Her Dirty Little Secret by J.C. Harroway

Her Dirty Little Secret is the second book by J.C. Harroway for the shiny new Mills & Boon DARE imprint, by the way the new covers are stunning.

Harley is held back by her insecurities and fears. She thinks everyone sees her through the same lens as her father, who thinks she is lazy, stupid and not exactly a great representation of their talented family.

She struggles with her dyslexia on a daily basis, because her parent always makes her feel inferior and different.

When her childhood crush strolls back into her life she also believes he judges her for the same reasons. Every sentence and thought is permeated with the fear of failure, especially when it comes to doing business. Harley is eager to establish her own business reputation, so Jack is both an annoying and simultaneously very appealing distraction.

Harroway turns up the heat to scorching in this wee romantic delight of a story. The two main characters spend quite a lot of time doing the horizontal tango and quite a number of other suave bedroom moves. Be prepared for breathless and passionate moments with these very feisty characters.

This author combines serious topics with subtle eroticism and fiery romances. It's a very readable combination, and puts the zest in the Dare series.

Connect with J.C. Harroway on
Twitter @jcharroway
Instagram @jcharroway
Facebook JCHarroway
Goodreads J.C. Harroway
Visit jcharroway.com

Buy Her Dirty Little Secret at Amazon Uk, Mills & Boon, IBook or Google

Read A Week to be Wild by J.C. Harroway

#BlogTour The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

Today it is my pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare. It's an amusing Regency romance that should come with a warning, so bare that in mind if you get a little hot around the collar whilst reading it.

About the Author
Tessa Dare is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fourteen historical romance novels and five novellas. Her books have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® award (twice) and the RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence. Booklist magazine named her one of the “new stars of historical romance,” and her books have been contracted for translation in more than a dozen languages.

Mixing wit, sensuality, and emotion, Tessa writes Regency-set romance novels that feel relatable to modern readers. With her bestselling “Spindle Cove” and “Castles Ever After” series, she has had great fun creating heroines who defy the conventions of their time—engaging in “unladylike” pursuits that range from paleontology to beer-making—and dreaming up the strong-willed, sexy heroes who find their hearts ensnared by them.

A librarian by training and a booklover at heart, Tessa makes her home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband, their two children, and a trio of cosmic kitties.

Follow @TessaDare @MillsandBoon
Follow TessaDareAuthor on Facebook
Visit tessadare.com
Buy The Duchess Deal

About the book
Witty, Saucy Regency Romance

‘I am a Duke. I’m not asking you to marry me. I am offering to marry you. It’s a different thing entirely.’

When the Duke of Ashbury returns from war scarred, he realises he needs an heir – which means he needs a wife! When Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter turned seamstress visits wearing a wedding dress, he decides on the spot that she'll do.

His terms are simple:
- They will be husband and wife by night only.
- No lights, no kissing.
- No questions about his battle scars.
- Last, and most importantly… Once she's pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.

But Emma is no pushover. She has secrets and some rules of her own:
- They will have dinner together every evening.
- With conversation.
- And teasing.
- Last, and most importantly… Once she's seen the man beneath the scars, he can't stop her from falling in love…

When a girl meets a Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules…

Review
Ash is convinced no woman will ever want him or love him, who wants to be intimate with a monster? He has convinced himself that his physical scars will repulse everyone, especially any potential love interests. Emma sees the man behind the horrific scars and finds herself falling for the stubborn aristocrat.

Emotional attachment isn't part of the deal though. Not according to the deal the two of them have agreed to. It includes an heir to the dukedom, a lot of teasing, and definitely under no circumstances shall there be any kissing. Not an easy task when you're in the throes of passion.

The Duchess Deal has an equal amount of passion and playfulness, including a house full of scheming staff invested in Emma and Ash, and their very peculiar relationship. At the same time the read is hotter than a chilli pepper. An excellent balancing act of charm, wit and desire.

Lovers of Regency romances want to experience the moments of illicit passion, the moments when there is a sharp intake of a breath just before the feisty beautiful woman is kissed passionately by the debonair gentleman. There are some authors who also manage to infuse the wicked and the saucy with a sense of humour, and that is the core essence of a standout Regency novel. Tessa Dare certainly knows how to combine the hot and heavy horizontal tango with a quick witted humorous dialogue.

