Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine.

Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died.

One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper:

To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?

So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word.

I'm not usually one to pick up a romance novel and dive in, or any chick-lit for that matter, unless it has a strong undercurrent of sci-fi or fantasy interwoven, but I wanted to take a chance on this book, and it paid off. My main reason for buying it is my love for Laura Jane Williams on social media. I find her an incredibly interesting, witty and funny person to follow, and thought it was reasonable to assume that her work would be the same. Coming into summer, I also wanted a light read to get me moving with my reading after being really head down, bum up in work over the past months. This book was absolutely perfect for what I wanted it for!

Nadia was so endearing as a character - always late, a little disorganised, but tries her best and is a stellar friend - she reminded me a lot of myself and I instantly found myself rooting for her to find love.

Daniel is just A Really Good Guy, in the totally not annoying, heartwarming way that I swear only exists in novels.

Laura's writing - her character buidling, ability to set the scene and perfect balance of suspense and humour left me hanging onto every word. There were agonising moments when I wondered whether I could cope with another suspenseful scene, and there were moments that left me letting out proper belly laughs, or holding back tears.

This book was the perfect way to start off my summer reading. I absolutely adored it, and am looking forward to leading more of Laura Jane Williams' writing in the future!

Book Review: Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

"Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks - and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to  pass four difficult and dangerous trials - or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate."

Given the comparison on the front cover  by Kirkus, I had really high expectations for this book, and I'm pleased to say, it exceeded them all! I bought this book with birthday money after posting a tongue-in-cheek meme on Facebook hinting ever so subtly that I'd like a book, or money for a book for my birthday off anyone who wanted to buy me anything. My uncle's card said "I got the hint, kiddo" (yep, I'm 25 but I don't think my uncle will ever call me anything other than kiddo), and immediately knew that this is the book I would buy, after spending months admiring the captivating cover in the bookshop window.

Nevermoor is truly brilliant kids' fiction. It is aimed at middle grade readers (8-12 years old), which is not to say that it has a simple storyline or writing style. Jessica Townsend took 10 years writing this book, and the hard work shows. She succeeds, in the same way that J.K. Rowling succeeded, in creating a fully realised fantasy world and multi-dimensional characters that are able to capture the hearts of children and adults alike.

Morrigan Crow is smart, funny, tenacious and, at times, acerbic in the way of so many wonderful, unfiltered kids who are dealt a bad hand in life. As she grapples with her curse, the threat of death, displacement, deportation and the literal challenges that are presented to her in her quest to become a member of the Wunderous Society, Morrigan truly "steps boldy" in life, inspiring the reader to do the same.

Jessica deals with heavy themes in this book with such great care as to provide real teaching moments for children, and tug on the heartstrings of adults at the same time. She is a very thoughtful author, with every word on the page feeling like it carries purpose and adds to the truly engaging plot. The world she has created in Nevermoor is such captivating, vivid fantasy. It truly comes to life in your mind as you read, and stepping into Nevermoor provides a true sense of escapism, in the way that only the most wonderful works of fiction can. I can see this book inspiring a new generation of avid readers, in the same way that Harry Potter did for so many of my generation.

I completely devoured this book (along with the tea and biscuits in this flat lay - mmm... pfeffernüsse!), and I can't wait to read the second book in the series, Wundersmith. Originally pitched and sold as a trilogy, I am so excited by the news that Jessica has plots for nine books set in the wonderful, vivid world of Nevermoor.