The Santangelos - Jackie Collins

A vicious hit, a vengeful enemy, a drug addled Colombian club owner and a sex crazed Italian family... the ever powerful Lucky Santangelo has to deal with them all.

Meanwhile Max - her teenage daughter - is becoming the 'it' girl in Europe's modeling world. And her Kennedyesque son, Bobby, is being set up for a murder he didn't commit. But Lucky can deal. Always strong and unpredictable, with her husband Lennie by her side, she lives up to the family motto - Never f**k with a Santangelo.

Lucky rules ...the Santangelos always come out on top. The Santangelos is an epic family saga filled with love, lust, revenge and passion.

Author: Jackie Collins
Title: The Santangelos
Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 10th Sept 2015
Link: UK: Amazon
           US: Amazon

My Review

First of all I have to point out that Jackie Collins has been my all time favourite author since the age of sixteen when I read 'Chances,' and fell head over heels in love with a young Gino Santangelo. So I was absolutely thrilled to receive an advanced review copy in the post from the lovely Sara-Jade Virtue. My heart jumped for joy when I opened the envelope and discovered a very glamorous parcel wrapped in fabulous leopard print paper and red ribbon, I was thrilled and very honoured.

The book is fantastic and Jackie Collins has ensured that this one is just as fabulous and feisty as the rest. For me it was so sad and it does mark the end of an era as we have to say goodbye to a much loved character. Although by no means are we saying goodbye to the Santangelo family as they have all gone from strength to strength and when facing danger they prove that they definitely have Gino's blood coursing through their veins. The action is fast paced throughout which is exciting and scary in parts, at one point I felt totally devastated for Lucky, she has certainly had her challenges as a mother and she remains fearless especially when protecting her family. Lucky has had to face every kind of heartache from a young age and yet she still takes on anything that people care to throw at her, her husband Lennie keeps her grounded but even he can't stop her when she has made her mind up about something. It was good to see Bobby and Max come into their own and I think they are the ones to watch as they are sure to have some exciting times ahead of them as the next generation of the infamous Santangelos. A thoroughly exciting read with an explosive climax, you will not be able to put it down. Jackie Collins is a fearless writer who confronts issues head on, she doesn't shy away from political agendas, sex or violence and she creates feisty characters who are as unstoppable as she is.

On the 8th of September, two days before the official UK launch date I was able to attend the Literati event at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London. After a champagne reception we were treated to an interview with Jackie by the lovely author Hannah Beckerman, this was followed by a Q & A session with the audience and then the chance to meet the lady herself and have books signed and pictures taken. Jackie is an amazing lady and I look forward to the sequel to The Power Trip and her autobiography both of which she is working on at the moment.

Thanks so much to Sara-Jade Virtue and Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy.

It is with great sadness that I have to report less than two weeks after the book signing the lovely Jackie Collins has passed away. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet this amazingly talented and inspirational woman. Jackie has been my favourite author since I was sixteen and just like her characters she has proven what a brave, strong and irreplaceable woman she truly was.
We would like to send our sincere condolences to Jackie's family and say a huge thank you to Jackie for showing us how it's done. What an amazing life she had.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Jackie Collins is one of the world's top-selling writers, with more than 500 million copies of her books sold in more than forty countries. Her twenty-eight bestselling novels have never been out of print, and have all been NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers. She lives in Beverly Hills, California. Visit her website on www.jackiecollins.com, follow her on Pinterest and Twitter at JackieJCollins and on Facebook at facebook.com/jackiecollins.

Author Interview - Kelly Rimmer - The Secret Daughter

As I saw my new-born baby’s face for the first time I tried desperately to capture her face in my mind—to stamp it onto my eyelids. As she was taken from me I knew I might never see my daughter again.
38 years later…

‘You were adopted’. Three short words and Sabina’s life fractures. There would forever be a Before those words, and an After.

Pregnant with her own child, Sabina can’t understand how a mother could abandon her daughter, or why her parents have kept the past a secret.

