A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke

When Alex meets Kate the attraction is instant.

Alex is funny, good-looking, and a little shy - everything that Kate wants in a boyfriend.

Alex can't help falling for Kate, who is pretty, charming and maybe just a little naive...

But one of them is hiding a secret, and as their love blossoms, it threatens to ruin not just their relationship, but their lives.

Book received from Publisher - Thank you

Review by Alison

On first picking up this book I wasn't too sure what I would make of it – not my usual “bag”.

Alex and Kate, the 2 main characters get you involved as their relationship develops further, provoking thoughts as to how this can possibly end up with a happy outcome.

As you learn the big secret and find out just how it can ruin their relationship you want nothing more for them to resolve all their issues, but you know this cant be the case.

A delve into young relationships in the first stages, with good insight into how things can quickly go wrong when lies and secrets are formed.

The ending, as it could only be, proving that love can be a powerful emotion and create a strong connection between two people.

I give this book 6.5/10 A jam/brownie doughnut! Not a bad book, good story line just not my usual cup of tea.

The Naughty Girls' Book Club by Sophie Hart

‘A quaint suburb. A quiet little reading group. A very naughty reading list...When Estelle sets up a book group in order to increase custom to her struggling cafe, what follows is more life-changing than she could have ever imagined...As the first meeting flounders, Estelle suggests a spot of erotica to spice things up. Inspired by their naughty novels, this group of shy suburban readers shake off their inhibitions and discover that their own lives can be just as scandalous….Sexy fiction at its most seductive, this is perfect for fans of Jilly Cooper and Shirley Conran.’

Book Received from Author - Thank you Sophie

Estelle is a thirty something single mother who runs the local café crumb. In desperate need of a few extra pennies to keep the café going she decides to try a new venture to help increase income – a book club. (What a fab idea!) A mix bag of 4 people turn up for the meeting ….Sue, a retired sixty something struggling with the gap left from finishing work, Gracie, a strong feminine character with many open opinions, Rachel, a bubbly secondary school teacher in need of a hobby and Reggie a shy student who attends the meeting for research purposes. The current book phenomena is erotic novel ‘Ten Sweet Lessons’ so when the group take a liking to the book erotica from all decades soon becomes the club craze and changes their lives in more ways than they expected.

I was hooked on this book right from the start. The characters were all very different and it was captivating reading how their lives changed throughout the book. I really liked Estelle’s character, she was so likeable and what I call ‘normal’ it was a pleasure to follow her story. I found it really hard to put down, I just wanted to see what they were going to do/what was going to happen to them next! Having seen the title you may be hesitant that the book itself is full of sex and erotica and another ‘Fifty shades’ but it really isn’t – it much more focused on the characters and their lives with a bit of sauciness thrown in along the way ;-)

Definitely a Novel Café Cupcake…10/10….A perfect chick lit read, easy, fun, sexy, captivating, emotional and romantic all in one book. I would thoroughly recommend and can’t wait to see what Sophie has in store.