Instead of relying on all of the usual clichés and the sometimes stuffy repertoire of this genre, the author has fun with the characters and the plot. This sense of adventure and joie de vivre can be felt throughout the book. Tessa Dare elicits amused snorts and accelerated heartbeats in equal measure.

Buy The Duchess Deal at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

#BlogTour A Week to be Wild by J.C. Harroway

#MillsandBoonmakeover #MillsandBoonDare #HarlequinDare #IamLovingthenewCovers

A Week to be Wild by J.C. Harroway is kicking off and introducing the new and improved face of Mills & Boon, which was launched by Gerald Mills and Charles Boon and started off as the romance imprint of Harlequin UK Ltd in 1908. That means Mills & Boon have been enthralling their readers for 110 years.

The publisher, a subsidiary of Harlequin Enterprises Ltd, operates as a division of Harper Collins. Mills & Boon has grown to become the UK's undisputed market leader in romance fiction publishing, entrenched in the hearts and minds of its avid readership. 

Now an imprint of Harper Collins, Mills & Boon is starting 2018 off with a mega boom and a brand revamp, which includes their new DARE series.

DARE ~ Sexy. Passionate. Bold. A brand new, searingly sexy romance series written by women for women, the Mills & Boon DARE series will feature strong, empowered women who take the lead – be it in the boardroom or the bedroom – and enjoy great sex on their terms.

About the Author
“Writing love because the world always needs more...” J.C. Harroway
Follow @jcharroway @MillsandBoon
Visit @jcharroway.com
Visit millsandboon.co.uk
Buy A Week to be Wild

About the book
Harlequin DARE, a new romance series featuring strong, independent women and sizzling hot heroes. Harlequin DARE stories push the boundaries of sexual explicitness while keeping the focus on the developing romantic relationship.

A daring game of temptation
She’ll play his game—but only by her rules!

Alex Lancaster is an adrenaline junkie. He’s also a sexy British billionaire who should come with his own warning signs. When Libby insists she is done with men who live on the edge, Alex coaxes her out of her comfort zone—professionally and very, very personally. Libby’s taking a high-stakes gamble, but the pay-off could win her everything…

Review
You might want to have your hand fan or battery powered handheld fan at the ready for this one. It might just get your pulse racing and your temperature a'rising to a level that might necessitate a cool breeze.

Libby is a strong independent business woman, who has put her love life on hold for the last few years to concentrate on herself and her business. She is also recovering from a traumatic event that has made her cautious about close romantic relationships, but hey having a little fun when you're hot under the collar isn't forbidden. Which is exactly what goes through her head when she meets the wealthy and handsome Alex. Suddenly being all professional is the last thing on her mind and all she can think about is this man who has got all her synapses firing on full power.

In the midst of all the horizontal tangoing, the passionate encounters and provocative game-playing the two of them start to develop a real emotional connection. The kind of connection Libby is still shying away from. The only reason she hasn't started to run yet is the fact Alex has managed, for the first time in a long time, to help her to experience the rush of life.

The new DARE series doesn't just cater to the reader who believes in the excitement of love, butterflies in their stomach and the heat of a blush rising to their cheeks. They also cater to the ones wanting the thrill of the chase, the excitement of sexual attraction and the hotter than hot interactions between the characters.

Harroway brings exactly the right amount of romance, sexual tension and eroticism to bring pleasure to the readers. Yes, that pun was intentional. It gets really racy and is superbly tempestuous. It might even elicit a gasp or two while you read.

This is pocket-sized passion that fits in your handbag, so you can enjoy a titillating read whenever and wherever you want. Mills & Boon for the 21st century woman.

Buy A Week to be Wild at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Read Her Dirty Little Secret by J.C. Harroway

Blog-Tour: The Chic Boutique on Baker Street

Let's kick off the Blog-Tour for this lovely book, The Chic Boutique on Baker Street by up and coming author Rachel Dove. Get ready to be charmed by her characters and her delightful story.

