Book Review: Married by Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

All she wants is a perfect Christmas Eve wedding...
It's been on Anna's wish list since she was a little girl, dreaming of a far happier family life than she'd ever experienced.
Only now-two weeks before the big day- her perfect husband-to-be drops a  bombshell...
But nothing's going to stop Anna's plans- not even the pesky inconvenience of discovering her groom already has a wife!

Scarlett Bailey's last book The Night Before Christmas was fantastic so I was particularly excited when her new book arrived.
The cover is gorgeous and extremely festive so it would make a fab Christmas present.
Anna had a really tough childhood which resulted in her being taken into care. She does not want to make the same mistakes as her mother so she has a plan. This includes marriage, a house, children and so on. The marriage in particular means that Anna will have the perfect Christmas eve wedding. However, her fiance Tom throws a huge spanner in the works when he reveals that he is actually already married and can't find his wife in order to get a divorce. Anna cannot believe this is happening but she is not going to have her plan ruined. She sets off to New York to hunt down this mystery wife but what if she fails and what if her life plan isn't actually the right one?
Married by Christmas is a really festive adventure. I loved the New York setting as it is exactly the time of year when I would like to visit. Anna is a very determined young woman and it is very interesting to watch how she works. She gradually begins to question her plan for life, has she created a life simply to fit the plan? Does she actually love Tom or has he chosen him because he fits into her idealistic future?
I think that Scarlett Bailey is a very entertaining writer. Married by Christmas is the perfect feel good read for this time of year. Once you have read about Anna's adventures in New York, you will be reaching for the milled wine and mince pies.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 4/5

Many thanks to Ebury for sending me a copy of the book to review, Married by Christmas is out now!

Book Review: Fearne & Holly, The Best Friends' Guide to Life PLUS 2 COPIES TO GIVE AWAY!!!

Here's what Fearne and Holly have to say about the book:

Hello! This is a book written by proper best friends- us!- who have been hanging out together for over 10 years. We thought that if we shared some of our own experiences and views on friendship, relationships, leaving home, studying or starting a new job, then it might help you on your own journey.
Inside you'll find loads of stories- some funny, some sad and some that make us cringe with embarrassment- as well as tips and advice on things like dating and looking good. We've included our best photos from over the years (even the dodgy ones!) and drawings that Fearne has done especially.
Let's face it, life isn't easy a times so we hope that this book will make you laugh, entertain you, but most of all that it might be a bit like talking to your very best friend. 

I really enjoyed reading this book, I would describe it as part-autobiography and part guide to life which is great as different readers will get different things from it. Fearne and Holly are  both highly successful women so it was very interesting to learn about their career paths and the many obstacles that they had faced. Obviously we don't all work within the media but their advice pretty much rings true in all walks of life and it is good to know that they too have endured cringe-worthy office Christmas parties! I found that I completely identified with their friendship, they are very different in so many ways yet they couldn't be closer as friends. My relationship with my best friend is like that; she is very much the louder, more social one but I know she does is one of the best people to bring me out my shell and make sure that I have a good time.
Everything is covered in the book, love, relationships, babies, work, home interior, friends, bosses, clothes, make-up, music, films, I could go on and on. It was good to see that Fearne and Holly don't feel that they have to agree on everything either, they simply respect each others view points and way of living their lives.

The Best Friends' Guide to Life is a really entertaining read and the book throughout is gorgeous to look at. As I said it is a bit like an autobiography in that it is discussing Holly and Fearne's experiences but then it is discussing life in general. I think it would make a great present for anyone who is a fan of these two ladies or just as lovely gift to your best friend, I'm sure there are loads of experiences and views on friendship that you will identify completely with.

The extremely lovely and generous people at Ebury Publishing have given me not one but two books to give away to readers of my blog. To win a copy then simply leave me a comment at the end of this post, unfortunately I can only send within the UK but this competition will remain open until Wednesday 24th November at midnight, good luck!!