Rosie Chapel

The Spark by Sylvie Stewart, is undoubtedly one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. In it we discover more about Fiona, best friend of Laney (from The Fix – the first book in this series). She comes from money and although on the face of a bit of an airhead is actually a rather complex and driven individual with hidden heartaches, which are a constant backdrop to her decisions. Enter Mark, Laney’s partner’s friend (are you still with me…) and someone Fiona always rubs up the wrong way. In fact, whenever they meet, they spark off each other – their behaviour at odds with how they treat others, their sarcastic wise-assery (yes it’s a word…) teetering on the brink of downright hurtful.

Then something shifts. Mark’s father is brought to the ER after being beaten up by thugs to whom he owes a lot of money. Fiona happened to be there, after seeing her specialist, and spends a little time talking with Mark,  who begins to see another side to her. As the story behind the beating unfolds, Fiona decides they need to come up with a plan to help Mark’s mother, in case these thugs come after her for payment.

A road trip, a rather unnerving experience and hours together has a huge impact on Fiona and Mark and despite both swearing off relationships they find themselves attracted to each other, an attraction, which threatens all their high ideals.

Sylvie Stewart’s characters are so exquisitely crafted, you feel as though you’ve known them for ever, that you are one of their friends and Fiona’s internal dialogue is priceless. I laughed, I cried then I laughed again and fell in love not once but several times.
The Spark is everything a romance reader looks for; great story, lively characters, a fast paced plot and just the right amount of sizzle! Although there are some very poignant moments they aren’t dragged out, more they add to the depth of the novel and are beautifully counterbalanced by Sylvie’s perfectly timed humour.

I would give this 10 stars if I could, it is the quintessential romantic comedy, highly recommended.

The Spark is available worldwide from Amazon.

The Friend Zone is another great novel from Nicole Strycharz. I loved The Divorce and was excited to see what happened with Moses, the man who nearly stole Jenzy’s heart in the last book. This story runs parallel to it’s predecessor and, like The Divorce, this is not an easy story – by that I mean it’s a bit of a roller coaster, not that it’s difficult to read – but so worth it. Moses and, his best friend, Chloe share everything and have for years; their ups, their downs, their loves, their losses, they are always there for each other – strong, supportive and loyal. One thing they have never been is attracted to each other…at least this is what they keep telling themselves. After all, they’re in the Friend Zone – once there, the chance of any kind of intimate relationship with said friend is off the table.

This has been working perfectly well until unexpected emotions start to cloud their friendship and they enter a whole new and very complicated zone. Mired in pain and angst, it seems bound to tear them apart but this zone – if they dared to believe in themselves – might just be the best thing that ever happened to them. Of course it isn’t handed to them on a silver platter – love is a tricky path and, despite eventually recognising what is happening – to step out of the comfortable friend zone they have been in for so long take a whole lot of courage.

Nicole’s ability to capture the rawness of a situation is astonishing. Her characters leap off the page and demand your attention. Neither Chloe nor Moses is perfect – far from it and now they are fighting what is obvious for fear they will lose what they already share in order to embrace what has been staring them in the face for longer than they care to admit. They argue, they behave badly, they forget what is important – don’t we all? That’s the essence of this book – shit happens, life isn’t a sunny day but love in all its guises usually finds a way to bang our heads together, forcing us to see the truth, if we are prepared to take the risk.

This book is funny, poignant, harsh, honest, gritty and full of love, all kinds of love from platonic to sexual and everything in between – it weaves a tantalising thread throughout the novel, daring you to chase it through its many knots in search of that elusive HEA.

The Friend Zone, by Nicole Strycharz is available worldwide from Amazon.
USA: The Friend Zone
UK: The Friend Zone
Canada: The Friend Zone
Australia: The Friend Zone

Claiming Xana is the second book in Xana Jordan’s Wildcat Graduates Series. I loved the previous story – Loving Noel, and was really looking forward to the sequel. Wow – I was not disappointed; Claiming Xana is exceptional.

Her time at high school over and trying to put the heartbreak of losing Noel behind her, Xana along with her best friend Stacey, are now in college and facing a new set of challenges. Xana has even sort of fallen into a new relationship with Jeff, a friend of her brother’s. Despite the mounting pressure of course work, extra classes and hours of studying; things seem to be ticking over nicely. A year later, Noel and Cade follow the girls to the same college, but Xana won’t go anywhere near Noel, finding any excuse not to be in the same room as him. Noel always knew he’d screwed up and is resolved to win Xana back.

