Review: Chasing Daisy by Paige Toon

Love is a rush when you fall for someone addicted to speed…Daisy has been dum ped, unceremoniously jilted. Not by any ordinary guy, no…Daisy has a secret in her past that she won’t even tell her best friend, Holly. She’s given up on men – and on her own family. But life still has to be lived and where better to recover than as far away from home as possible. Grabbing a chance to see the world, Daisy packs her bags and joins the team catering to the world’s highest-paid, supercharged racing drivers on the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. From Brazil to Italy, from Melbourne to Monte Carlo, life passes in a dizzying whirlwind. But nothing – and no one – can stop Daisy from falling again…this time for a man who is prepared to risk his life, and his heart, for the sake of speed, danger and ultimate success.

Paige Toon’s third novel is one of my all time favourites; I could quite happily read it again and again. And again!

The action takes place across the globe as Daisy and her pal Holly travel the world with a Formula One team as hospitality girls – otherwise known as ‘Bun Tarts’. Daisy has had her heart broken and is sure she’s in no position to fall for any man any time soon, but she didn’t bargain on meeting Will Trust, one of the two new drivers for the team. Daisy finds that she can’t resist Will’s charm, and he seems interested in her. There are just two problems – Will’s long-term girlfriend, Laura, and Luis, the other new driver, who just won’t keep his nose out of Daisy’s business.

I loved the character of Daisy; her colourful language and quick temper make her very entertaining. As for Luis, I must confess he really is my ideal hero; he’s funny, sexy and mysterious, and how Daisy can fall for the far less exciting Will at the beginning of the book I will never know – silly girl! Daisy’s Italian grandmother is also fantastic; her little plans to help Daisy with her love-life are inspired and very giggle-worthy!

I’ve never been a fan of Formula One, but it gave the story a very unique backdrop and I ended up really enjoying that aspect of the book, it made a nice change from the usual ‘single girl in London/New York’ scenario. The settings are glamorous and original, and there are a few drama fuelled racing scenes which really kept me gripped, including one with a very shocking, and completely unexpected conclusion.

I couldn’t recommend this book highly enough to chick lit lovers. Lots of laugh out loud moments combined with some great drama and real edge-of-your-seat racing scenes makes for a brilliant read. It’s also got just about the most perfect ending of any novel I’ve read; the final scene never fails to make me smile and cry in equal measure. When I finish reading ‘Chasing Daisy’ I‘m always left with just one question – how much fun must Paige have had researching this novel?

5 stars

 

Review: I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

It’s official. Angela Clarke is in love — with the most fabulous city in the world. Fleeing her cheating boyfriend and clutching little more than a crumpled bridesmaid dress, a pair of Louboutins and her passport, Angela jumps on a plane, destination – NYC.  Holed up in a cute hotel room, Angela gets a New York makeover from her NBF Jenny and a whirlwind tour of the city that never sleeps. Before she knows it, Angela is dating two sexy guys. And, best of all, she gets to write about it in her new blog (Carrie Bradshaw eat your heart out). But it’s one thing telling readers about your romantic dilemmas, it’s another figuring them out for yourself ! Angela has fallen head over heels for the big apple, but does she heart New York more than home?

“I Heart New York” is the first in the ‘I Heart’ series and begins very dramatically with the leading lady, Angela Clark, discovering that her boyfriend of ten years has been cheating on her. Angela wants to get as far away from her ex as possible and ends up on a plane to New York. She’s never been to New York before and doesn’t know anybody there and so isn’t quite sure what to do with herself once she arrives.

Pretty soon Angela finds herself sad and alone in a hotel room and is sure that she’s made a big mistake. She’s just about to book a flight straight back home when she meets Jenny Lopez, aka ‘New York’s number one free psychiatrist’. A couple of days later and Angela has a new haircut, new make up, new clothes and is dating two hot guys. She even finds that her blog about her life in New York has got itself a huge following and is opening up all sorts of other opportunities. However, as fun as this new life is, Angela realises that at some point she is going to have to deal with the mess that is her former life in England and make some pretty big decisions about what she is going to do long-term – she can’t just stay having fun in New York forever… or can she?

I found that I became really swept away with this book; I read it in a single sitting and I was reluctant to put it down at all, even to make the all important cuppa. The pace was kept up throughout and, whilst it is fantasy, I felt that Angela dealt with her problems in a very realistic manner. She has difficult decisions to make and finds it hard to decide on the right course of action, just like any of us would in her situation.

Angela is a lovely character and is very easy to empathise with. I particularly enjoyed reading her ‘makeover scenes’ and I loved all the descriptions of New York. They really helped to produce a very good picture of Angela’s life. My only concern about Angela is the sheer amount of junk food she gets through, a Starbucks muffin does not constitute a decent meal young lady!

The secondary characters are all very well written. I loved the two sides of Jenny that we see, and I defy anyone not to want to hang out with Angela’s other new friends. The two love interests didn’t exactly sweep me off my feet, but they were perfect for Angela and for the storyline.

This is wonderfully frivolous and fun. The characters are brilliant, the writing very readable and I can’t wait to read the others in the series.

4 and a half stars