Determined to find the woman who gave her away, what she discovers will change everything, not just for Sabina, but for the women who have loved her all these years.


From the bestselling author of Me Without You comes another touching, beautifully told story about the pain of separation and the enduring strength of love.
Today we are delighted to welcome Kelly Rimmer to the blog to talk about her new book 'The Secret Daughter'

Hi Kelly
Welcome to Sincerely Book Angels Blog
Thanks for inviting me by your blog!


What was the inspiration behind this novel?
I had the idea for the first scene first. Sometimes my ideas just pop out of nowhere, this was one of them!  I pictured a loving woman who finds out she’s about to become a grandmother but surprises everyone with her reaction. I also quite desperately wanted to tell the story of the terrible impact forced adoption practices had on families here in my home of Australia. Two ideas kind of collided in this story.

Did you always want to be a writer?
I did go through a brief phase in primary school when I thought I’d become prime minister one day…but even so, I thought I’d write in the evenings ;)

What other jobs have you had?
I have also been very lucky to have quite a rewarding career in IT.

How did it feel when your first novel was published?
It was something I’d imagined for such a long time, and that it has happened at all – once, let alone twice - still feels a bit surreal.

Have you ever had writer's block? If so how did you overcome it?
It happens from time to time and I do think its par for the course. I am most vulnerable to writer’s block when a motivation or direction for a character or plotline is unclear. If I know exactly what I’m writing towards, the words tend to flow pretty easily. I am slowly learning that if the words aren’t coming, it’s because the bigger picture of the story or a character’s backstory isn’t yet clear to me and I need to do more work developing my ideas.

What motivates you to keep writing?
I couldn’t stop if I tried. It’s my stress relief, my fun, my therapy and my passion.

Do your characters moods ever affect your mood and vice versa?
Absolutely. I wrote a lot of The Secret Daughter when I was travelling overseas away from my children on a business trip. I was so excited to be there and it was only a few short weeks, but I fretted terribly for my kids. I knew my family was absolutely fine – in fact, I was video-calling them twice a day! But I did let that homesickness seep into the novel, and when I read back on it now, I vividly remember times when I was putting myself in Lilly’s shoes trying to wonder how on earth I’d ever have coped our separation situation wasn’t temporary.

As a general rule, if I am feeling a particularly strong mood myself when I sit down to write, I will try to work on a scene that matches to make the most of it!!

As for the ‘vice versa’ part of your question, I am the kind of writer who will sit at the keyboard and weep for what I’m putting my characters through. I’m definitely affected by their moods. I actually miss some characters when I finish a book - I probably take their lives far too seriously!!

What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
1) Don’t ever think of anything you read or write as wasted effort. Every word you read and every word you write helps you to find your own voice.
2) Do expect your first draft to be rubbish. Writing and editing are two different skills – just get that god-awful first draft done and come back later with your inner-editor to polish it up.
3) Do keep some kind of ‘ideas’ notepad. I tend to have concepts pop into my head and think ‘that’s gold! I’ll never forget that!’ and within about ten minutes that particular brain cell has been repurposed for the week’s shopping list…send yourself an email, carry around a notebook, write it on your wrist – but when ‘the muse’ speaks, make sure you’re taking notes!!


Who is your favourite author and why?
There are so many great writers – please don’t make me pick just one!! I’m immediately excited if I hear about any new release from Cecilia Ahern, Diane Chamberlain, Renita D’Silva or Jodi Piccoult.  When I pick up a book – I want effortless prose, a scenario that makes me think and characters that make me feel. Those fabulous writers always deliver!

If your book was made into a film what song would you choose for the opening credits?
That’s a very hard question! I really don’t know…but I am a crazy Josh Groban fan so I’d probably try to find one of his…

Who would you choose to play your favourite character in the film of your book?
There’s an Australian actress named Melissa Bergland who I think could play Sabina. She’s quite a bit younger than Sabina is… Melissa Bergland is just an incredibly expressive actress and Sabina is a character who shows every emotion on her face – I think it would be a match made in heaven!

What is your next book about?

