New to Dot Scribbles Shelves

I have received some very exciting books to review recently, here's a few of them, let me know your thoughts!

Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews (Sphere, 24th May) Nell McNamara has a happy life: her boyfriend Olly adores her, their four-year-old daughter Petal is the centre of their world and Nell has a steady job in the local chip shop. When the chippy needs a makeover, Nell jumps at the chance to unleash the creativity fizzing inside her.
Inspired by what she can achieve- and encouraged by the best friends a girl can have- Nell is determined to try something new. Waving goodbye to the chip shop, she starts up a new business making her own line of must-have handbags, which are soon flying off the shelves!
It seems Nell's dreams are finally coming true, but her success doesn't come without a price. Before too long, Nell has to ask herself if it's really possible to have it all...

Catching The Sun by Tony Parsons (Harper Collins, 7th June) When taxi driver Tom Finn is almost jailed for confronting two burglars in his own home, he leaves broken Britain and takes his wife and children to live on the tropical island of Phuket, Thailand. Phuket is all the Finn family dreamed of- a tropical paradise where the children swim with elephants, the gibbons sing love songs in the jungle, the Andaman Sea is like turquoise glass and the young family is free to grow. But both man-made disaster and unleashed forces of nature shatter this tropical idyll.

White Wedding by Milly Johnson (Simon and Schuster, 7th May) It's the day they've always dreamed about. But will it turn out to be a nightmare...?
Bel is in the midst of planning her perfect wedding when disaster strikes and everything she thought she knew is turned on its head. Can she hold it all together and, with the help of her friends, and a mysterious man she meets unexpectedly, turn disaster into triumph?
Bel's best friend, ice-cream parlour owner Violet, is engaged to Glyn, who is besotted by her although Violet fell out of love with him long ago. But however trapped she feels in the relationship, she can't quite say the words, 'I don't want to marry you anymore.' Then, just when she's about to give up and resign herself to married life, she finds love in the most surprising of places. Will duty rule her heart or will she allow herself to be swept off her feet?
Their childhood friend Max was planning a quick registry office do with her fiance Stuart until she sees a TV programme about traveller brides and becomes determined to have the most extravagantly glitzy wedding ever. But in all the excitement has she lost sight of what's really important? Does she want the wedding more than she wants the groom?

And as all three friends find the dress of their dreams at the White Wedding bridal shop, its owner, the lovely Freya, guarantees that her gowns will bring them happiness- though maybe not quite in the way they expected...

Until I Die by Amy Plum (Atom, 3rd May) She fell in love with the perfect man. But his secret condemns him to die: again and again. For Kate's boyfriend is a revenant. A man who gave his life in place of another. Now one of the undead. Locked in an immortal battle played out on the streets of Paris. Kate and Vincent can be together right now, in the moment. But when one is mortal and the other immortal. What will they do about forever? Set in a Paris rich in art, history and mythology, Until I Die is a gothic novel about love against the odds. With a detailed revenant mythology rooted in existing legend, Amy Plum introduces you to a dark and fascinating new paranormal underworld.

Better Together by Sheila O'Flannagan (Healdine, 5th July) Sheridan Gray has the perfect life: dream job as a hot-shot journalist, ideal boyfriend and demanding parents' approval. That is, until her world crashes around her. Left with few options, she takes a job in what just so happens to be the hometown of the man she blames for everything- is this ever going to be the new start Sheridan needs?
When her husband, an aspiring actor, was offered a part in Dublin, Nina Fallon never dreamt her own life would become a soap opera. Faced with running her guesthouse alone and denying the idle gossipers, the last thing she needs is her new tenant's eagle-eyed investigations. As Sheridan gets closer to the truth, both women struggle to let go of the past. Will they stick to what they know? Or will they find that practice makes perfect and sometimes it's best to move on?

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (Headline, 10th July) It began with A Discovery of Witches. Historian, Diana Bishop descended from a line of powerful witches, and long-lived vampire Matthew Clairmont have broken the laws dividing creatures. When Diana discovered a significant alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, she sparked a struggle in which she became bound to Matthew. Now the fragile coexistence of witches, daemons, vampires and humans is dangerously threatened. Seeking safety, Diana and Matthew travel back in time to London, 1590. But they soon realise that the past may not provide a haven. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy for Queen Elizabeth, the vampire falls back in with a group of radicals known as the School of Night. Many are unruly daemons, the creative minds of the age, including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot. Together Matthew and Diana scour Tudor London for the elusive manuscript  Ashmole 782, and search for the witch who will teach Diana how to control her remarkable powers... Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew once more in this stunning , rich imagined epic tale.

Book Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum + Give away!!

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister Georgia and I were orphans. We put our loves into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent. Mysterious, sexy and unnervingly charming. Vincent appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk everyday. He also has enemies...immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

Can I risk putting my heart as well as my life and my family's in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Firstly let me say that the cover for this book is beautiful, it really captures the romantic nature of the story, especially with the Paris backdrop.
Die For Me is the first in the Revenants series by Amy Plum and what a brilliant beginning- this is one of the best paranormal, young adult books that I have read in a long time.
A revenant is an immortal being; in certain circumstances, people who die in the place of others come back to life 3 days later. They then continually save others even if that means dying again, they will always return to life unless someone burns their body, that is the only way they can truly die. Vincent is a revenant and he has fallen for Kate, who is only just getting over the death of her parents so the idea of being with someone who is going to have multiple deaths absolutely terrifies her.
Vincent is not alone, he lives with his 'uncle' Jean Baptiste and more of his kindred, as they call themselves, Charlotte, Charles, Ambrose and Gaspard. They work together to save the lives of others across the city of Paris.
The revenants have a major enemy in the Numa, they are the complete opposite, they have gained their immortality by taking the lives of others. Once immortal they continue to try and murder people, which is what the revenants have to work to prevent.
Kate has no contact with the Numa until the end of the book. A rescue attempt goes wrong and Charles cannot handle what happened and so he turns to the Numa to end it all for him. Lucien is head of the Paris Numa and is happy to take advantage of Charles' misfortune, especially as it means that he can gain revenge on Vincent who is his sworn enemy. However, Lucien didn't imagine that Vincent would ever fall in love with a human and so Kate finds herself in mortal danger and Lucien knows that Vincent will do anything to protect her.
Amy Plum has created such a beautiful story, I loved the romantic idea of the revenants, they are like angels on earth. Vincent is a very attractive character and I can see why Kate falls for him. Kate is a very likable character too but she is very vulnerable so it is understandable that she questions this new relationship. Kate needs somebody like Vincent but she has to decide if she will be able to cope with the fact that she will lose him again and again.
I'm so excited that this is just the first in the series as I just want to know more and more. Vincent and Kate's story will have great appeal for the YA market and I believe it will easily cross the gap to slightly older readers.
If you like your books with a paranormal edge then give this one a go, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Many thanks to Atom for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out on May 26th!

I actually have a copy of Die For Me to give away to any UK followers. If you would like a chance to read this book then please leave a comment below this post, the comment must include your email address so that I can contact the winner. This give away is open until midnight on Tuesday May 24th, good luck!!