhibition. Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse, sees Claude Monet’s water lily paintings brought to the UK for the very first time. We think this is the perfect opportunity for you to immerse yourself into spring whilst enjoying some remarkable art, food and also some lovely goodies to take away.

Paul Winch-Furness / Photographer

Priced at £38 per person, this includes a glass of Perrier-Jouët Champagne, two-course lunch at Le Caprice, tickets to ‘Painting the Modern Garden’ exhibition, a Floris London gift bag with Rose Hand Cream and Jermyn Street fragrance sample.

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The Perrier-Jouët Modern Mayfair Garden is open throughout the exhibition’s run period – 30 January until 20 April 2016

We think it’s the perfect Easter treat for the adults!

For more information visit: Le Caprice

30 Days of Gratitude Day 23 #30daysofgratitude

Today I am grateful for kindness. Not just kindness to each other, but kindness to ourselves. In the age of social media we can spend all of our time curating our life rather than living it. The pressure to be perfect can be overwhelming. I have been known to push myself too hard but work/life balance is important. Being kind to yourself is one of the best things you can do for your mental and physical health. It is also a fact that positive people live longer and are healthier. So do something kind for yourself today. Whether that is having a bath, a biscuit or taking some time out to watch a movie, do it.

30 days of gratitude #30daysofgratitude

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What are you grateful for?