I’m currently working on a romance…and I mean…literally working on in the window next to this interview – and I am absolutely enthralled by these characters! I can’t wait to see where the story takes us.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Sincerely Book Angels!
It's been a pleasure, thank you for joining us.

Click here to read our review of The Secret Daughter



This Thursday (18th June) Kelly Rimmer’s The Secret Daughter is being launched into the world. A touching, beautifully told story about the pain of separation and the enduring strength of love.

The book can be pre-ordered now:

UK: http://amzn.to/1HP7xnW

US: http://amzn.to/1EZjxS1

NetGalley: https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book/66671

About the Author 

Pic sourced from KellyRimmer.com

When my childhood friends grew out of make-believe games, I realised that I’d have to become a writer (or join the real world with them, but that seemed far too dull).

Several decades later, I live in rural Australia with my husband Daniel and our two young children, and when I’m not reading, writing, or daydreaming about reading and writing, I have one of those unfathomable IT jobs which no one outside of the industry really knows about.

The Secret Daughter - Kelly Rimmer

As I saw my new-born baby’s face for the first time I tried desperately to capture her face in my mind—to stamp it onto my eyelids. As she was taken from me I knew I might never see my daughter again.

38 years later…
‘You were adopted’. Three short words and Sabina’s life fractures. There would forever be a Before those words, and an After.

Pregnant with her own child, Sabina can’t understand how a mother could abandon her daughter, or why her parents have kept the past a secret.

Determined to find the woman who gave her away, what she discovers will change everything, not just for Sabina, but for the women who have loved her all these years.

From the bestselling author of Me Without You comes another touching, beautifully told story about the pain of separation and the enduring strength of love.

Author: Kelly Rimmer
Title: The Secret Daughter
Publishers: Bookouture
Publication Date: 18th June 2015
Link: Amazon

My Review

Sabina Baxter and her husband Ted couldn't be happier since finding out that they were expecting a baby. However when Sabina announces the pregnancy to her parents she doesn't get the reaction she expected and instead she receives a huge shock when her mother tells her that she was adopted. She tries to find out some more details about her real parents but her adoptive parents act very furtively and deny knowing anything. This causes Sabina a great deal of upset and frustration and the book follows her journey as she begins to unearth the secrets that have surrounded her birth.

The book also travels back in time to Lilly who is an unwed mother-to-be who has been dispatched to a home for unmarried mothers. She desperately writes letters to her boyfriend in the hope that he will rescue her and they will be able to bring up their baby.

The book describes very well the feeling of hopelessness and raw emotional pain that the young women felt, some of whom wanted to keep their babies and some who didn't. It was also very interesting to see the different points of view of the biological mother, the adoptive mother and the baby at the centre of it all. You could actually feel empathy for the adoptive parents on hearing the reasons behind their decisions but at the same time feel anger and resentment for their unforgivable actions. The biological mother's pain was palpable and the trauma she suffered was harrowing.

Although this is a work of fiction there were many forced adoptions carried out during the time mentioned which have impacted so many lives. 

I really enjoyed the book and felt immersed in the heartbreak, frustration and joy that was felt by the characters.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

When my childhood friends grew out of make-believe games, I realised that I’d have to become a writer (or join the real world with them, but that seemed far too dull).
Several decades later, I live in rural Australia with my husband Daniel and our two young children, and when I’m not reading, writing, or daydreaming about reading and writing, I have one of those unfathomable IT jobs which no one outside of the industry really knows about.
Click here to read a Q & A with Kelly Rimmer.

Out of the Darkness - Katy Hogan

Out of the Darkness is a haunting, sometimes heart-breaking, contemporary novel with a supernatural twist. A tale of friendship and redemption, of love and loss, and life after death. Set in the lively coastal town of Brighton, Out of the Darkness tells the moving story of three women, complete strangers, each burdened by their own secrets, fears and emotional baggage. Their lives are changed irrevocably when they are brought together by one remarkable connection: someone who wants to help them.....from beyond the grave.

