I don’t do beach holidays but….
…if I did….
…this book would be on the sand with me.
Fabulous!
Funny!
Feisty!
The author – Kristen Bailey:
Mother-of-four, gin-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She has had short fiction published in several publications including Mslexia & Riptide.
Her first two novels, “Souper Mum“ and “Second Helpings” were published in 2016.
In 2019, Kristen was long listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize. She writes women’s fiction and hopes her novels have fresh and funny things to say about modern life, love and family.
You can find out more about Kristen at her website: www.kristenbaileywrites.com
You can also follow Kristen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The taster – “Hot To Go”:
The vacation ended. The heat didn’t…
Meet Suzie Callaghan: French teacher, newly single, newly heartbroken. After an awful break-up, she heads to Mallorca for a much-needed holiday with her cousins, expecting sun, sangria, and siestas.
She isn’t expecting to fall in love – especially not with the handsome Spaniard who rescues her when she gets separated from her group during an ill-judged midnight skinny dip.
But what starts as a steamy holiday romance built on white lies and mistaken identities turns into something more complicated when “Carlos” shows up at the school she works at.
Except his name isn’t Carlos. It’s Charlie Shaw, and he’s the new Spanish teacher.
Now they’re stuck in department meetings pretending they haven’t seen each other naked, both feeling thoroughly duped, both wondering if that hot holiday fling can exist in real life? But when they’re thrown together again on a school trip to Seville, the heat between them proves impossible to resist.
The review:
“Hot To Go” by Kristen Bailey
““The cray-cray cousins.”
I penned these words at the end of my review for “We Three Kings”, Kristen Bailey’s last book.
Don’t forget, Ms. B, this particular reader does love Lucy. You know how to make me extra happy next year! Now that would be very appropriate..
Ms. B. never fails to satisfy and, with “Hot To Go”, she keeps this old man happy.
Just like the Marvel and DC universes, Bailey World keeps getting bigger. And, like those huge movie franchises, all your favourite characters keep on coming back to entertain.
As much as I liked Suzie and Charlie (A.K.A. Aurelia and Carlos) in “Hot To Go” – and these two are absolute delights to travel on this romantic adventure with – I was thrilled to see the return of my own particular favourite from Ms. B.’s earlier Callaghan Sisters’ novels.
Yes, folks, Lucy is back. Well, not exactly back, but Lucy and her sisters do make significant cameo appearances in this highly entertaining and wonderfully enjoyable romp. The Callaghan sisters pop up as supporting, and reassuring, cousins to the star of this tale, Suzie. And so, the Bailey-verse widens and grows as the hugely talented, and magnificently filthy minded, Ms. B. adds Suzie Callaghan to her roster of perfect players.
What can I add to this brief review that is new, and not simply a rehash of things I have said in my previous notes on Ms. B.’s other books? Probably very little.
And that is because Kristen Bailey keeps on delivering. With each new title she continues to give her readers an escape into hilarity, empathy, romance, twisty-turny twists and fabulous escapism. She pens brilliantly observed and detailed characters that you cannot help but fall for. It is no mean feat to be able to consistently create believable, rounded and engaging characters and Ms. B. does this so successfully time and time again.
In this novel, I felt that Ms. B. returned to the level of innuendo and raunchiness of her very earliest Callaghan Sisters books, “Has Anyone Seen My Sex Life?”. The sex in this new book is, like its title suggests, hot. But, not only is it hot, it is funny. And ridiculous at times. And sensous too. I wouldn’t bet against Ms. B. giving that 50 Shades writer a decent run for her money.
This is only a brief review – I am already a day late with it (completely my fault as I had a lot on my plate and didn’t pick “Hot To Go” up until two nights back) and I don’t want to disappoint the lovely Ms. B. any longer.
So….as a recap….this book is wonderful fun; romantic and tender; bold and brave. The characters are strong and relatable. The pacing is brisk and keeps you turning the pages. With each new book she writes, Kristen Bailey improves – mind you, she was pretty darn good to start with – and keeps on giving her readers a memorable time.
If you haven’t tried her yet…why not take the plunge today?
Gavin Dimmock. Writer. 