Summer reads we think you will love

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1950s, America, An Anonymous Girl, BBC 1’s Gavin and Stacey, best life, betrayal, books, brave, Camp Macaw, Catherine McKenzie, conquer our fears, dangerous, debut novel, deliciously dark debut crime novel, Dr Shields, dreams, epic thriller, escape, experiments, falling apart, falls in love, fantastic read, game changer, Gay Hendricks, going away, Greer Hendricks, Hollie Bourne, home, How Do You Like Me Now?, I’ll Never Tell, iconic book, Jessica Farris, love, MacAllister, manipulative, money, move on, Mrs. Everything, must read, My Lovely Wife, Never Green, passion, pick this up, psychological suspense, psychology study, questions, reading, reality, regret, relationship, Ruth Jones, Samantha Downing, Sarah Pekkanen, self sabbotage, seriel killer, sitting by the pool, small town, summer, The Big Leap, The Wife Between Us, time out, Tori Bailey, troublesome past, twists and turns, winner, young women

Summer is when many of us devote extra time to reading, so if you are going away, sitting by the pool, or just taking time out at home for you, we have a few books we hope will let you get away and escape from it all.

Ruth Jones is best known for her award-winning television writing for BBC 1’s Gavin and Stacey show, but her debut novel, Never Greener is outstanding. A story of love, passion, regret and betrayal, Jones shows the that the grass isn’t always greener and that going from one side to the other, can have long lasting, devastating results. Spoiler – if you pick this up, you might not put it down.

Samantha Downing’s, My Lovely Wife, is an epic thriller set in a small town that has a serial killer on the loose preying on young women, and one man’s daughter is playing up out of fear because of the situation. When he goes to bed one night, and lies next to his wife, he starts to questions his marriage and wonders if the secrets it holds run deeper than he ever thought. This is a deliciously dark debut crime novel, but only for the brave!

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks is a total winner at any time of the year. This iconic book is about how we self-sabotage ourselves and Hendricks explains how we start to notice it, and make changes so we can conquer our fears. It’s a game-changer and a must read if you really want to move on and have the best life for you.

Hollie Bourne’s, How Do You Like Me Now? follows Tori Bailey, who looks like she has it all, and some. The reality is very different because behind closed doors, her relationship is falling apart and her best friend is close to leaving her behind, and so she must find the courage to follow the path untrodden.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, the authors of The Wife Between Us, have written An Anonymous Girl and it is a fantastic read. It tells the story of Jessica Farris, who signs up for a psychology study conducted by Dr Shields. Jessica thinks, as you would, she will need to answer a few questions, collect her money and leave – what she doesn’t know is Shield’s experiments get more manipulative as they go on, but where will they end?

Mrs. Everything is the story of two sisters living in the 1950s and trying to get to grips with finding their place in the world, while diving into an ever-changing America. When Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born in Detroit, the opportunities for them seemed to be endless, but as the twists and turns in this book show, the truth ends is very different from the dreams.

I’ll Never Tell is a tantalising novel of psychological suspense and Catherine McKenzie has written it so well. Twenty years ago, Amanda Holmes was found dead in a boat at the MacAllister family’s Camp Macaw. No one is ever arrested for the crime but after the McAllister parents die, their adult children want to solve the death before they can settle the estate.

Got a book we should read? Drop us a line, would love to know about it.

Team Pure Beauty

Good books to make you glow

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50 Shades, antioxidants, beauty routines, brilliant books, Clean Eating Alice, Clean Eating Alice Eat Well Every Day, Cook Happy, Cook Healthy, Courgette Fritters, creative approach to food, dairy-free, Deliciously Ella, dinner, eat better, exercise, fat, Fearne Cotton, feel fantastic, food tastes great, fresh, fully illustrated book, glossy, gluten-free recipes, GOOP CLEAN BEAUTY, Gwyneth Paltrow, healthy lifestyle, healthy recipe book veteran, images, inside out, jam-packed, Joe Wicks, Lean in 15 – The Sustain Plan, lunches, make-up products, missing, phenomenon, post, Queen on Instragram, Quick Granola, quick-to-prepare meals, reading, recipes for breakfasts, recipes for cakes and puddings, refined sugar intak, Roasted Beetroot Salad, simple, skin issues, Sugar-Free in a Hurry, The Body Coach, trilogy, white stuff

No, we aren’t talking about the 50 Shades trilogy, but never have there been so many brilliant books out there that make living a healthy lifestyle so easy, and so obtainable.

Today we have a round up of our favourites and have a feeling you might be picking up one or two of them up for yourselves once you have read this post.

If you haven’t heard of Clean Eating Alice, where have you been? The Queen of Instragram has been winning the hearts of thousands online and now you can get your hands on ‘Clean Eating Alice Eat Well Every Day’ and become a fan too. This lush, clear book is easy to read, realistic and the images make you want to eat better. Her selection of recipes for breakfasts, lunches and dinner allow you to feel fantastic from the inside out.

