Book – Watching Willow Watts, Talli Roland

As well as being an inspiration to us writers, Ms Roland is a prolific worker! It seems I have only just read the debut, The Hating Game and the third one is out but I have just caught up on Watching Willow Watts; I like the hard copy. For one thing, how do I get it autographed otherwise?

Having been overwhelmed by the first one – it’s always hard to  read, let alone review when you know the author – I wondered if the follow up is going to be able to live up to it. As I’ve mentioned before, I would not have picked up The Hating Game had I not known the writer so it’s a blessing that I did.

WWW has me hooked once again. The niche again is using a modern phenomenon as the basis; last time reality TV, this time You Tube, and then building a cast of interesting characters around it.

Willow Watt has gone back from her promising florist career in London to her home village (“Britain’s Ugliest”) to look out for her widowed father, in the process also leaving behind a hopeful relationship. She finds her father’s business in financial difficulty and comes up with a money making idea as she sets about finding the £10K needed for the tax bill. Begrudgingly, Willow is filmed for a talent contest as a Marilyn Monroe lookalike and a ghostly figure appears which the world takes as a sign that our local florist has the movie star’s spirit in her. The new Marilyn is born.

Unfortunately for her, an unscrupulous agent is out to make money from her, as he has done in the past with fellow villager, former startlet, Cissy. The books’ supporting cast of the father, the down trodden Marilyn fan from small town America (who becomes fathers’ companion), her hairdresser best friend who befriends a sleb journalist and the ex-love of her life all make this book come to speedily to life.

Bringing in the elements of strong women business owners, love and the social media makes this a thoroughly modern read. It is the second time Ms Roland has made me put the book down early so I can relish looking forward to the closing chapters the next day.

Love it.

8½/10

Inspiration factor 10/10

On Amazon

Book: The Hating Game, Talli Roland

The Hating Game in question is a reality television show. Unknown to Mattie Johns when she agrees to go on it for ‘a second chance for romance’, the chance will be with four of her carefully chosen exes.

Ms Johns isn’t doing the show for romance; she needs the £200K prize money to save her recruitment business, after one of her exes took half of her business with him when she fired him and he started his own.

Will she make it through the two weeks of national TV humiliation to get the money? Which one of her (many) exes will be revealed on the show and what tricks has the aspiring but in-experienced producer got in store for her?

The author’s imagination works wonders on what the behind the scenes in a reality show may be like; there is corruption for sure but the manipulation of the greedy production executives is bordering on illegal and all of it is immoral. This and wondering which one of her exes will pop from the under the dimmed lights has me racing through the chapters, my brain working faster than my page turning fingers.

I adore the entire colourful cast of characters from the domineering personality of the business person in financial trouble to the controlling TV exec, all four exes, the wimpy aspiring producer with a contradicting conscious and the drippy but loyal best mate.

I can’t help but think what fun must have been had thinking up the characters and once again I’m inspired; maybe I will write a novel as well as ‘fact’ books one day.

I loved this more than I imagined. It’s a light read but has your eyes begging you to read faster and for your fingers to turn the page. You know when I love a book I save the last few pages for the next day so I can relish looking forward to it. It’s rare but that’s the case with this. I could do with reading one of these books say every three months. Come on Ms Roland, do a Barbara Cartland for us and keep them going! I cannot wait for the next novel.

8½/10

Inspiration factor 10/10

Talli Roland’s novel, The Hating Game, available today

Help!
The very talented Talli Roland’s debut novel THE HATING GAME is out today and we all think it deserves to hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk .
Please help by spreading the word today. Even a few sales in a short period of time on Amazon helps push the book up the rankings, making it more visible to other readers.

Thank you so much!

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About THE HATING GAME:
When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she’s confident she’ll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she’s perfected from years of her love ’em and leave ’em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £2000,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it’s revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes.
Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

Coming soon in paperback. Keep up with the latest at Coming soon in paperback. Keep up with the latest at www.talliroland.com