All That Glitters by Ilana Fox and introducing our latest contributor, Helen.

All That Glitters by Ilana Fox

(Orion, Sept 2012.)

Helen’s verdict on ‘All That Glitters’ by Ilana Fox. 

Ella Aldridge seems to have it all. Married to Danny Riding, one of the Premiership’s leading goal-scorers, she lives the dream – the mansion, the car, the freebie designer clothes. But Ella and Danny have a secret. Their marriage is not what is seems. Between them, it takes a lot of hard work to fool the press and the nation that they really are Love’s Young Dream, when deep down Danny’s desires lie elsewhere.
With Ella’s star in the ascendant, the world is at her feet – a TV show, a fashion column. But then she meets Johnny Cooper, the bad boy of British television. He’s ruthlessly charming and sexy, and he can see through Ella’s sham of a marriage in a heartbeat. Drawn into a risky, high-octane affair, Ella suddenly realises how much she has to lose and how quickly it can be taken from her…

I’m not usually a fan of the celebrity lifestyle magazines or novels, but I do love Ilana Fox’s books, and this one didn’t disappoint.

When the novel starts you think Ella has everything anyone could want – she’s got the hot boyfriend, the awesome house and the wealthy lifestyle. Until we see the cracks in her relationship, which could lead to the end of it all.

Ella then meets Johnny Cooper, who unfortunately sees the cracks we do. Of course, being hot, arrogant, and dangerous she’s immediately attracted to him.

Before she met and married a famous footballer, Ella was a ‘normal’ girl like you and me, made her real and able to sympathise with her from the off. When things started going wrong, I couldn’t stand it and was immediately routing for her.

It’s a total escapism book, which took me away from daily life, because Ella’s life was just so different to mine. If I had any complaints, the one would be that I read it too quickly; I have to admit I spent a weekend curled on the sofa reading it. It was a great weekend.

To find out more about Ilana, click here. 

Introducing our new contributor, Helen. 

Helen has been reading since she can remember. If she was ever lost as a kid, she could always be found with her head in a book. This love of books carried on through her teens and now way (way) into adulthood. Helen is also a keen writer and has recently started editing the book she hopes you’ll be reading soon.

Read about Helen’s writing, reading and the life that comes between her and these goals on her blog under her not-so-secret, and slightly outdated online persona Newtowritinggirl or on Twitter.

She lives with her boyfriend a stone’s throw from the Thames in her second favourite city London (favourite being New York – of course, 

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by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.