About the author
Rachel Dove is the proud winner of the 2015 Flirty Fiction Competition with Prima Magazine and Mills & Boon. Ecstatic to have her novel chosen out of 300 others, Rachel is now a full-time writer and looks forward to writing her next book. When she is not writing, she can be found raising her sons or curled up under a blanket with a book.

Connect with Rachel on:

Twitter @writerdove
Facebook Rachel Dove -Author
Blog racheldoveauthor.wordpress.com
Goodreads Rachel Dove
Follow the #ChicBoutique Tour with @MillsandBoon, @writerdove, @mm_cheryl and my fellow bloggers
Buy The Chic Boutique on Baker Street here

Review

City girl Amanda has literally escaped London and fled to the wilds of Yorkshire. Ok, wilds might be a slight exaggeration, but hey sometimes life in an English village can often  be a little like living in a jungle. An eccentric and very pretty jungle, but a jungle nevertheless.

She is looking for a completely different kind of lifestyle. Not the restrictive mapped out lifestyle her parents insist she lead. She more or less stumbles over the attractive vet next door, who doesn't think much of her or her strange shop. Once an outsider always an outsider.

The village women make it their personal goal to play matchmaker for Ben and Amanda. They are really subtle at it as well, not. Luckily the two of them don't seem to mind the meddling very much.

The Chic Boutique is a charming tale of mistakes, regret and believing in new beginnings. Happiness isn't always being the most powerful with the most money and living in an apartment overlooking the epicentre of a pulsing city. Sometimes happiness is finding inner peace, regardless of whether it is in city or in a quaint village.

This story is about Amanda asserting herself, taking charge and living a life she wants, as opposed to living one someone else thinks she should be satisfied with. Fortunately for her she happens to find two balls of fluff and a strong shoulder to lean on, as she stumbles (boy does she stumble a lot) her way to independence/

Dove mixes the oddity of village life with memorable characters and budding romance to create a very enjoyable read.

Buy The Chic Boutique on Baker Street at Amazon UK, Amazon US or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

It Had To Be You by Nikki Logan and Barbara Hannay

Cover: Courtenay  Hayles

To celebrate finding their Man of the Year 2016, Courtenay Hayles, Mills & Boon have published It Had To Be You, which contains two lovely romantic stories.

Molly Cooper's Dream Date by Barbara Hannay and Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan.

Two completely different stories about love.

Whether you are looking for the careless sun-swept feel of Logan's story or the more practical approach to searching for Mr Perfect by Hannay. There is something for everyone in this double-whammy.

Molly Cooper's Dream Date
Molly is dead set on finding the perfect English gentleman, and apparently they tend to be easier to locate in London. So a house swap with a gentleman in London sounds like the perfect opportunity to look for him.

Patrick is excited to relax on the other side of the world and he also wasn't expecting to be so intrigued by his house swap mate. Molly is suddenly far more interesting than the reason he wanted a break in the first place.

Hannay has given her story a modern social media aspect. Dialogue via emails and diary entries by both characters. This way the reader gets straight to the inner turmoil, while watching the two of them write themselves into a relationship.

Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong
The last thing Honor expects, needs or wants is an invader in her tiny haven. Her own personal peace on earth is disrupted by an obnoxious underwater Indiana Jones, who happens to believe in mermaids.

Rob is curious about the island hermit, who would rather spend her time watching and recording the animal kingdom, than spend time with him or anyone for that matter.The two of them are drawn to each other, but Honor has a terrible secret that is keeping her from connecting with other people. Animals are a safer bet.

Buy It Had To Be You at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

It's got to be Perfect by Haley Hill

What do you if you have totally failed at dating and are still looking for Mr Right? Start your own exclusive dating agency of course.

That is exactly what Ellie Rigby decides to do. Help all those other good-looking singles out there to find their perfect match.

Sounds simple enough, eh? Well it does until Ellie realises just how many of her potential clients are just ever so slightly eccentric and high maintenance. I'm not sure I would be able to find a partner for a macho playboy gynaecologist with a porn-star name either.

Of course the problem with sifting through all those handsome men is that inevitably there will be one of them, who just happens to caught your eye. Not even matchmakers are immune to the charms of Cupid.

It's got to be Perfect is a comedy of errors with a bevy of pretty people with one thing in common, the search for Mr or Mrs Perfect.

