Weekly Update #39

Here we are at Saturday once again….How are we all? I hope you’re having a good Saturday and I hope you’ve had as good a week as possible.

So I’ve been consistently doing my strengthening exercises and around Wednesday, not even a week since the appointment I was definitely seeing a difference in me. It feels me with hope, I’ve found this week to be a bit of a mixed bag.

I’m still missing the running and I’ve been pretty much up and down this week, but I’m embracing each and every positive. I’ve managed to do the three days of cycling on my exercise bike with the last two over an hour now that’s felt good.

Exercise bike selfie – this morning.

Yesterday I had a few errands to run in the High Street – it’s such a normal thing but feels strange these days. Decided to coincide that with trying the new Toffee Spice Latte from Costa. Apologies there is no picture but my that was an absolute beauty of a coffee.

This week I read: Now this feels unfinished as I’m into the last two hours of my audiobook.

This will be finished today…

Currently reading: As stated I will finish Wish You Were Here and I shall be starting…

I love Mhari she always manages to make me laugh and let me escape. I’ve heard so much goodness about this and I’m attending an online event for this on Tuesday.

What’s been on the blog: I’ve felt much more on the ball blog wise this week.

On Sunday I shared my thoughts on Seeing Other People By Mike Gayle and you can read that post here.

On Monday I shared Monday Motivation and Smiles #3 and you can read that post here.

On Tuesday I shared my thoughts on Mr Commitment By Mike Gayle and you can read that post here.

On Wednesday I shared my Midweek Reading Roundup #3 and you can read it here.

On Thursday I shared a gorgeous Cover Reveal and you can read that post here.

On Friday I shared my thoughts on the audiobook of You Got This and Other Things I wish I Had known By Louise Redknapp and you can read that here.

Have a truly wonderful week and I will be back with a post daily and then the wrap up next Saturday.

Do let me know if there is anything you would like me to include here on the blog?

We’re almost at the end of March so that means there will be a wrap up post coming…

Book Review: Seeing Other People By Mike Gayle

Blurb: SEEING OTHER PEOPLE is perhaps his most heart-warming, heart-stopping, heartbreaking novel yet.Joe Clarke is about 78% sure he’s just had an affair. Well, that is the beautiful office intern in bed next to him…But, if Joe really has just cheated, why can’t he remember anything about it? Confused but mortified Joe vows to be a better husband and father. Until his wife Penny puts two and two together and leaves him.Devastated, Joe will do anything to win his family back. But when he realises that the key to saving his marriage lies in the hands of the mean-spirited ghost of his least favourite ex-girlfriend, Joe knows he’s in real trouble. SEEING OTHER PEOPLE is a hilarious and bittersweet novel about love, parenthood and fidelity and how easy it is to get lost on the way to your own happy ending.

Review: Now this is my second Mike Gayle novel and another eye opening treat. I’m truly humbled to have discovered Mike so late on in his career as I have a gorgeous back catalogue to get my teeth into.

Seeing Other People was the second read in Mike Gayle March and this was in some ways totally different from Turning 40.

In saying that this is still full of Mike’s easy writing style that had me captivated from start to finish. Joe is an interesting character I wouldn’t say I wholeheartedly warmed to him but he had his moments.

Seeing Other People has an air of A Christmas Carol about it in the elements where Joe is being shown a lesson so to speak. It’s not a festive read in any way but the way he is seeing a hallucination (or is he) had me thinking of that later on in the novel.

As the story began I was unsure as to what I was reading and what was real and what wasn’t. This is what truly captivated me and had me turning the pages to see where Mike was taking the story. From the off I wasn’t sure if Joe had suffered a traumatic experience or was just blocking out an experience for his own sake.

I liked the fact we were also shown how infidelity can change a family dynamic and how it also effects the children. I really liked this aspect as it was apparent from early on that Rosie & Jack had a gorgeous love for both their parents and how they would want them both at differing times in their young lives.

Seeing Other People is a novel that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Looking at being grateful for all we have and for not judging a book by its cover. I really enjoyed the element of ‘The Divorced Dads Club’ and the budding friendship of the men was heartwarming. This is when my thoughts on Joe really changed. Underneath the passionate journalist he’s a simple man that loves his family – his wife Penny and his children Rosie and Jack. I felt sad for Joe when I realised he didn’t have any real friends – that was until he met the Dads.

