Giveaway: Win a Summer Read of your choice

I had planned to buy a few goodies to run a Summer bundle giveaway but sadly life has gotten in the way recently and it fell by the wayside. So instead I have decided to run a giveaway for you to choose a book yourself, either an eBook which can be gifted via Amazon, or paperback which I'll buy and either post to you myself or will order to be posted direct to you.

Below are a few of the recent summery books that have caught my eye which might appeal to you, or maybe you've got your eye on something else. 

The Beach Holiday by Isabelle Broom

A somebody. A nobody.
A love story waiting to be written . . .

All aspiring novelist Honor has ever wanted is to be successful. It's the only way she can impress the father who abandoned her, the boyfriend who gave up on her, and the nagging voice in her head that tells her she's not good enough.

Still, wanting to tell a story is not the same as having a story to tell, and Honor knows she needs to find a new source of inspiration.

When she's invited to spend a summer abroad in The Hamptons, Honor realises it could be the dream setting for a book, especially when a chance encounter provides her with the perfect leading man.

But blurring fact and fiction is a dangerous game, and Honor soon discovers that writing her way to success might come at the expense of her own happy ever after . . .

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Two exes. One pact.
Could this holiday change everything?

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world.

Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone.

But the cottage is for sale so this is the last time they'll all be here together. They can't bear to break their best friends' hearts so they'll fake it for one more week.

But how can you pretend to be in love - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?

Books Read: The Summer Trip by Isabelle Broom

What if your life worked out perfectly . . . for someone else?

It's been 18 years since Ava spent the summer on the Greek island of Corfu, but she has never forgotten what happened during those months - or who she left behind.

Now single, estranged from her family, and preparing to wave her daughter off to university, Ava's life seems a million miles away from the one she dreamed about as a teenager - a life now being lived by her sister instead.

When Ava decides to return to Corfu for the summer, she knows she must finally face the place and the people that broke her heart. But with old resentments festering, long-buried secrets lurking, and familiar feelings resurfacing, it looks set to be a holiday that will change all their lives forever. . .

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Books Read: One Thousand Stars and You by Isabelle Broom

One spark will light up both their lives

Alice is settling down. It might not be the adventurous life she once imagined, but more than anything she wants to make everyone happy - her steady boyfriend, her over-protective mother - even if it means a little part of her will always feel stifled.

Max is shaking things up. After a devastating injury, he is determined to prove himself. To find the man beyond the disability, to escape his smothering family and go on an adventure.

A trip to Sri Lanka is Alice's last hurrah - her chance to throw herself into the heat, chaos and colour of a place thousands of miles from home.

It's also the moment she meets Max.

Alice doesn't know it yet, but her whole life is about to change.

Max doesn't know it yet, but he's the one who's going to change it.

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

Books Read & Giveaway: My Map of You by Isabelle Broom

Holly Wright has had a difficult few years. After her mother's death, she's become expert at keeping people at a distance - including her boyfriend, Rupert.

But when Holly receives an unexpected letter explaining that an aunt she never met has left her a house on the Greek island of Zakynthos, the walls she has built begin to crumble. Arriving on the island, Holly meets the handsome Aidan and slowly begins to uncover the truth about the secret which tore her family apart.

But is the island where Holly really belongs? Or will her real life catch up with her first?

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Debut Spotlight: Isabelle Broom

Today I'm pleased to be shining the debut spotlight on journalist Isabelle Broom who I have met many times over the last couple of years at various book events.  In her day job she is book reviews editor at Heat magazine so regularly features books and authors to look out for so it's only fair to turn the tables and take a look at Isabelle herself and her debut novel The Map of You which is published this Thursday.  

I'm lucky enough to have been invited to her launch so keep your eyes peeled later this week as I will be buying an extra copy of My Map of You for Isabelle to sign for a giveaway prize. 

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts at the University of West London before starting a career first in local newspapers and then as a junior sub-editor at heat magazine. She travelled through Europe during her gap year and went to live on the Greek island of Zakynthos for an unforgettable and life-shaping six months after completing her degree. Since then, she has travelled to Canada, Sri Lanka, Sicily, New York, LA, the Canary Islands, Spain and lots more of Greece, but her wanderlust was reined in when she met Max, a fluffy little Bolognese puppy desperate for a home. When she's not writing novels set in far-flung locations, Isabelle spends her time being the Book Reviews Editor at heat magazine and walking her beloved dog round the parks of north London.

You can follow her on Twitter @Isabelle_Broom or find her on Facebook under Isabelle Broom Author

When I told Emma I was arranging this debut spotlight feature with Isabelle she immediately came up with some fantastic questions as she'd just finished reading My Map of You which she'd loved. So I'll hand you over to Emma and Isabelle for their Q&A which I'm sure will have you wanting to dive right in and read My Map of You and take a trip to Zakynthos especially after viewing the photos Isabelle sent us.   

Where did the idea come from to use a map as a source to guide Holly on her journey? Were you tempted for her to discover a notebook or something different?
It’s funny you should ask that, because originally I had planned for Holly for discover letters and postcards throughout the story. The map idea goes way back to 2014, during a chat I had with agent extraordinaire Lizzy Kremer and her assistant Harriet. I’d won a session with Lizzy as part of my prize for Simon & Schuster’s short story competition, and she had read the first 30,000 or so words of what later became My Map Of You. We batted around heaps of ideas during that session, and the hidden map was one of them.

Does the island hold a special place in your heart and is that why you chose it as the location for the setting?
Yes! I’ve been in love with Zakynthos ever since I first visited the island 16 years ago, and I’ve been back pretty much every year since – often more than once. It’s more than a second home to me, it’s my spiritual home, and I fully intend to live there myself one day. The way I feel about the place is what inspired me to create Holly and her story.

Why didn't you have any chapters set in the past from Sandra or Jennifer's point of view?
I actually did in my first draft, but it was decided quite rightly by my editor to cut them out and just keep the narrative driven purely by Holly. I’m glad I wrote them, though, because it gave me such a better grasp of Jenny and Sandra’s characters. And losing them meant we had lots more space for Holly and Aidan’s adventures around the island, which were so much fun to write.

Books Read: Isabelle Broom - The Wedding Speech

Ed waited until all the eyes in the room were on him before he began. He took a deep breath, inhaling as he did so the sweet scent from the lilies, which were arranged extravagantly in front of him. 'Ladies and gents, I promise to try and keep this short and sweet…'

When Billy asked his best mate Ed to be his best man, Ed knew he would have to make a speech and he was dreading it. But he also knew how important it was to Billy - and to his soul mate and wife-to-be, Amelia. So Ed is determined to do them proud. But little does he know that it will be the most important speech he will ever make, and his toast - 'To Billy and Amelia - together forever' - will mean more than he ever thought.

A beautiful short story to remind you of the importance of love.

Amazon link: Kindle