Author: Katy Hogan
Title: Out of the Darkness
Publishers: Illumine
Publication Date: 6th July 2015
Link: Amazon

My Review

When I was asked by Katy to review this book I didn't really know what it was about but I liked the cover and the title so was happy to add it to my list of books to be read. However when I read the first line of the blurb on the back and realised it was about a girl who loses her mother then I knew I would have to bring it forward but waited until after my holiday incase it was a tearjerker.

I lost my mum four years ago and am still in disbelief and shock and so many of the feelings I've been going through were talked about and experienced by the characters in the book.

The main character, Jessica Gibson, lost her mother suddenly and as they were so close she has found life unbearably lonely as they were best friends who did everything together. She finds it especially hard on New Year's Eve which also happens to be her mum's birthday, I understood the torment of not wanting a New Year to start without your mother as it makes them seem even further away from you. A chance meeting with a guy called Finn helps her to feel slightly better for a short time and changes her life forever.

Encouraged by a friend to try grief counselling she meets Hannah at the group and also Alex who lives next door to where the group is held. Circumstances bring them together as friends and they soon become inextricably linked. Each of the friends has experienced heartbreak in one way or another and after visiting a medium they begin to receive discreet messages from beyond the grave which bring comfort to their lives. These three friends have been brought together for a reason which becomes apparent as the many twists and turns of the story unfold.

I thought that this book was beautifully written and the difficult subjects surrounding death such as grief and depression were sensitively handled. Many times whilst reading I felt my heart being pulled with emotion and I also shed lots of tears. Although filled with sadness there is a wonderful uplifting feeling of hope throughout this book and the characters are brought moments of joyful happiness.

I could really relate to what the characters were going through and have had lots of signs from my departed loved ones which I find very comforting. I also loved the support that the characters gave each other through love and friendship.

Thank you to Katy Hogan for allowing me to review this beautiful, gentle uplifting story.

To read our author interview with Katy please click here.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Having grown up with a mother who consulted her tarot cards on a weekly basis, and who would frequently sense an other-worldly presence, it has always been perfectly natural for me to assume that there is more to this life than meets the eye. I have even experienced a few mysterious encounters myself. But it was only when I suffered the loss of a loved one that I started to question the possibility of life after death, and decided to find out more.

And so began a fascinating quest, where I met 'ordinary' people who claimed to have experienced the extraordinary. This is where I found the inspiration for my debut novel, 'Out of the Darkness'. Although it's fiction, much of the phenomena written about in the story have been experienced by me, my friends or people I spoke to during my research.

I have started work on my second novel, but when I'm not writing, you will find me keeping tabs on my teenage children or walking my dogs in the Hertfordshire countryside.

Please see www.outofthedarknessnovel.com

Summer By The Sea by Jenny Hale

For Faith the one summer she can’t forget is when she fell in love as a teenager – only for her sister, Casey, to steal her man. Now, at the request of her beloved ninety-year-old Grandmother, Faith has agreed to a family holiday – at their childhood beach house, where it all began.

Faith hasn’t seen her sister in years but is finally ready to forgive and forget, enjoy the sunshine and relive happy memories. What she’s not ready for is meeting Jake Buchanan – the owner of the beach house – or the long-forgotten feelings he ignites in her.

Can Faith overcome the hurt of the past, rekindle the close bond she had with Casey and make this summer THE ONE to remember?

Title: Summer by the Sea

Author: Jenny Hale

Publisher: Bookouture

Date: 12th June 2015

 Purchase Link

UK:         http://amzn.to/1cOpBHo

US:         http://amzn.to/1T0e5sK

My Review 

Summer by the Sea is a gentle read about a close family, perfect for a lazy day relaxing on the beach. Faith's nan is soon to be ninety and her wish is to have her whole family together to celebrate so she rents a beach house for the summer. The house has been built on the exact spot where her previous house stood which had been destroyed in a hurricane. The family were devastated as they had spent many glorious summers there together.

