Undercover Angel: Grounded by Lisa J. Allen

Book Summary

Trainee angel Phoebe Speedwell is stuck in the human realm and under strict instructions not to do ANYTHING. Which is tricky when she finds a dangerous beast in the school basement and unwelcome guests on her doorstep.

Helped only by her banshee best friend, a terrified trainee who’s completely out of his depth and a football-obsessed schoolboy, will Phoebe risk losing everything, reveal her secret identity and use her powers to save everyone?

Phoebe is a fantastic main character. She's a sarcastic, 503 year old trainee angel in the body of an 11 year old school girl, her best friend is a banshee and she lives with Auntie and what seems like a million cats! 

After (almost) completing her mission on the human realm, she was hoping to go back home. Unfortunately, vanquishing the banshees but letting Chloe the young banshee stay, isn't quite what her bosses had in mind so she's stuck for now.

Phoebe has definitely been given a tough deal but she won't let that stop her proving herself and becoming the love angel she's determined to be. All she has to do is stay put and resist interfering, then persuade the powers that be that she's much better suited to love than disease. You'd think that would be easy but a giant 3-headed dog, 3 Furies and some cryptic hints at her unknown strength, all make being docile that much harder.

I am now fervently hoping there will be more books in the series as book one was fun but now the overarching story is shaping up to be very intriguing! 

To make an Angel's Delight cocktail, put 30ml gin (I used pink gin for an extra flavour shot), 30ml triple sec, 40ml cream (or milk) and a few dashes of grenadine into a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass, then enjoy!

Mix & Match 18 - Kids Edition

This edition of Mix & Match is centred on some amazing middle grade books. Check out my quick reviews and then pick one to go with my yummy Choc Orange Espresso Martini!

After depriving myself of chocolate for so long before Easter, I decided to make up a chocolate based Espresso Martini by swapping some of the vodka for chocolate orange baileys. Add the following ingredients to a shaker with lots of ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass - 30ml vodka, 30ml chocolate orange baileys, 45ml espresso, 10ml coffee liqueur.

Linnet and the Periwinkle Flyer by Lindsay Littleson

Linnet is desperate to leave the orphanage, but now that she is finally free of it, she's not sure if her new situation is actually better. At least now she has the opportunity to use her inventiveness to impress her new boss and she might even have a chance to find out what happened to her best friend. Excitement, peril and friendship ensue in this wonderful adventure.

The Scream of the Whistle by Emily Randall-Jones

Ru is such a sweetheart and tries so hard to be positive for everyone else, despite feeling like everything is falling apart. And being far from willing to accept it!

This was much more nerve-racking than I expected, and the conclusion had me shedding a tear or two.

Grimogen Darkstar by Emma Finlayson-Palmer

You'll love Immi, she's determined to prove to her family that she is responsible enough for her own pet.  Her love for animals, in particular the rare bat-cat (the best pet of all), makes her try her hardest to behave properly but everything keeps going wrong and no one believes it's not all her fault!

Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures by Mario Ambrosi

Scarlett is devastated when her grandmother goes missing so she's determined to solve the mystery of why she disappeared. This is a lovely story, talking about something important in a very sensitive and non-preachy way. I also enjoyed the extra puzzle hidden in each chapter heading.