I'll Take New York by Miranda Dickinson - A Real Romance!

I've been looking forward to reading I'll Take New York by Miranda Dickinson and I wasn't disappointed; I think it's her best novel yet!
A real romance: not too fluffy and not too gritty.  Just right!
It's her sixth novel and, although not a sequel, its characters are connected to Rosie and Ed in her first one, Fairytale of New York.
Ed's brother, Jake, who moved to San Francisco for his wife, has been told by her that she wants a divorce.
Bea, from England like Rosie, runs a bookshop with her college friend, Russ. She's been let down in front of her family by her boyfriend, Otis.
Meeting up at a party where Jake is helping out in the bar, they agree on a Pact not to have another relationship with anyone and make the most of their single lives. However, their lives get more complicated than they expected!
I think that Miranda does a great job of writing the dialogue for the American characters. It comes over as being very believable. I loved the settings too, for example, the bookshop when Bea and Russ put on a birthday party, and of course New York which takes star billing with the Wollman Ice Rink in Central Park.
The story is told from Bea and Jake's points of view and I couldn't wait to find out what happened to them in the end.
Which is your favourite Miranda Dickinson book?

Take a Look at Me Now (in San Francisco!) with Miranda Dickinson

I've been really keen to read Take a Look at Me Now ever since I got back from a trip to San Francisco and discovered that Miranda Dickinson had set her new novel there!

It's been great to revisit all my favourite places again with Nell Sullivan who loses her job at the Islington Planning Department, breaks with her boyfriend, Aidan, and blows her redundancy on a trip to stay with her cousin, Lizzie, in colourful Haight Ashbury.

It's quite a culture shock for Nell at first, but Miranda has such a way of immersing you in the story, that you are soon out there with Lizzie watching them turn the trams at the  Powell Street turnaround, and visiting the after school club where Lizzie helps out, and where she happens to be in love with the gorgeous principal, Tyler.

Or visiting Pier 39 to see Lizzie's friend Eric on his unicycle!

This diner is actually in Colorado!

A lot of the action takes place in Annie's Diner. Nell has always wanted to run a restaurant ever since a visit to New York with her friend, Vicky, who has also been made redundant, and Annie gives her a chance to get some work experience and meet her entertaining customers.
Life is going well for Nell, until she falls for the delectable Max Rossi.

So questions have to be answered, as the date for Nell's return to London looms nearer.
Should she stay in San Francisco with Max, or return home?
If she goes home what will she do for a job?
And what about all those messages from Aidan that she's been ignoring?

It's been a thoroughly good read, and I've really enjoyed it. I am also excited to hear that a new book is in the pipeline for next autumn, catching up with the story of Rosie Duncan who first appeared in Fairytale of New York! 

Which is your favourite Miranda Dickinson book?

A Postcard from San Francisco featuring a new book by Miranda Dickinson!

Here is the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Very often, the top or the bottom is shrouded in mist. It was built in 1937, the same year that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released. We had just been to an exhibition about  the film at the Walt Disney Family Museum at The Presidio.

San Francisco is like no other American city with its cable cars hurtling along like the night bus in Harry Potter: people clinging on for dear life up and down the precipitous streets and around the corners.
The most amazing thing is that the gripman (who operates the grip which catches and releases the cable under the road) and the conductor actually get out and push the car around at the terminus whilst the people in the queue wait and take lots of photos.

Many films have been made in San Francisco, including one of my favourites, Mrs Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams. Here is the house on the corner of Steiner and Broadway. The address, 2640 Steiner Street, as given by Miranda to Daniel in the film, is the actual address of the property. It's not very usual to give that out that sort of information, but it helps tourists to find it!

Although many books are set in San Francisco, my suggestion hasn't even been written yet! It doesn't even have a title. The clue is in this selection of books by Miranda Dickinson.
When I got back I came across a vlog by Miranda, setting out the scenes and people she is going to include in her next novel set in . . .  San Francisco! She'd been on a research trip with her husband and put up videos about the places she'd seen which you can find here.

To celebrate the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, whether it rains or shines, I'm offering a FREE DOWNLOAD of my book of Twelve Super Summer Stories,  Postcards and Suntan Cream from 8am Friday, 3rd May 2013 to 8am Tuesday 7th May 2013, British Summer Time. Just click on the book cover at the top of the page!