The reunion was going to be hard for Faith as she would see her sister for the first time since they had fallen out years before. Faith had been heartbroken when Casey married Scott as he had been her boyfriend before this. However when they all meet again she finds out that Casey and her husband are about to go through a divorce which has upset their five year old daughter.

When she first arrives at the house she meets Jake the handyman who is just finishing off a few last minute jobs. She finds him really attractive and he seems to like her but her beautiful sister Casey seems to like him too and Faith is worried that history will repeat itself. 

Jake manages to surprise Faith when she finds out more about him and their relationship becomes complicated as she realises they have very conflicting views on things which make it seem impossible for them to get together. 

One of my favourite characters was Nan as she loved her family so much and being at the beach allowed her to spend time with her loved ones and remember special times with her late husband. She was very close to her grandaughter and gave her good intuitive advice.

I found the book started quite slowly but Jenny managed to create a perfect setting, I could see the beach and the sand and visualise the sand castle making very clearly. I loved how the story unfolded and the sentimentality really shone through. I would definitely like to read more of Jenny's books.

If you would like to read our Q and A with Jenny then please click here.

Thank you to Bookouture, Kim and Jenny for the review copy.

About Jenny Hale

When she graduated college, one of Jenny's friends said "Look out for this one; she's going to be an author one day". Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn't until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to her.

Sometimes our friends can see the things that we can't. Whilst she didn't start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children and hundreds of thousands of words later, Jenny finished her first novel. Coming Home for Christmas went on to be a Kindle hit on both sides of the Atlantic - reaching the top 20 in the UK and top 10 in the US.Summer by the Sea is Jenny's fourth novel.

Contact Links

Facebook  - https://www.facebook.com/jennyhaleauthor 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jhaleauthor

Website - http://itsjennyhale.com/ 

Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly

Your best friend isn’t who you think she is.
You’ve been friends since university, when you became the people you are today.
You don’t see each other enough but when you do it’s as if you’ve never been apart.
She’s one of the family. You would trust her with your life, your children, your husband.
And when your daughter is rushed to hospital, you’re grateful that she’s stepping in at home, looking after things.
But your best friend isn’t who you think she is. You’re about to find out just how wrong you were.

Title: Keep Your Friends Close
Author: Paula Daly
Published By: Corgi
Link: Amazon

My Review

It's a wonderful thing when a book just grabs you at the first page and then doesn't let you go until you have finished. I felt compelled to read page after page and really could not put this down. 

Natty and Sean Wainwright were the perfect couple, they had met and fallen in love at school, both with bright futures ahead of them. But their lives were set to go on a different path when Natty falls pregnant at nineteen so they decide to leave university and return home to the lake district. They work really hard to set up their own B&B, eventually moving up to an exceptional hotel called Lakeshore Lodge. They now seem to have everything they ever wanted, lovely house, fantastic business, two teenage daughters, however their lives are so busy that one thing they don't seem to have is time for each other.

Dr Eve Dalladay is Natty's friend from Uni who is now a successful Psychologist in America, she is in Scotland on business and comes for a visit. Natty is really pleased to see her but not long after she arrives their youngest daughter is rushed to hospital in France so Natty has to leave immediately. Eve very kindly offers to stay a bit longer to help out at home.

It doesn't take long before Eve starts offering Sean something his wife has been far too busy to give to him and he can't resist.

Natty and her daughter eventually come home to their family being torn apart. Eve has managed to steal Natty's life from her and is determined to convince everyone that Natty is crazy.

Natty is weak to start with but eventually realises she will have to fight really hard for her family before she loses her daughters as well. She decides to put up a fight and manages to play Eve at her own game, she delves into her past and uncovers a dark history that she had never known about.

There are twists and turns around every corner but could narcissistic psychopath Eve have finally met her match in Natty? 

This book reminded me a little of 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle' there is no way you would want Eve Dalladay near to your husband or children. I simply can't wait for the release of Paula Daly's next book 'The Mistake I Made'.