Joe needed them more than he realised and they were grateful that he brought them together. Men rarely share their thoughts and feelings and I truly loved how Mike showed this and how the bond of children changed this. These are aspects that are wholeheartedly not shared on the side of guys mainly just of women. It was a heartwarming change and it’s a story I didn’t know I needed to read.

In these strange times discovering Seeing Other People has made me think about how grateful we really should be for every single day we have on earth. I loved how Mike Gayle tied all the loose ends up with this one. Another treat that takes you into the mind of a man.

Weekly Update #38

Here we are at Saturday once again, these weeks sure are flying by aren’t they?

Some weeks I feel ahead of the game for penning these posts and others not so much. I must say I still wholeheartedly love writing this post, for me personally it’s been a welcome addition to Hayley reviews and it’s been a consistent addition in a very inconsistent time. I’m still sad that my 3 sets of Running posts aren’t here but this week has felt like a bit of a win and a breakthrough on that point. I will also reshare a review on a Running book that gave me all the feels and also left me feeling hopeful.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. On Thursday I finally met with Yasmin a physio from Oxleas – following the phone consultation last week she booked me in to see her this week. In just having that chat and then that meeting pencilled in I felt brighter.

On the phone Yasmin had an easy manner, she listened and asked all the right questions and helped me feel better about my concerns. I found that even though we hadn’t met she had gave me a thorough diagnosis and gave me something to work on. In person she was just as thorough and I left that appointment feeling bright and optimistic with a plan to aid my return to running. Between Friday and today I’ve felt like I’ve made good progress on the strengthening exercises and the mobility exercise.

Today I woke up around 10am which feels kind of alien to me. My body obviously needed the rest but I feel like I’ve chased my tale a little. But I have managed to do my exercises have a bath, change my bedding and start a gorgeous new read.

This was released on Thursday and as I had an appointment in the high street I had hoped to have returned home with it. Sadly the Sainsbury’s and WHSmith in my high street didn’t have it so I ordered from Waterstones and it landed on my doormat this morning. I’m a few chapters in and hope to return to it shortly.

This week I read:

I’m currently reading:

Sarah’s I’ve just started I’m just under 25% into Mike Gayle and Louise’s is my audiobook I’m on chapter four of that. I will more than likely focus on Sarah’s and Mikes over the weekend.

What’s been on the blog:

There wasn’t a post last Sunday I can only assume I was reading.

On Monday I was pleased to take part in a cover reveal for Allied and you can see that post here.

On Tuesday there was another cover reveal this time for Ravenous Snakes and you can see that post here.

On Wednesday I shared my review for Catherine Isaac’s The World At My Feet and you can read that here.

On Thursday it was my stop on The Fountains of Silence blog tour and you can read that post here.

On Friday I shared my review of Running Kind a short read on the highs and lows of Running that I truly loved and you can read that here.

Whatever you do this weekend and in the coming week do it safely and remember to have some much needed you time. Right it’s back to the books for me.

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday meme is hosted by Renee@It’s Book Talk and is a way to share some of your old favorites as well as sharing books that you’re FINALLY getting around to reading that were published over a year ago. You know, the ones waiting patiently on your TBR list while you continue to pile more titles on top of them! These older books are usually much easier than new releases to get a hold of at libraries and elsewhere. If you have your own Throwback Thursday recommendation feel free to jump on board and connect back to Renee’s blog.

So I’m not looking at specific books I’m looking back on the thoughts and reviews I was sharing last year. One year on. So I didn’t post on 11th March last year – but these are the two closest posts this one was on the 18th March Taking a Moment and this one was on the 10th March Pictures of Lily Review.

So sorry for the delay in today’s post – my last few posts have been scheduled and I’m not sure if you saw it but I was on Fabulous Book Fiend’s You Tube channel this evening talking all things Christina Lauren. You can watch it below.

Audio Review: Turning 40 By Mike Gayle

Blurb: How to turn forty:
1. Set yourself a personal challenge.
2. Clear wardrobe of all age inappropriate clothing.
3. Relax.

How not to turn forty:
1. Have a complete meltdown . . .

High flier Matt Beckford’s sole ambition is to turn forty with his life sorted. And with a Porsche on the drive and a job that requires him to spend more time in BA’s club lounge than his own lounge, it looks like things are going in the right direction. But when Matt’s wife unexpectedly calls time on their marriage, a chain of events is set in motion that very quickly sees him facing forty broke, homeless and completely alone.

But all is not lost because Matt has a plan . . .