Hill doesn't mince her words when it comes to the dialogues, They are refreshing, witty and occasionally slightly on the graphic side.

She has her main character concentrate her efforts on the top ten percent, as opposed to the more normal looking single. Beauty attracts mates and not plain Janes, is the message, which leaves a slightly negative tinge to the otherwise light-hearted story.
I received a copy of this book, courtesy of Mills & Boon and Harlequin UK.

Blog Tour & Review: The Thirty List by Eva Woods

Let's start this Blog Tour for The Thirty List by Eva Woods off with a bang. To follow the tour and read what my fellow bloggers are saying about The Thirty List read Blog Tour -Thirty List to follow the links to each blog on the tour.

About the author:
Eva Woods/Claire McGowan is a writer and a lecturer. She writes contemporary women's fiction as Eva Woods and crime fiction as Claire McGowan.

She was born in Northern Ireland and now lives in London, where she writes and teaches creative writing.

According to her blog she also spends a lot of time tutting at slow people on escalators and dodging urban foxes. She likes wine, pop music, and holidays, and thinks online dating is like the worst board game ever invented.

To read more about Claire visit ink-stains.co.uk, visit her Facebook page or follow her on Twitter @inkstainsclaire

About The Thirty List:
Everyone has one.
That list.
The things you were supposed to do before you turn thirty.

Jobless, broke and getting a divorce, Rachel isn’t exactly living up to her own expectations. And moving into grumpy single dad Patrick’s box room is just the soggy icing on top of her dreaded thirtieth birthday cake.

Eternal list-maker Rachel has a plan – an all new set of challenges to help her get over her divorce and out into the world again – from tango dancing to sushi making to stand-up comedy.

But as Patrick helps her cross off each task, Rachel faces something even harder; learning to live – and love – without a checklist.

Review:

Welcome to the disaster called Rachel's supposedly perfect life, well at least it used to be. From the very beginning it seems as if Rachel has made hasty decisions or at least ones made in doubt. She has built an image of a perfect relationship in her head and lives it outwardly for society.

To be quite frank she needed to buck up and stop being the perpetual doormat for the people around her. Instead she goes when she is asked to leave, she gives up house and home, because hey Dan asked her to. I mean come on, really? No spunk, no fight and no disagreement at all?

Instead she has let herself be boxed into this pseudo cupboard of imaginary blame and remorse by her husband and her friends. It isn't as if she did an entire football team in the locker room. Keep it real.

So her friends suggestion of a Bucket List is exactly the right thing to get her out of the slump she has slithered into. A list full of eccentric, exotic, daring and funny challenges or tasks to complete. Things to do before you... You get the picture and might even have one yourself, I know I do.

She embarks on her tasks with her new landlord, father of one, Patrick. They have slumps in common, and that isn't all they have in common. Rachel quickly becomes part of the family, and as part-time nanny she also becomes close to Patrick's son.

Being a step-parent or parent substitute is probably one of the hardest jobs in a patchwork family. Faced with the same responsibilities and yet when it comes down to the nitty gritty you are always only the stand-in for the real parent.

Rachel cares for and looks after Alex, as if she were his mother, and yet in the direst of situations she is treated like a convenient servant. There is no empathy for her or her emotions. No comprehension of the bond she has built with the young boy. Even in that regard I found Patrick to be very lacking in compassion towards her.

I was slightly taken aback by the way Patrick reacted towards the end of the story. How very condescending of him to reach out to the ex and offer Rachel up on a pathetic platter. Sort of  'can you come and pick up your second-hand goods now.' I would have been angry if I were Rachel, I was certainly annoyed on her behalf.

The Thirty List is a tale of romance, the threading together of new families, questioning of relationships and about Rachel's discovery of self. An amusing and also painful journey, but certainly one worth reading.

Thank you to Mills & Boon and Harlequin UK for the copy of The Thirty List.
To buy The Thirty List go to Amazon UK or Goodreads for other store links.

Q & A with Fiona Harper introducing her new book: The Doris Day Vintage Film Club

Today you are in for a bookworm treat. A great Q & A with author Fiona Harper, my thoughts on her new book The Doris Day Vintage Film Club and to top it all off you can win a vintage makeover by stylists Lipstick and Curls, all courtesy of Mills & Boon. Without further ado let's welcome Fiona Harper to the blog.

