#BlogTour We Just Clicked by Anna Bell

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour We Just Clicked by Anna Bell.

About the Author
Anna Bell lives in the South of France with her young family and energetic Labrador. When not chained to her laptop, Anna can be found basking in the sun in the summer, heading to the ski slopes in the winter (to drink hot chocolate and watch - she can't ski) or having a sneaky treat fo the patisserie - all year round! We Just Clicked is Anna's eighth novel.

Follow @AnnaBell_writes on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit www.annabellwrites.com, Buy We Just Clicked

About the book
Izzy Brown has always dreamed of being an Instagram influencer. So when her colleague and fellow Instagrammer Luke suggests they ‘fake date’ to boost their profiles, Izzy says yes – against her better judgement.

Now Izzy’s profile tells the story of a confident, glamorous thirty-something with the perfect boyfriend, and her follower numbers are shooting upwards. So what if Izzy can’t stop bickering with Luke, his habit of checking his quiff in every single mirror is driving her insane, and behind the scenes she’s hiding a secret heartache? Everyone tells a few fibs on social media, right?

But when Izzy runs into Aidan, the mysterious stranger who saved her the day her world fell apart two years ago, major sparks start to fly between them. Izzy’s sure she can have the online success she’s always dreamed of, whilst continuing to fall in love – and heal her heart – in real life. After all, Aidan doesn’t use social media… what could possibly go wrong?

Review
Izzy wants to be an Instagram influencer, the kind of influencer everyone flocks to and follows. At the moment her posts aren't getting enough traction, however she is certainly getting plenty of teasing from her friends and colleagues. She is obsessed, perhaps more because it has become a refuge after a tragedy in her life.

She agrees to be one half of a popular Insta couple to get lots of likes and sponsorship deals. What she doesn't count on is her fake relationship standing in the way of a possible real one.

I know this is a rom-com, but I have to say what really resonated with me was the storyline of loss and grief. The whole fake relationship story, love connection and obsession with social media and acceptance of self is good, but weaving the loss of a loved one into the tale takes the whole thing up a notch.

Bell does that really well without letting one thing overshadow the other. It gives the read a smooth flow and a subtle poignancy to the story. It's not only the moment where a small act of kindness gives comfort at the right time, it's also the way the grief ripples through the years and leaves its mark on every person it touches.

That might sound like this is a sad read, but it isn't. It's funny and relevant for the times we live in. Where worth is judged on likes, follows and popularity, even if it means faking it to make it.

Buy We Just Clicked at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ; pub date 16 April 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour For Love or Money by Clodagh Murphy

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour For Love or Money by Clodagh Murphy.

About the Author
Clodagh Murphy lives in Dublin, Ireland and writes funny, sexy romantic comedies. She always dreamed of being a novelist, and after more jobs than she cares to (or can) remember, she now writes full-time. For more information about her books or to sign up to her newsletter, visit her website at http://clodaghmurphy.com/.

Follow @ClodaghMMurphy on Twitter, on Facebook, on Bookbub, on Instagram, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Buy For Love or Money

About the book
Lesley has always fancied herself as an amateur sleuth, a sort of modern day Miss Marple without the support stockings.

So when Al wants to hire her to investigate his elderly uncle's young fiancée, she jumps at the chance. It doesn't hurt that the job will involve posing as Al's girlfriend and joining his glitzy, star-studded family on holiday in Nice.

Stella still can't quite believe she's engaged to legendary actor Sir Peter Bradshaw. She accepted what she thought was a deathbed proposal. Now she has a living, breathing fiancé and a wedding to plan.

First, though, she has to get through a holiday in the South of France with Peter's extended family, who all seem convinced she's a gold-digger with her sights set on the family fortune.

As Lesley bonds with Stella over shopping trips and bottles of rosé, she thinks she has it all figured out. After all, it's no great mystery why a young woman would marry a fabulously wealthy seventy-two-year-old with a heart condition, is it? It's an old story.

And Al may be the nicest boyfriend she's ever had (even if he is fake), but Lesley believes in instant attraction and there's just no spark ... no matter how fit he looks in his swimming trunks. So there's no chance he's going to grow on her.

But people have a way of surprising you, as she's about to discover ...

Review
You can say it's a comedy, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be funny, well in this case it is. The snarky humour combined with the rather reluctant amateur sleuthing duo absolutely make this read.