Thank you to Paula Daly and Transworld Books for the review copy of this amazing book.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Paula Daly lives in Cumbria with her husband, three children and whippet Skippy. Before becoming a writer she was a freelance physiotherapist. She has previously written:-

 

Us by David Nicholls

'I was looking forward to us growing old together. Me and you, growing old and dying together.'
'Douglas, who in their right mind would look forward to that?'
Douglas Petersen understands his wife's need to 'rediscover herself' now that their son is leaving home.
He just thought they'd be doing their rediscovering together.
So when Connie announces that she will be leaving, too, he resolves to make their last family holiday into the trip of a lifetime: one that will draw the three of them closer, and win the respect of his son. One that will make Connie fall in love with him all over again.
The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed.
What could possibly go wrong?

Title: Us
Author: David Nicholls
Published By: Hodder & Stoughton
Link: Amazon

My Review

This is a tender portrayal of a middle aged man called Douglas Petersen, who discovers that his wife Connie is not happy in their marriage and has decided to leave him when their son Albie leaves home for college. Douglas is totally surprised by his wife's decision as he had no idea that she wasn't happy.

The story flits between the present time and the past to all the significant moments in their lives. 

When they were introduced by his sister they were quite an unlikely match as he was a scientist and she was a frivolous arty type who loved to party, however Connie seemed to find him quite grounding and she felt safe when she was with him and he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He admired her outspokenness, especially when she spoke to his parents like normal people. She was able to bring out his sense of humour in his otherwise quite serious life.

Their marriage had lasted for twenty years and they had enjoyed some wonderful moments but also endured some very sad times, some of which I don't think they had ever gotten over.

As they had already booked an amazing holiday around Europe which they called 'The Grand Tour' they decided they would still go on it as their last family holiday together. Douglas hoping that he can persuade Connie to stay with him as they would visit some places where they had shared romantic times in the past.

The holiday does not go to plan and Douglas does something to upset and embarrass his stroppy teenage son which causes him to disappear. Douglas thinks back and realises he has never really understood his son and has often felt like the outsider in the family. He really wants to make amends and so embarks on a mission to bring his family back together and after many twists and turns and surprises he discovers a different side to himself that he never knew existed.

Traumatic events bring the family back together but not in the way you would expect, though with a better understanding of each other.

I really felt for Douglas and would be interested to hear Connie's side of the story, she obviously felt like she needed to find herself.

It's hard bringing teenagers up, especially when parents have conflicting views on how to raise them eg. what subjects they should study, what time they should be home. I think one of the points that the book makes is that while we can advise our children on what to do it's also important to to listen to what they want from life and learn to respect their views and maybe look at the world through their eyes once or twice as we could actually learn things from them. As a mother of teenagers I can relate really well to the book. I think Douglas and Connie provide good contrasts to life for Albie and hope he can take the best of both of them forward on his journey.

The book was fun but quite sad in parts and I think it shows that their love for each other is real and strong it's just different. I think all parents of teenagers would really relate well to this poignant story with an uplifting message.
If you enjoyed this book you may like Andy Jones - The Two of Us.

I would like to thank Loose Women for sending me this book to read as part of their Loose Books Campaign.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About The Author

David Nicholls trained as an actor before making the switch to writing. His TV credits include the third series of Cold Feet, Rescue Me, and I Saw You, as well as a much-praised modern version of Much Ado About Nothing and an adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, both for BBC TV. David has continued to write for film and TV as well as writing novels, and he has twice been nominated for BAFTA awards.

David's bestselling first novel, STARTER FOR TEN, was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club in 2004, and David has written the screenplays for film versions of both STARTER FOR TEN (released in 2006, starring James McAvoy) and THE UNDERSTUDY (not yet released).

David Nicholls' third novel, ONE DAY, was published in hardback in 2009 to extraordinary critical acclaim, and stayed in the Sunday Times top ten bestseller list for ten weeks on publication. It has since gone on to sell over 2 million copies and has been translated into thirty-seven languages. ONE DAY won the 2010 Galaxy Book of the Year Award. David wrote the screenplay for Lone Scherfig's film adaptation starring Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway, which was released in 2010.

David's fourth novel, US, has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2014.