Before we get to the nitty-gritty I would like to do a set of questions called ‘Break the Ice’
Last book you read?
One Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

Did you watch the infamous 50 Shades of Grey?
No. Haven’t read the books either!

A group, singer or song your readers would be surprised to hear you listen to? (I caught that sneaky Sisters of Mercy reference in the book!)
Well, I do have to admit to being a goth when I was a teenager, and I do still love a bit of All About Eve or The Cult.

Which famous person (dead, alive, barely kicking) would you most like to meet?
I think I'm going to have to say Doris Day – who’s just celebrated her 91st birthday. I spent so long watching her films and reading books about her when I was researching The Doris Day Vintage Film Club and I'm totally intrigued by her.

Something you treat yourself to now and again?
A good session playing Tomb Raider – any of them, from the 1997 original to the recent reboot. I love Lara Croft, and exploring booby trap-ridden temples (virtually, of course).

All of the above questions are actually a pretty elaborate pysch evaluation disguised as random questions. Have no fear here come the real ones. Let’s talk The Doris Day Vintage Film Club.

On a previous occasion you said you chose Doris Day because she ‘had been through a lot and come out smiling.’ What is it about Doris you think women of today might relate to?
Firstly, I think it’s her personality, which is partly what made her a huge star in the first place. There’s just something inescapably likeable about Doris. You see her on the screen and you think to yourself, “I’d love to be her friend.” Secondly, I think it’s the fact that although she might have seemed to have what we all want – the glamorous life, money, wonderful men and a stellar career – that everything wasn't quite as rosy as it seemed on under the surface and she had the same sort of troubles a lot of the rest of us do, especially when it came to the men in her life.

The screen icons of the Golden Hollywood era have become, aside from handful such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Lauren Bacall ect., a thing of the past. Nowadays women and girls look up to idols like Madonna, Beyonce, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow instead. What does Doris Day give your vintage film club (other than the fantastic films) that modern-day stars or celebrities don’t or can’t give them?
I think, despite her openness and warmth, there’s still an aura of mystery about Doris. In these days when celebrities are endlessly tweeting their every thought and bombarding us with selfies, that’s quite an attractive thing!

How important is it to you that your characters retain a sense of normality in an otherwise fairytale romance scenario? To be more specific: Is it important that real life dysfunctional families, traumatic events and personality flaws go hand in hand with your characters?
Definitely. Although I write escapist fiction, if everything’s too perfect in my fictional world then readers have nothing to relate to. I think it’s important, even when a story has that ‘how I’d like my life to be’ feel about it, that the characters struggle with the same everyday issues we deal with.

How much of yourself and your own emotions do you let flow into your stories?
Erm…quite a lot. I have been known to cry when writing certain scenes, as I get caught up in the emotion of the characters. I think if I don’t emotionally connect with the story then that’s not going to come through in the writing, and then readers won’t experience the emotional roller coaster as they read either.

Taking a closer look at DDVFC (yes it is totally an acronym now) do you think it is important for children or adults to have closure with an absentee parent?
I think we all have a very basic need to know who we are, and that can be very closely linked to where we came from and who made us. Having watched a lot of Long Lost Family (lovingly renamed “Sob fest” in my household), I’d say that many people experience a sense of incompleteness if they haven’t known one of their parents.

In Claire’s case, which is the bigger betrayal? The fact Dominic lied about his identity or where he was doing it from?
I think it just set all her alarm bells ringing. She felt she’d been duped by men who pretended they were something they weren't before and hated that feeling of being taken for a ride again. Once she calmed down a bit, she started to be able to see that maybe she wasn't just reacting to Dominic’s betrayal, but all the other betrayals that had gone before too.

I’m trying really hard not to let too many details of the story flow into the questions (spoilers), so instead let me ask you this: The DDVFC is a band of women + George, who befriend and support each other, which is an incredibly important theme throughout the book. Is that something you think our society lacks in general? Women coming together and supporting each other in a way only women can?
I think we all want good friends around us, people who will stick by us through thick and thin. Some women have that, and some would like more of those connections in their lives. I do think we’re becoming more insular as a society – connected to our smart phones and tablets instead of to other people – and it’s not a bad thing to remember how much joy interacting with another human being (or two, or even eight!) can be.