Lesley often says what is on the tip of her tongue, which is how she ends up declaring herself a private detective in the middle of a singles mixer. Nothing could be further from the truth, but that doesn't stop her from embellishing on her business adventures and covert operations.

Her slightly fantastical approach to the truth attracts the attention of one of the gentlemen, who returns at a later date to hire the definitely not-a-detective as a detective. Al wants her to help him discover whether his uncle's fiance is legit or a gold-digger.

Lesley isn't quite sure what his motive is. Does he want to get to know her better? Is this some kind of strange way of getting her attention? Either way she is up for it, because the fake job comes with some really good plus points. Celebrity family members, lush expensive holidays, and of course Al isn't all that bad.

It's a rom-com filled with snarky humour and a memorable, if somewhat reluctant, sleuthing duo. Murphy knows exactly how to balance the eccentricity of her main character with the flow of the plot, whilst slipping in the occasional comical moments.

Buy For Love or Money at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Balally Books; pub date 26 Jan. 2020. Buy at Amazon. Buy at Apple Barnes&Noble Kobo

#BookBirthdayBlitz Perfect Match by Zoe May

It's a pleasure to take part in the Book Birthday Blitz for Perfect Match by Zoe May.

About the Author
Zoe May lives in southeast London and writes romantic comedies. Zoe has dreamt of being a novelist since she was a teenager. She worked in journalism and copywriting before writing her debut novel, Perfect Match. Having experienced the London dating scene first hand, Zoe could not resist writing a novel about dating, since it seems to supply endless amounts of weird and wonderful material!

Perfect Match was one of Apple's top-selling books of 2018. It was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association's Joan Hessayon Award, with judges describing it as 'a laugh out loud look at love and self-discovery - fresh and very funny'.

As well as writing, Zoe enjoys walking her dog, painting and, of course, reading! She adores animals and if she's not taking a photo of a vegan meal, she's probably tweeting about the dairy industry. She is half Greek and half Irish and can make a mean baklava. Zoe has a thing for horror films, India, swimming, hip hop and Radiohead. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of handbags having spent several years working in fashion copywriting and could probably win Mastermind if this was her specialist subject!

Follow @zoe_writes and @HQDigitalUK on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit zoemayauthor.co.uk, Buy Perfect Match

About the book
Can you ever find true love online?
Sophia Jones is an expert in all things online dating: the best sites, how to write a decent bio, which questions to ask and the right type of photos to use. The only thing she’s not so great at? Picking the guys…

After sitting through yet another dreadful date with a man who isn’t quite what she expected, Sophia is just about ready to give up on the whole dating scene. But her flatmate, Kate, persuades her to give it one more chance, only this time she must create a profile describing her ‘perfect’ man.

Yes, he must look like Robert Pattinson and needs to own a multi-million pound business, but there are a couple of other deal breakers, too! So, when a guy comes along who ticks every box, surely there’s got to be a catch?

Review
There is a chapter in this book that had me in stitches, because it reminded me of a similar faux pas I once made, except mine was mistaking a small heated fluffy hand-towel for a dessert. I was crying tears of laughter when I read it.

What May hides really well in this humorous story is the serious question of our expectations vs reality when it comes to relationships and love, and if that wasn't enough the author also takes a subtle pop at online dating. It has become the 21st century approach to meeting a potential mate. It has opened up opportunities, but it also brings certain safety concerns with it. Connecting with other people is now as easy as breathing air thanks to app, smartphones and technology in general.

Sophia has used nearly every website she can think of to find the right man. So far she has only met duds, bores and freaks. Then again she is extremely finicky. No one is handsome enough, rich enough, smart enough and certainly not entertaining enough for her.

In an act of desperation she writes a profile for yet another website with what can only be described as fantastical requests. In return she gets a lot of weird replies, but one of them is different, one of them matches the profile perfectly.

The moral of the story is you should never judge a book by its cover. Nothing could be more true in this case. As is the saying that you don't want something or someone until somebody else has it and it is no longer available to you. Sophia definitely suffers from wanting what she can't have and not wanting what she can have.

Perfect Match is a light-hearted rom-com with a frank take on 21st century dating and our inability to appreciate what we have, and to see what is often right under our noses. May entertains without losing sight of the point she is trying to make, and brings the serious tone when the story requires it.

It isn't often that a scene in a book makes me laugh out loud, so kudos to May for that.

Buy Perfect Match at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Digital, pub date 12 Jan. 2018. Buy at Amazon com.