Snowflake by Heide Goody and Iain Grant.

I am absolutely delighted to be taking part in this blog tour. Thank you to Heide Goody, Iain Grant and Tracy Fenton for making that happen.

The Blurb:

Lori Belkin has been dumped. By her parents.

They moved out while she was away on holiday, and now, at the tender age of twenty-five, she’s been cruelly forced to stand on her own two feet.

While she’s getting to grips with basic adulting, Lori magically brings to life the super-sexy man she created from celebrity photos as a teenager.

Lori learns very quickly that having your ideal man is not as satisfying as it ought to be and that being an adult is far harder than it looks.

Snowflake is a story about prehistoric pets, delinquent donkeys and becoming the person you want to be, not the person everyone else expects you to be.

My Review:

Twenty-five year old Lori has had a pretty easy life - until now. She comes back from holiday to find the locks changed on her family home, and her parents gone, just leaving her a note that they've decided she needs to grow up. Her adventures, or maybe that should be misadventures, start there.

I don't think I've ever come across anyone as completely and utterly clueless as Lori. About everything. She has to learn how to look after herself, feed herself, wash clothes and find a job. Much of this she tries to do with the help of an electronic Alexa type device, and her best friend Cookie, who has a job and everything! The trouble with Cookie is that much of the time she is talking, it seems like she is quoting from fortune cookies!

But, of course, it's not as simple as just finding her feet. Because there is magic involved. And animals. And prehistoric insects. An ideal man, who may not be so ideal after all. A second man, who might be more ideal, but who thinks Lori is completely bonkers and a walking disaster. Oh, and the police, of course. And condoms.

Snowflake is essentially a coming of age story. And it's hysterical. I giggled all the way through. Initially, I worried that Lori would annoy me with her ineptitude. But she was kind of cute with it all, but naive, like a child. She tries really hard and always does her best - things just don't always turn out the right way. She has several run ins with the police and for me these were some of the funniest scenes in the book, as each time she tries to explain a scenario more bizarre than the last.

I don't think I have ever read a book quite like this before. I faced through it, keen to see what happened, laughing as I went. I found myself cheering (silently, otherwise that would be weird) Lori on, wanting things to work out, as she starts to find her feet in the world. It's a glorious riot of a book - full of fun, excitement and heart. Lori is delightful and beautifully described, as are all the characters. The pacing is brilliant and the conclusion is perfect. A truly satisfying read.

This is the first book by these authors that I've read, although I have one or two in my insanely large TBR pile. But based on my enjoyment of Snowflake, they will be making their way towards the top of the pile.

I'm always intrigued by how pairs of authors work together - who writes what, that kind of thing. I have no idea how Heide and Iain work, but seamlessly would appear to be the answer. They are obviously completely in tune with each other.

This was a delightful read and a welcome change from the darker stuff I normally read. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a fine romp of a story with a good laugh along the way.

Snowflake is available for pre-order on Amazon UK and US. It will be released on 20th July.

The Authors:

Heide inflicts unsuitable content upon the world by whatever devious means she can find. She is, with Iain Grant, co-author of the Clovenhoof series, the Satan-in-suburbia comic novel and several other books set in the same world.

Heide lives in North Warwickshire, England with her husband and children.

Iain Grant is an author of short stories and novels, ranging from contemporary literature to fantasy and horror. His short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies.

He is perhaps best known for the Clovenhoof comic novels co-written with Heide Goody.

Iain’s solo work includes children’s books, thrillers and a steampunk omnibus, “The Gears of Madness”.

You can find out more about Heide and Iain by visiting their  website.