Finally I would like to say thank you for answering my questions, including the stranger ones!
Thanks, Cheryl! They were great questions! Really made me think.

Now for my thoughts on The Doris Day Vintage film Club aka my review:

The Doris Day Vintage Film Club is a mixture of a comedy of errors, strong female friendships, solace in companionship and the accidental collision of two people, who are meant to be together.

The story features an amusing twist much like a Shakespearean comedy of errors.

It is actually done in a very realistic way, and I can certainly see something like that happening in a real life setting.

It is more than ironic that Claire finds herself in a 'Pillow Talk' situation, echoing a Doris Day classic film. Not that she is aware of it, because as far as Claire is concerned Nic is a possible Mr Right under a completely different set of circumstances than she is actually aware of.

A funny war of written words leads to a huge lie, which starts out small and grows so large that a disaster is unavoidable. The perfect romance turns into a tale of disappointment and perceived betrayal.

Harper places an emphasis on romances set in a realistic scenario. No person or life is perfect, and everyone has problems. That is exactly the type of story Harper excels at, the kind of story that gives the reader the flair of romance without being left with a sense of disbelief.

At the same time throughout the book there is a strong theme of women supporting other women. Essentially the film club provides a place of comfort, a place for conversation or advice and a place where women can make other women stronger.

The women take a young girl under their wings and help strengthen her self-image and teach her to discover her personality, femininity and teach her to deal with her overbearing abusive mother.

I think that sub-plot in particular is quite important in our day and age, because we live in a time of virtual contact, online friendships and no longer get together they way we used to. It makes clubs like the Vintage Film Club even more important, both in this fictitious setting and real life settings.

Overall this is a lively, witty romantic story with some serious undertones and sub-plots. Harper has let those serious points flow into the story without disrupting the fun, the humour or the budding relationship between Claire and Nic. The are so close, and yet so far apart at the same time.

Mills & Boon is also running a Pinterest competition #VintageFilmClub Pin it to Win it for The Doris Day Vintage Film Club, giving one reader the chance to win a vintage makeover with stylists Lipstick & Curls for themselves and a friend.

Buy The Doris Day Vintage Film Club at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @FiHarper_Author, @HQStories or @HarperCollinsUK

Read The Summer we Danced, The Other Us or The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams by Fiona Harper

The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams by Fiona Harper

Nicole was a true hardcore romantic when she came up with the great idea to start a Marriage Proposal Planning company. 

Now after watching one too many enthusiastic couples melt into each others arms she realises she is missing out on something. 

Something or someone who will make her heart sing like a canary on champagne.

On a night out she meets that certain someone and he not only makes her heart sing, he also makes her limbs weak, her heart pound and her body ache for the horizontal tango. Numbers are exchanged and one would think things are a go, except Nicole chickens out and that’s when things get really complicated.

One year later and the perfect solution to all their business problems has waltzed in the door. The problem with the oh so perfect solution is the unexpected complication called Alex.

Harper knows just how to twist the plot in a way that keeps readers on their toes. A man with trust issues, a gal who doesn’t trust her instincts and a delightfully spontaneous socialite called Saffron to top it all off. This is certainly a romance with more ups and downs than a roller coaster ride.

Buy The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @FiHarper_Author, @HQStories or @HarperCollinsUK

Read The Summer we Danced, The Doris Day Vintage Film Club or The Other Us by Fiona Harper

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

Ellie is a 21-year-old university student, who has yet to go the full distance in the horizontal tango department.

She tends to rely heavily on the support of her close friends. Her attitude to life in general and her problems, is quite flighty and immature.

Jealousy rears its ugly head when others do better and they have any type of sexual exploit or romantic relationship, especially when it's one of her friends.

Everything, simply everything revolves around her virginity. Almost to the point of obsession, which is probably why she is letting it influence all her relationships and her daily life.

The situations are slightly exaggerated and overly dramatic to instil an overall sense of comedy to otherwise awkward situations. The sexual scenarios are quite descriptive, so I wouldn't recommend this for younger readers.