Review: Now I have to start in saying this was my first Mike Gayle read, although in saying that I have a number of his novels on my Kindle but somehow I had kept passing him by. So when my bookish bestie asked if I wanted to join her in a Mike Gayle readathon I jumped at the chance.

Turning 40 is actually the sequel to Turning 30 and I’m reading them out of order but that’s ok. I now know who Matt Beckford is and when I go back and read Turning 30 I will get a better insight to his back story. Matt is an interesting character and seeing as I’m in between both 30 and 40 I’m not sure whether I’m feeling apprehensive or seen in this novel. I haven’t read a male rom-com of sorts and it is so enlightening and it’s also something that I’ve needed. Many authors do both voices but very rarely are they predominantly male based. I really enjoyed seeing how men are having the same woes that many women have, the saddest thing for me is how men very rarely have a friend they can fully confide in like us girls.

As I say Matt is extremely interesting and he’s troubled. As soon as Lauren calls time on their marriage it’s like he spirals out of control. It takes guts to go back home and I found every single scene with Matts parents to be a laugh a minute. Deep down they are a loving family who just want what’s best for their children- but when you’ve been apart for so long it’s strange when the tables turn.

When Matt is reunited with his best mate it’s clear that their friendship has changed, I felt saddened for Matt as he couldn’t see the cracks. I love how Mike Gayle has written about returning to your hometown and how you see your former classmates in a whole new light, as well as the obvious comparisons. As Matt reunites with old flame and back up plan Ginny I’m left wondering what she’s not saying. I could see how this would play out and it left me reeling for Matt.

Following the fall out Matt is led down a totally different path. In meeting Gerry – Matt is instantly in awe and is full of nostalgia. I liked Gerry from the start and hearing of his tales from the charity shop had me reminiscent of my former job – he described this so well I was laughing. I loved how the charity shop became a lifeline for the volunteers and I could totally relate to that. The change in Matt was apparent almost instantly.

Every time you think Matt is finally sorted he has a curve ball to sift through. I really liked how we were given the time frame until the impending 40th birthday.

This was my first Mike Gayle read and it most definitely won’t be the last. An informative and compelling read that had me eager for more. Finishing the audiobook in a few days. Following the ups and downs I wasn’t sure how Matt’s tale would end but I found it simply perfect….some places look like home…

What I read in February…

As I mentioned multiple times February is my favourite month as it’s my birth month and the month of love. It also includes pancake day – what’s not to love????

I started the month by finishing listening to the audiobook of The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. I really like this author but this was my first audio of hers and at times I felt myself getting confused but I loved it all the same.

My Review

February saw the read-along of Christina Lauren novels alongside Catriona…watch this space as we will be doing a You Tube live chat to discuss our thoughts. Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was our first.

My Review

Space Hopper was my first debut read in February. This was my first audio Netgalley read and a good one it was.

My Review

Roomies was the next Christina Lauren read another audiobook for me and I adored this one. Those who know me will know an Irishman and a guitar is pretty much heaven for me.

My Review

Last One At The Party was my second debut read of February. If you remember last year I wrote a post about the debuts I had read and enjoyed last year and it’s made me want to read more this year. I had seen a lot of chat about this one on Twitter and when the author (Bethany Clift) posted a pic of the waterstones sprayed edges I was sold. I pre-ordered this beauty signed by Bethany and what a treat it was.

My Review

Another debut and a second one from the Simon & Schuster team. The Other Daughter was a fascinating read that I flew through.

My Review

During December I read an anthology of Christmas crime that reaffirmed my love of crime. I found myself a number of new authors to devour. Mark Billingham was one of those authors and Cry Baby is the long awaited prequel to Sleepyhead so this seemed like the perfect book to begin with. Omg what a read full of nostalgia for 1996 and a mystery to boot, I cannot wait to read more from him following this.

My Review

My Favourite Half Night Stand was my third Christina Lauren read of February. It was my first ebook of theirs every other Christina Lauren until now had been audiobooks.

My Review

I was invited onto the blog tour for The Night We Met what seems like forever ago. And I had decided I wanted to take part on my birthday which felt like a right treat. Zoë Folbigg has a way with writing real and heart wrenching novels and this is no different.

My Review

I finished February with the final Christina Lauren of our read-along with The Honey Don’t List. I got this one as a paperback and I truly loved it. A gorgeous treat for my collection. I haven’t yet penned my review but watch this space.

