Books I've eaten in March....

March saw me devour books at a great rate....the test for a good book for me is that it grabs my attention on my daily commute, taking me away from the delights of the tube, which on most days include armpits, curry & beer odours!! (not mine!).. here are 4 that I loved.... 2 made me miss my stops on the tube, one made me cry on the tube and the other got me getting the sewing machine out (not on the tube!)

• Katie Fforde ~ A Perfect Proposal
• Amy Bratley ~ The Girls Guide to Homemaking
• Veronica Henry ~ The Birthday Party
• Jane Green ~ The Love Verb

Katie FForde's A Perfect Proposal is set between New York, Connecticut and Cornwall... Sophie has spent he life pleasing others - especially her ungrateful family, so she heads off to NY ...Things don't go according to plan and she ends up be-friending a "grand-dame" of NY society.... Enter stage left the arrogant, and oh so scrummy grandson Luke... I loved this book... I want to spend Thanksgiving in Connecticut and live between NY & Cornwall!!... KF never disappoints.
Amy Bratley ~ Girls Guide to Homemaking is not as twee as it sounds... I loved the little homemaking quotes starting each chapter... in particular:
"Always have a lot of souvenirs around from far off places, even if you've just sent them from a mail order house. It will give the impression of being a world traveler who hasn't been home long enough to have thoroughly cleaned the house" ~ Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints 1966
" To bake perfect fairy cakes, you need to create a happy space in the kitchen. Light candles, put on a pretty housecoat and play soft soothing music to help you mix excellent batter. ~ Homemaking hints for a Happier Home ,1959
Juliet seeks comfort from her grandmothers 1950s homemaking manuals, escaping her troubles and hoping to mend her broken heart... Cornwall, Italy & London set the scenes for this book, which is fun, and heartbreaking too..you will want to get the sewing machine out!
Veronica Henry ~ The Birthday Party... devoured in 2 days, missed stops on trains & buses whilst reading this... loved the Rafferty family!... a romp from the first page, you will be sucked into the life of the Rafferty's! Delilah has lived her rollercoaster marriage to Raf in the public eye, as she approaches her 50th birthday both her three girls; Coco, Violet & Tyger and husbands careers take off. Does temptation become too much for them all?... you will not want to put this down!VH has done it again!!
Jane Green - The Love Verb ~ heartbreakingingly beautiful. I cried on the tube reading this... do not let the cancer thread in this book put you off. It's filled with laughter, love & hope, friendships & family tested to the end.A side thread throughout the book is that to cope with her sister Callie's illness, Steffi seeks solace in cooking,  between each chapter are the recipes that Steffi cooks to cope... I so related to this, ... and it added some lightness but a real poignancy to the writing.. you will need tissues!

Thanks Ladies for making my commute in March sooo much more enjoyable!....