Written by Diane Louise⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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My thanks to the author, Diane Louise, and Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to join this Blog Tour and a free copy of Dating Down in exchange for an honest review.
You'll find a short extract after my review which I think you'll enjoy.
The blurb:
Although she’s determined that nothing, not one little thing, will stop her return from poverty. Well, almost nothing. Her pride might get in the way a little. And possibly her family. And maybe the fact that she hasn’t got a clue where to start.
Many years ago, Alexis was swept away from life on a caravan park and introduced to a world of riches and glamour. All thanks to a wealthy man who married her, reinvented her… and then dumped her for a younger model at the first sign of cellulite.
Now Alexis is stranded, struggling to keep her head above water and her history a secret from her highbrow friends.
As if that isn’t enough for a woman to deal with, one night she comes home to find a sexy man has landed, quite literally, on her doorstep. A man hell-bent on testing everything Alexis thinks she knows about true happiness.
Caught between the life she knows and her blossoming love, can Alexis afford to let go of her unwavering pride, kiss her social status goodbye and accept that stepping back to square one is sometimes a huge leap forward?
RomCom
Fiction
My thoughts:
The story is told in the first person, from the newly-single Alexis's point of view. Alexis has, at times, a caustic wit, which probably helps her better deal with the situation she finds herself in, and also appeals to my sense of humour. The story-line is amusing and there were moments where I laughed out loud. There are a couple of occasions where the 'C-word' is used, but it is in keeping with the story and not excessive.I was hooked the minute I started this book. From the first couple of sentences, I could tell this was going to be brilliantly funny. There was this poor woman, trying to make a discreet exit, from an event she clearly didn't want to be attending, and life, as it does, was tripping her up at every turn until it finally pushed her to the ground. The one-foot-forward-two-feet-backwards theme continues throughout the book and is entirely believable.
I enjoyed her romance with Bob. He is a true gentleman, unlike her ex, Wyatt, who comes across as detestably self-centred.
This would have been a 5-star rating, but I felt the ending was a little contrived and a tad rushed. Still an excellent read, and an author I will be looking out for again.
Enjoy this short extract from Chapter 2
In this scene, Alexis arrives home to find unexpected guests awaiting her arrival...
1 - First Meeting
As I get closer to home, I increase my speed from a ginger shuffle to a tentative trot. Then I spot something odd. There are feet. Men’s feet. On my front porch. At first glance, I assume them to be Wyatt’s, but he wouldn’t be seen dead in trainers. Could it be a homeless person seeking shelter? There are a couple of vagrants who have recently made Chelsea their home away from home, so to speak. I sigh. Please don’t let my front porch be their bed of choice for the night. I couldn’t face having to step over them to get inside. I take two more cautious steps forward and see that beside the male feet are women’s feet. Women’s feet heeled in glittery shoes. That answers that then. Homeless people don’t wear party shoes. Or at least they shouldn’t. Party shoes cost a lot of money. Well, most do. The ones on my porch obviously didn’t.
It’s only when I’m standing right in front of my steps that I see him, snoozing softly, in all his breathtaking glory. I have no idea who he is but he’s quite cute. And her. I don’t recognise her at all. Half her face is nestled in his armpit and her pillar box red hair is strewn across the other half. I squint in an attempt to place them both. I’d certainly remember if I’d crossed paths with him. I’m also pretty certain she would stick out in my mind too, there can’t be anybody in my world who would wear such a slutty dress and... Then it hits me.
“Candy!” I exclaim. “What the hell?”
My voice jerks Mr Mysterious from his slumber but my long-lost sister simply snores and flops her hand across his torso. Talk about speak of the devil.
“Who the hell are you?” I direct to the man pinned beneath her. “Should I be calling the police?” I hold Crave Cave up as a weapon and am more than prepared to wrap it around his skull if needed. I can imagine the news headlines now: Intruder at Chelsea Home Killed by Property Owner’s 20-inch Mighty Vagina.
He shoots his hands in the air in surrender. “Hey, hey, hey Mrs, I’m just helping out this sister of yours.” He eyeballs her, then me, then back to her again. “That is, I assume you’re related to her.”
“Alexis,” I hiss. “My name is Alexis and yes, I am related to her, somehow.” I shake the glazed clay at him even harder. “Now answer my question. Who are you and why are you sitting on my front door step at midnight with my sister?”
“My name is Robert, and I’m the taxi driver who drove your sister here.”
I see. This man, Robert, or Rob, or Bert, or whatever, met my waste-of-space sister in some low life bar. She mentioned her successful brother-in-law, who owns half of London, so he thought he’d come and sniff around. “So, Robert, you are here because she told you I’m loaded and you saw a meal ticket. Am I correct?”
He rolls his eyes. The cheek of it. If anybody should be frustrated, it’s me. “You can call me Bob. And, no. I’m here because your sister is comatose and I was concerned about her welfare.”
On cue, Candy gags as if she’s about to vomit and we both coil away. Thankfully, it comes to nothing. Instead, she snores like a hog and wraps her arm tighter around his middle.
“And she owes me a fare,” he adds.
I drop my weapon to my hip and slump. “So you do want money.”
“Just my fare and...”
I point Crave Cave back at him. “I’m not paying babysitting fees too; you chose to do that off your own back.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking.”
“Good, wait here and I’ll go and get you some money. What does she owe?” I ask, stepping over them both and unlocking my front door. I figure she’s been living it up in Soho, so owes about £20.
“£170.”
I choke and drop my keys, sending them clanging down the steps. “How much?”
“Brighton return.” He peels himself out from under Candy and scrambles to his feet. Candy groans but still doesn’t wake. She simply flops onto the porch pillar and hugs that instead. The woman’s a mess. I had been wondering lately if she’d straightened herself out, but I didn’t expect God to plop the answer to my question on my doorstep, with a hunky sidekick for good measure.
| Author Bio – Diane Louise |
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Diane Louise is a dairy farmer’s wife from the UK who doesn’t know a Holstein from a Hereford. But what she does know is how to write a funny story. Three years ago she tried to write steamy romance and sucked at it. Honestly, her stiff upper lip made her heroes more wet blankets than wet dreams. With a steely determination to avoid milking the cows, she turned her hand to Romantic Comedy and a star was born. Well, in her mind at least. Fancy getting to know the woman behind the words? She hangs around Facebook daily, desperately avoiding housework, and loves nothing more than chatting to fellow lovers of Romantic Comedy over at Di’s Romantic Comedy Club. Or, if you don’t do Facebook, that’s cool, because she also sends a monthly email to her readers, making sure they never miss a new release and sharing behind the scene info about her books. You can join The Monthly Club here. |
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| X | @DianeLouise12 |
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