So that was 10 reads in February not bad considering I had a few days out thanks to a bit of a headache. Following our fantastic read along this month we’re reading Mike Gayle. I’ve started listening to Turning Forty I’m a few chapters in and I’m really enjoying it so far. Thanks to Catriona for suggesting it as I’ve been meaning to read some Mike Gayle in forever.

Let’s see what March has in store. I have the Mike Gayle read along of 5 books and I have a few blog tours/up and coming releases that I hope to read this month.

Weekly Update #35

So here we are at the final weekly update of February. Sorry for the delay I was on my exercise bike and doing a few chores and getting some reading in.

It’s been quite a week for me as I started the week 36 and turned 37 on Tuesday. It was a quiet birthday but gorgeous all the same, the sun was shining although it was a tad deceiving as the wind was pretty cold.

I’ve had this top for a while and I thought it was a cropped one as the one I got with it was. It wasn’t which is great. Perfect time to wear it on my birthday.

I was pretty lucky 🙂 I also got an exercise bike, which I’ve wanted for the past year. Super happy.

Bookish post. A few from publishers a birthday gift and this gorgeous classic that I had to have. Will let you know when I start reading it.

Following finishing a blog tour read I took a few days out of reading to give my head a rest as I’ve overdone it a little.

I’m currently reading and really enjoying….

And I’m listening to…

I would like to get both of these finished tomorrow to start a new month with a new read.

This week I read:

As I had a few days out I only finished this one this week – but as mentioned I have a physical and an audiobook on the go and hopefully I can finish them by the end of tomorrow.

What’s been on the blog:

On Sunday I dedicated the Six for Sunday post to Paige Toon and you can read that post here.

On Monday I shared my review on My Favourite Half Night Stand and you can read that post here.

Tuesday was my 37th birthday and I shared a cover reveal post that you can see here and a blog tour post of my review of The Night We Met that you can read here.

Wednesday and Thursday there were no posts. I have found myself annoyed with myself when I don’t have a total month of posts but on the flip side I need the content to be there. Is there anything you love and loathe here at Hayley Reviews do let me know?

On Friday I was pleased to be able to share another Cover Reveal and you can see it here.

I’ve loved our Christina Lauren readathon and I look forward to reading the remaining of their books. I am hoping to join Catriona on a Mike Gayle readathon in March. Plus I’m on a few blog tours including that of Santa Montefiore – Flappy Entertains which I read and loved in January, I look forward to sharing my review.

Book Review: My Favourite Half-Night Stand By Christina Lauren

Blurb: Swipe right on My Favourite Half-Night Stand – a funny, fresh romp into the ups and downs of online dating that’s sure to make you laugh out loud.

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A professor at a respected university, she’s great at witty backchat but terrible at getting personal. Like her four best male friends, she’s perma-single. So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, they all make a pact to join an online dating service and find plus-ones. There’s just one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of their group, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, before deciding the friendship is better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with dream dates, Millie’s profile attracts nothing but creeps. So she invents an alter ego in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. But when Reid and her alter ego hit it off, Millie finds herself struggling to resist temptation – both online and off. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear – intimacy – or risk losing her best friend for ever.

Review: I’ve really enjoyed our read-along of Christina Lauren novels. This was my first ebook and I loved the set up with social media and emails etc. Especially where we got the little thumbnails of each of the characters from their profiles. I really liked that and it broke up the text.

This is another Millie and Reid split for chapters. I must admit the friends to lovers trope is definitely one of my most favourite tropes. From the off I loved each and every character. Millie is not only one of the guys but she’s also comfortable in her own skin on the outset. In saying that in deciding to go down the online dating site route – Millie manages to create decent profiles for all of her friends yet struggles with her own.

From that we realise that Millie isn’t very good at sharing her innermost feelings. Later on she realises that she’s not given hers her all, she changes it and mixes it up a bit and in doing so she ends up matching with bestie Reid. In Millies defence if Reid had really been reading between the lines he may have realised a lot earlier.

This is a laugh out loud novel about love, life and friendship. It’s also a lot about what you want being right in front of your face.

I loved seeing Millie and Reid’s relationship change. They kept us as readers on our toes and there were a number of OMG moments where I wasn’t sure which way the story would go. I have to mention how Christina Lauren also manage to get hard hitting subjects alongside the sexiness and I think this was done really well and it made ample sense with Millie as she’s so closed off.

