The Butterfly Project by Emma Scott

 The Butterfly Project is an emotional love story about guilt and forgiveness. In short, it has heart.

First things first: this is a fantastic book. I laughed, I cried, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

The main characters, Beckett and Zelda (think Fitzgerald, not Nintendo) are two of the lost souls of New York. Each are nearing the ends of their respective ropes, each weighed down by a past they can’t let go. The book doesn’t waste time in introducing us to them or them to each other, but there’s no insta-lust, just two people who need each other’s help. I loved how they grew from strangers to friends to lovers and how they each helped the other grow and heal. There was no stupid miscommunication or pointless fight, which was a refreshing change.

That’s not to say there was no conflict, or that everything is sunshine and roses. Zelda has panic attacks after witnessing her sister’s abduction. Beckett made a stupid decision several years ago which ended with someone’s death. Both of them want nothing more than to rewind their lives and change the past. Instead, they have to live with a heavy burden of guilt and ‘if only’. There’s one chapter where Zelda visits her family and I cried through the entire thing.

They find a chance at healing and forgiveness together. Not only through meeting, but through Mother, May I, the graphic novel that Zelda writes as a form of catharsis. It’s used in-story to bring them together and as a metaphor for Zelda’s emotional journey. Discussing it allows her to express emotions that otherwise send her into a panic attack. The inclusion of actual panels is a nice touch, as well.

The New York City that Emma Scott writes is not pretty or easy, but it has its moments and has real people who are trying their best. I liked Roy and rooted for Darlene. The ending left me satisfied that things are on the up and up for two people who deserve it. I will have to check out more stories from Emma Scott in the future.

Five satisfied stars!

I received a copy of this story through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Buy it on Amazon here.

Painting Rainbows by Sue Lilley

This story was like candyfloss – light, sweet, and fluffy, and gone almost before I had a chance to enjoy it properly. I chomped through it in a single sitting and found it over almost as quickly as it began.

The writing is whimsical and evocative, the characters lightly sketched but no less real for it. The ending is beautifully bittersweet and wonderfully well-written, though it did make me wonder if the entire thing had been a dream.

The only criticism is that I would’ve like a little more of their background as children together, but that’s a minor quibble in such a lovely short story.

Five magical stars!

I received a copy of this story from the author through ReadingAlley in exchange for an honest review.

All That the Heart Desires by June Moonbridge

I have very mixed feelings about this book.

On the one hand, Formula 1 is a great sport for a romance – fast cars, hot guys, jet-setting around the globe to exclusive and expensive locations. Having watched F1 on and off since I was a child, the backdrop of the story felt familiar to me. The little details (names of corners, opinions of tracks) that June Moonbridge dropped in make the setting feel very real, despite the luxurious, fairytale-like settings. The info dump at the very beginning did drag me out of the story, though. I don’t think anyone needs that detailed a rundown of Formula 1 when sitting down to enjoy a romance novel.

For its part, the romance between Desiree and Lorcan is a classic. It grew from an inauspicious initial meeting on a scenic route through slowly growing feelings marred by miscommunication and fear to an intense climax at breakneck speed. I knew the happy ending was at the end of the road, but there were quite a few twists and curves before we got there.

Therein sits my problem with this novel: the mystery aspect. If it had just been a romance, I think I would have enjoyed it far better, but it felt like two stories mashed into one. As well as falling in love, the heroine is searching for her son, kidnapped several years ago as she was walking with him in Paris.

I know all novels require a certain level of suspension of disbelief, but I struggle to accept that the police would look at a distraught woman with an empty pram and conclude that she is crazy, rather than believe her when she says her son was kidnapped. This just seemed like a throwaway line to ramp up the drama for a paragraph or two.

The introduction of the mystery – references to her masquerade and ‘three years ago’ felt rather heavy-handed and continued to be so throughout the story. She would make vague references then drop another info dump or jump into a flashback. When the kidnapping was ‘solved’ at the very end of the book I was left with more questions than I started with and no sense of satisfaction. Desiree might just want her son back, but I want to know who kidnapped him and how he was found. The ending felt rushed and I honestly don’t know why nobody was pressing charges.

Desiree is an unreliable narrator, prone to zoning out of the conversation and getting caught up in her own head. This leaves the reader in a constant state of confusion as to what is really going on and is not helped by her own behaviour (selfish and bratty) or that of those around her (controlling and uncommunicative). There are multiple conversations that are described or referenced in retrospect rather than experienced which I would have liked to see played out.

I did enjoy the perfumery – it was clear that Desiree enjoyed and was good at her work, so I would’ve like to see more of that, rather than the indication that she was abandoning the boutique she’d put so much work into.

Despite the problems above, after a slow start, I did get pulled into the story and I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the ride. The author has a knack for plot but the execution felt a bit lacking in the end.

Three confused stars

I received a copy of this book from the author through ReadingAlley in exchange for an honest review.

Blitzing Emily by Julie Brannagh

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I'm not a big NFL fan and I've never watched an opera - but these characters are so much more than their day jobs, it doesn't even matter!
I must admit, fake engagements are my catnip. I love polar opposites stuck together for mutual gain that turns into love. Even better, there's no public humiliation even as they go through the miscommunication. The ending felt right: with success and apologies on both sides. My fave part had to be when Brandon's mom reminds him of his total dislike for opera... while Emily's listening in!

Five Superbowl stars!

Buy this book from Amazon here

Act Like It by Lucy Parker

Fake relationship. Enemies to lovers. Defrosting hero who is nice to the heroine and CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY. Flaunting your new flame in front of your cheating ex. Smart characters. Literary allusions! This book had all the catnip and I loved reading it.
The slow growing of the relationship was a delight to see. The climax was a bit meh (it felt a little overdramatic, but now I type this, I can understand why... actors, duh) but the ending left me hugging my iPad in joy. If you want a light fake-dating novel, READ THIS NOW.

Five gushing stars!

Buy this book from Amazon here