5 Peppermint Grove (2012)

Ruth takes up a job in Australia with Tourism Ireland, leaving behind her cad of a married boyfriend. Even though her best friend, Julia, found the job for her, Julia still has mixed feelings about her upping sticks and moving to the other side of the world. Julia visits her friend not long after Ruth settles in, and together they visit the sights of Perth. Ruth is also keen to discover the secret behind an unsent letter her mother Angela - who returned to Ireland after living in Perth during the 1970s - addressed to a man at 5 Peppermint Grove. They visit the house in the very expensive suburb and find it is now a construction site, where they meet architect Brian. The story swings between Australia and Ireland, with lots going on back in Ruth's home country. Jackson as usual peppers her story with lots of descriptive colour - and it may well encourage you to visit Perth (Chicklit Club's hometown).

4am in Las Vegas (2011)

It's Halloween in Las Vegas and things are crazier than normal for wedding planner Connie. Vicky and Frank are in town for their nuptials but she soon realises that he has more on his mind than wedding bells. Vicky's teenage daughter Tina is less than impressed until she meets Connie's moody and enigmatic son Kyle. Frank's brother John is trying to hold everyone together but then something happens that turns the wedding party on their heads at 4am in Las Vegas! Life and love seem to have slipped through Suzanne's fingers but then, new to Facebook, she stumbles upon more than she expected when she receives a friend request from old flame Ronan in Boston. He's on his way to Las Vegas for a work convention and Suzanne's friend Eddie convinces her that she should go too. What has she got to lose? When they all meet in Binion's Casino the cards have already been dealt but will there be a winner? 4am in Las Vegas starts with a bang in the prologue, and doesn't let up until the last page. Michelle Jackson has a gift for creating a sense of place, and the rich descriptions of the book's titular location will make you feel like you're there with the characters. Although you'll be transported to the world of casinos, hotels and the landmarks that we've come to expect from books set in Vegas, there's also a lot more to this tale - each chapter begins with a proverb or quotation that reflects the behaviour of the characters, and as a whole, they left me asking myself about the book's underlying message. Is Vegas, and the behaviour of the characters there, a reflection of the best and worst of how we have evolved over time, and have we forgotten how to respect the cycle of life and the things that truly matter? One thing is for sure - 4am in Las Vegas is a book that brings the reader not only on the book's journey, but into the journey. (SBB)

One Kiss in Havana (2010)

This explores the themes of sibling rivalry, family feuds and finding hope and redemption in adverse circumstances. Emma, Louise and Sophie are sisters who share a lot more than family problems. When Emma surprisingly receives two tickets to Cuba in the post from her late husband Paul, she decides to take Sophie along in his place - completely oblivious to the fact that Paul and Sophie were lovers, and the holiday was always intended for the pair of them! Hard-necked troublemaker Sophie has no qualms about going on holiday with the sister she's betrayed, but feels bitter about Emma being able to grieve openly for her lost love while she has to keep her feelings hidden. Meanwhile, Louise is stuck at home in a marriage rut. When a random encounter with her former lover Jack reawakens her old feelings for him, she's left more confused about her marriage than ever - particularly when Jack seems interested in meeting her. Back in Cuba, Emma feels alive again for the first time since Paul's death when she meets Felipe, a Che Guevara lookalike, while Sophie spends her time with Greg, a Canadian art dealer. But will One Kiss in Havana lead to a lot more, and could the holiday be the beginning of a life-changing experience for everyone? The descriptions of Cuba are so skilfully woven into this book that not only will you feel as if you're there but you'll absorb a lot of information about Cuba and its way of life while enjoying the story. It is a perfect holiday read, and if you're not on holidays, you'll want to be after reading it. (SBB)

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