Things come to a head when Xana falls ill, Noel is there for her, whereas Jeff – more interested in himself, his fraternity and another girl, than Xana – is nowhere to be seen. The ramifications of Xana’s illness is another issue she must contend with, concerned it will be too much for Noel to handle, but as she recovers, Xana slowly comes to trust Noel again and the couple begins to repair their shattered relationship. Noel’s attentiveness and obvious care breaks through Xana’s barriers – after all, she never stopped loving him – if she had it wouldn’t have hurt as much. Problem is, Jeff was manipulative and controlling, damaging Xana’s self-confidence and Noel still has a lot of making up to do. Is there any chance that love will be enough to give Xana and Noel the HEA they deserve?

Jordan has crafted a story that flows effortlessly around the ups and downs of college life and it opened a floodgate of memories from my time in those lofty halls of academia; trying to find a balance between embracing the fun and the new friendships against classes, long nights poring over books and pesky assignment deadlines. Jordan’s characters are wonderfully interesting people; a strong, loyal, supportive and tight knit group of friends who will do anything for each other; as well as those whose lights you could cheerfully punch out!

Themes of loss, heartbreak, joy, courage, determination, trust, faith – in others and yourself – are interwoven throughout this book reminding us that even when things seem overwhelming, there’s usually a silver lining, you just have to look for it. The rekindled romance between Xana and Noel is one of the best second chances at love I’ve ever read, beautifully portrayed. This book is a roller coaster of a ride, but the laughter, friendships, tears and love make it a ride so worth taking.

As with Loving Noel, Claiming Xana is YA/NA and intended for a younger audience, however there is something for everyone within the pages what’s not to love about a delightfully entertaining romance!

Claiming Xana is available on Amazon
USA: Claiming Xana
UK: Claiming Xana
Canada: Claiming Xana
Australia: Claiming Xana

Loving Noel by Xana Jordan is the first book in the Wildcat Graduates Series and, although I rarely even check out the YA and NA books (being rather older…), I’m so glad I read this novel. Jordan not only captures the fun, laughter and friendships we shared as we suffered high school, but also all the angst and insecurities that plagued us.

Xana has been attracted to Noel for a long time, but assumes he would never notice her. Noel feels the same about Xana, but she’s the year ahead of him, so he presumes she wouldn’t be interested. However, because of band practice they spend a lot of time together, both are part of the same group of friends and, after dancing around each other for way too long, almost without effort, they start to date.

Even though they seem perfect for each other, when you are young and in love all sorts of issues rear their ugly heads, for just as Xana and Noel become closer, their relationship is put to the test. Enter Mercedes and Blain. Mercedes wants Noel and will try every catty trick in the book to get him, and Blain, who although Xana considers more of a brother, suddenly sees Xana in a whole new light.

Jordan’s portrayal of her characters was so genuine, I seriously wanted to punch Mercedes’ lights out and slap Noel for not being more forceful when it came to telling her to back off. My stomach wrenched at some of the crap Xana put up with and throughout the tale I was back in my high school days when emotions were exaggerated and we hadn’t gained enough maturity to know how to handle certain situations, our responses raw and unsophisticated (despite believing ourselves very grown up and totally able to handle anything!). I was so thankful for Stacy and Cade who are exactly the sort of friends you need; strong, supportive, loyal and happy to tell you to stop behaving like an idiot.

Loving Noel is a story of first love, the heady romance and intoxicating anticipation – the leap from being friends to dating, tinged with the fear that if it doesn’t work out, your friendship might be ruined. It’s also about jealousy, loss, trust, faith and how we cope with the journey from adolescence to adulthood. Jordan’s style is lively and entertaining, drawing you further and further into the lives of her characters, until you feel you have known them for years and are now part of their coterie. I am looking forward to the sequel, as this story is not over.

Loving Noel is available on Amazon and although intended for a younger audience, I believe anyone who loves a fun romance will enjoy this story.

USA: Loving Noel
UK: Loving Noel
Canada: Loving Noel
Australia: Loving Noel