We are massive Davina fans, and are in love with her fab book, Sugar-Free in a Hurry. Yes, it sounds scary to give up with white stuff but with Davina it is easy to reduce your refined sugar intake so your blood sugar is balanced, you lose weight and generally feel fantastic. Take a look at her recipes for cakes and puddings and you will see that you won’t be missing out on taste if you do try eating her way.

Another celebrity who is helping our skin glow and hair shine, is the gorgeous Fearne Cotton. Cook Happy, Cook Healthy, is the star’s first cookbook and is pack with super healthy recipes including Quick Granola, Courgette Fritters, Roasted Beetroot Salad, and Almond and Apricot Biscuits. We love the images as well as the down to earth approach that considers the cost of food and busy lives so many of us lead.

Joe Wicks, The Body Coach, has been hailed a ‘phenomenon’ and we totally believe the hype. Lean in 15 – The Sustain Plan is Joe’s third book and part of a plan that is helping thousands shift fat and build muscle. This glossy, fully illustrated book contains quick-to-prepare meals as well as achievable workouts, making it perfect for busy people who want to be healthy. Joe is fast paced and always on the go, but his food tastes great his results really do speak volumes.

Deliciously Ella is somewhat of a healthy eating veteran but we love her new book and continued fresh, creative approach to food. Aware of the impact food can have on health and wellbeing, Deliciously Ella Every Day is all about nourishing your body with wholesome ingredients, the easy way. Her second book is jam packed with ideas for simple but tempting dairy-free and gluten-free recipes that have been designed to be shared, and enjoyed, together.

Last but not least, we have included GOOP CLEAN BEAUTY. Written by Gwyneth Paltrow’s team at, goop, this is a modern day beauty bible. As well as looking at food and diet, this book also covers the power of antioxidants, the importance of sleep, the benefits of exercise as well as great advice about skin issues, beauty routines, make-up products. Whilst some of the ideas on the pages are a little out of reach, the clean, clear pages full of simple, beautiful images offer a little time out from life.

Got a favourite book, let us know about it!

Team Pure-Beauty

Summer reading inspiration

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Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin, books, chaos, Florence, heartwarming, I Let You Go by Claire Macintosh, Kate Eberlen, love, love affairs, Lucy Diamond, Meera Lee Patal, Miss You by Kate Eberlen, modern day life, Natalie Livingstone, One Night in Italy, page turner, poolside, reading, Start Where You Are Journal, Stephen King and Mr. Mercedes, summer, tale, The Mistresses of Cliveden

When we’re not helping customers find the right beauty products for them or finding out about the latest trends and updates in the industry, there’s nothing more we like than to kick back with a great book.

Whether you are hooked on horror, nuts for novels or have a crush on chic lit, we have put together a list of our favourite books and we think it has something for everyone on it.

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin is a poolside page-turner that won’t let you down. At 16, Tessa was found just about alive among human remains with little idea how she got there. Two decades later and Tessa is an artist and single mother but all of a sudden the past comes back to haunt her. This psychological thriller will have your heart in your mouth until the very end.

If you fancy something a little lighter, look no further than Invincible Summer by Alice Adams. This easy to read story follows four friends who go their own way after graduation to find their happy ever after. In her debut novel, Adams brings the women back together as they recover from broken hearts, career problems and shattered dreams.

If you love Downtown, The Mistresses of Cliveden is the book for you. This historic epic is set in a opulent English stately home and Natalie Livingstone explores the lives of the rich and powerful women who ruled the estate for more than three centuries. With bad behavior, intrigue, passion and scandal all part of this well-researched book, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

For more twists and turns that a rollercoaster at the theme, there’s I Let You Go by Claire Macintosh. One wet, dark winter’s afternoon a child lets go of his mother’s hand and in a split second life changes forever. This clever, intriguing plot takes the reader on a thrilling journey with an unexpected ending that took our breath away.

If you want old school, go with the master of suspense Stephen King and Mr. Mercedes. This is the story of a retired murder detective, Bill Hodges, who is haunted by a string of old cases he didn’t ever solve. Fearing the perpetrator will strike, and kill, again, Hodges comes out of retirement to stop that form happening. If you like this gripping tales, there are two more in the series to devour.

For something easy and fresh go for Lucy Diamond’s new book, One Night in Italy. This heartwarming tale follows the lives Anna, Catherine and Sophie who are confront past betrayals and the prospect of new love affairs one fateful summer in Italy.

If you want to use your holiday to do a little self-improvement, the Start Where You Are Journal from Meera Lee Patal, will make a perfect addition to your suitcase. Each vibrant page helps you steer thought the chaos of modern day life and gets you to step back and take time out. Yes, we live in busy, stressful times, but this is a powerful book that can help you make small changes that will have big results.

Perfect summer reading that will make you laugh, and cry, sometimes at the same time, doesn’t come much better than Miss You by Kate Eberlen. For one day in Florence, the paths of two eighteen-year-olds criss-cross before they both return to England. Over the next sixteen years, separated by distance and fate, there’s no way the two of them are ever going to meet each other properly . . . or is there? Read and find out, but have tissues at the ready.

Happy reading and let us know if you have a book you think we would love.