Weekly Update #34

February really is flying by…it’s my favourite and it’s very close to my birthday. It’s a weird vibe this year seeing as I won’t be really going anywhere unless I go for a walk. It’s been another week with no actual running. I did jog alongside my niece on her scooter and I have today got back to my Yoga for Feet stretches. I have been doing stretches throughout but I eased off those ones and I’ve still felt the ache. It’s improving but I don’t want to go back too soon. I’ve dug out my physio letter and I will be contacting them again – I totally understand that these sort of appointments are being cancelled because of the bigger picture with Covid but I definitely need expert advice. I just want to get back running. So for now stretches are the way – the foam roller hurts a tad in the best of ways. This will make me stronger in the long run.

I’ve also learnt once again to listen to my body – bar that I’m feeling pretty good. Have a bit of a headache today so I’ve stepped away from the books hoping to get back to a blog tour read this evening if possible. As my review is due on my birthday which is on Tuesday. It’s really funny there’s a number of post that probably has nothing to do with my birthday that I’ve been unable to open ha.

This morning I finished this weeks Christina Lauren read. I really adore the friends to lovers trope so this one resonated well with me. I’m aiming to have my review for this one up on Monday so watch this space. I’ve really enjoyed this read along and we haven’t even scratched the surface I will be continuing to read the rest of the back catalogue.

This week I read:

So it seems for February I’m averaging around 3 books a week. All three of these have been ebooks. Which is fine but I am hoping to add more audio and physical in as I think my head is a little fried from the screen time. Saying that my next read is definitely an ebook but I need to mix it up before I burn out.

What’s been on the blog:

On Sunday I had a gorgeous Valentine’s Six for Sunday. I truly loved penning this one and you can read it here.

On Monday I shared my review on Last One At the Party by Bethany Clift and you can read it here. An absolutely stunning debut.

On Tuesday I had a fabulous cover reveal to share with you. If you know me you’ll know I adore a cover reveal and you can see that here.

On Wednesday I decided to share a Midweek round up once again and you can read it here.

On Thursday I had a bumper selection for you. Up first was a cover reveal as previously mentioned I love them you can see that here. It was also publication day for a gorgeous debut which you can read here. I literally flew through this gorgeous tale about women’s liberation and a women’s search for the truth about her birth. It was also publication day for Mark Billingham’s Cry Baby and you can read that here. I loved being introduced to Tom Thorne and being back in 1996 was awesome bar the football results remaining the same.

That’s another week from me 🙂 I’ll be a year older when I next update you. Now for a late lunch and to get rid of this damn headache as I want to get back to the books.

Before I go a quick question what are your thoughts on more than one post a day? I had a lovely comment slating my choices. I’m a little saddened that I didn’t post yesterday but I was reading and seeing as I had a triple post Thursday I’m sure that didn’t upset any of my followers. Happy Saturday all.

Audio Review: Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating By Christina Lauren

Blurb: Just friends. Just friends. JUST FRIENDS. If they repeat it enough, maybe it’ll be true . . .

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take – and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and taste for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter and tendency to say exactly the wrong thing will. Their loss. Not everyone can handle a Hazel.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college. From the first night they met – when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes – to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them . . . right?

Review: This is my third Christina Lauren novel and my first of the read-along with Catriona. Every one of my reads so far have been audiobooks. I must admit out of all of these the narration in this one wasn’t the greatest. Although in saying that the manly voice was the one that offended me. I persevered and really enjoyed the story all the same but I wouldn’t recommend the audio.

What can I say? From the off this book is full of humour and wit. Hazel is a completely crazy woman, who doesn’t take herself too seriously and is game for a laugh. In college Hazel is infatuated with Josh Im but through every crazy situation she’s been in he’s been there. As I say from early on the humour and wit is apparent with a ringtone making me laugh at loud with embarrassing for Hazel and from then on I knew this novel would be fun.

I’m still relatively new to Christina Lauren novels but what I love is how they challenge the average stereotypes and this novel is no exception. In the most part women are more sensitive and men are more casual yet Josh & Hazel are the exact opposite. A real ying yang dynamic – he’s her safe space.

This novel is set ten years after college. Hazel is still attracted to Josh but values his friendship which is where they set about setting each other up on blind-dates. Each of these changed in humour but from very early on it was apparent that Josh & Hazel were made for each other. Seeing their friendship change was a rollercoaster of emotion and a whole bunch of angst and sexiness.

I loved feeling like we knew that Josh & Hazel were meant for each other long before they did. This rollercoaster ride will keep you hanging right up until the epilogue where a lot more of the story is fully explained and given an appropriate ending.