To be more specific, I mean talking about certain sexual positions or a how-to descriptions on giving certain sexual gratification to your male bed partner. It is done in a funny, joking way, a conversation between good friends having a laugh.

So, I wouldn't give this book to my very shy and inexperienced 16-year-old, but I would have given it my more experienced (at the time) 18-year-old, and I will be giving it to my older daughters to read.

It would have been nice to see a more realistic and serious representation of  virginity in our day and age. In that regard Sanghani is right on the button. There is a clear lack  of reading material on the subject, especially ones written in a way that eases the fear and pressure.

A choice which is often frowned upon and scorned at. The pressure by peers to do as they do and be as they are makes it difficult for young people to make their own choices. It is a very personal choice to remain a virgin and there are many reasons for that choice. Waiting till you meet the right person, waiting until marriage (religious and non-religious), fear of sex and/or just not wanting to have sex at all.

I think real people in this particular situation, as opposed to fictional characters, who pick up this book may actually find some of the scenarios described in this story very off-putting and anxiety inducing. The fictional and fun aspect of the book should always remain at the forefront of a reader's mind.

Prepare to learn about all the de-hairing process of  a woman. Wax, cream, shave the stubble. Not always pleasant and most certainly a learning experience most of us could and would do without. Nothing quite like hairs being ripped from sensitive places via wax strips, especially when the waxer seems to appear gleeful at the sound of post ripping screams.

The reader gets to follow Ellie on her very determined path to have her 'untouched inner lotus' well and truly deflowered. A path filled with many mortifying experiences, quite a few moments she would rather forget, and a journey worthy of a book.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

The Notting Hill Diaries by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan has the ability to switch from cosy, snug, heartwarming romance to throbbing, breathless, heart pounding sexual encounters in a matter of seconds. The first is likely to make your heart melt and the latter will probably make you blush.

You might even find that suddenly you can hear the sound of your own heart exceptionally well as it races in time with the on-page in-book action.

The Cosmo Red Hot Reads are an exciting collaboration between Cosmopolitan magazine and Harlequin UK & Mills and Boon. They are set on bringing you the spicy tales and romantic interludes of today’s modern woman. This book brings you Ripped and Burned, the stories of two sisters.

Ripped is all about the voluptuous, intelligent and wee bit unlucky Hayley. Her boyfriends can deal with the curves but not with the brain that comes with them.

Morgan brings up an important issue in Ripped, just how often men feel threatened by a woman they are in a relationship with if she is intelligent, and even more so if she has a career in a predominantly male field. More often than not women are expected to follow not lead and certainly not walk beside the male in the relationship.

Luckily she seems to have caught the attention of a hot piece of hunky called Nico, who doesn't want to change her and wants her in her entirety. What a pity Hayley has decided she will only play without any kind of strings attached.

In Burned we get to hear more about Hayley’s sister Rosie, who seems to be rather good at scaring away her male friends. Physically scare them that is. Just her bad luck, obviously a trait inherited via her family, that she just happens to bump into the one person she never wanted to meet again.

Hunter Black is back in town and ready to mess with Rosie again. Mess with her head, heart and most definitely with her body.
Rosie is powered by her conviction and willpower, just say no to Hunter. No problem for a tough girl used to fighting her own battles. Right?

These are tantalizing, sizzling stories of smouldering bodies melded together like a hot fudge sundae and the romance is just the cherry on top.

Buy The Notting Hill Diaries at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

You can connect with Sarah online at her website: www.sarahmorgan.com on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahMorgan or on Twitter @SarahMorgan_

Read: The Christmas Sisters, Moonlight over Manhattan (From Manhattan with Love #6), Holiday in the Hamptons (From Manhattan with Love #5), New York Actually (From Manhattan with Love #4), Miracle on 5th Avenue (From Manhattan with Love #3), Sunset in Central Park (From Manhattan with Love #2), Sleepless in Manhattan (From Manhattan with Love #1), Christmas Ever After. First Time in Forever. Maybe This Christmas or Suddenly Last Summer or all by Sarah Morgan.

Follow @SarahMorgan_, @HQStories and @HarperCollinsUK