April Favourites ❤

I can't believe it's the end of April already, 

this month has flown by.

I've really enjoyed this month, I hope you have too, if not I hope 

May is better.

Here's what I've been loving this month.

'Dangerous Woman' by Ariana Grande

This is Ariana Grande's latest single from her new album of the same name and it is amazing. I do think this is her best single yet. It's a midtempo pop and R&B song with an arena rock chorus and a guitar solo during its bridge. Lyrically, Dangerous Woman explores the theme of empowerment and confidence in a relationship and how a partner can bring a different side out to a woman. In the music video, Ariana proves she isn't shy by showing off her 'dangerous' side.

The Huntsman: Winter's War

When I first watched Snow White and the Huntsman I thought it was a great film. I loved the twist on the classic fairy tale story where, instead of the Huntsman taking Snow White into the woods to kill her on the Evil Queen's orders, he teams up with the young princess and the two work together to defeat the Evil Queen. Winter's War is a prequel/sequel and it's really good. In the first film, we know that the Huntsman is a widow and in this film, we see how the Huntsman met his wife and how she died. The majority of the film is set after Snow White defeated the Evil Queen, Ravenna (Charlize Theron), however she doesn't make an appearence. This film's main focus is on the Huntsman trying to find and retrieve the Magic Mirror before Ravenna's sister, the Ice Queen, Freya, can get her hands on it. If you'd like to read my full review, click here.

10 Cloverfield Lane

In 2008, Cloverfield showed the destruction of New York and focused on several citizens trying to survive this monstrous attack. By using shaky cam-footage, the audience felt like they were part of the action. Now, producer J.J. Abrams has brought us the sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane. However, he describes it as more of a 'blood relative' than a sequel as none of the characters from the previous film are in this and the director, Dan Trachtenberg, has decided to use a steady camera. The film focuses on Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who, after surviving a car crash, wakes up in a bunker where she meets Howard (John Goodman) who tells her that he saved her and that the outside world is 'contaminated'. Of course, she doesn't believe this until she tries to escape and gets an glance at what the outside world has become. Now, she, Howard and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), have to live together and wait until this apocalyptic event is over. However, Michelle is suspicious of Howard. The film is full of tension throughout and Goodman's Howard is really creepy. When Michelle doesn't abide by his 'rules' he gets angry. The ending is brilliant too and full of action. I definitely think there are more films to come. If you'd like to read my full review, click here.

The Comforter shower cream from Lush

I love Lush because their products are vegetarian/vegan and they don't test on animals. They even have their own campaign to stop animal testing. Not only that, their products are really good. They're best known for their variety of bath bombs and other bathroom products including shower creams and gels, bubble bars, ect. Recently, I went to Lush and I bought 'The Comforter' shower cream. I would say that the smell is very sweet like the Snow Fair shower gel, which is only available during November/December. After using this, my skin felt very smooth and I can definitely say this is my favourite Lush shower cream.

Granny Takes A Dip bubble bar from Lush

I love Lush's bubble bars as they last for a really long time. You break small pieces of the bar and hold it under a running tap to create bubbles. I've never tried this bar before and it smells really nice and I love the colours. It's my favourite bubble bar. 

Thank you for reading my blog, I hope you liked it. ❤️

Five Things I'm Looking Forward To In 2016 ❤

Hi, I'd like to start off by apologising for not updating my blog

as much. The main reason is that I get stuck for ideas

and I have no clue what to write about. 

However, I thought that I'd write about five things

I'm looking forward to this year. 

This could be movies, TV shows, books, events, ect.

'On The Other Side' by Carrie Hope Fletcher

In April last year, Carrie Fletcher published 'All I Know Now', which was a non-fiction book created to help people struggling with various topics such as bullying, friendship, relationship, mental health issues, ect and it also included various anecdotes from Carrie's life. In July this year, Carrie will publish her first novel, 'On The Other Side' and I couldn't be more excited. I know how hard Carrie has worked on this book. She wrote this book whilst on the train to London where she performed as Eponine in the musical Les Miserables. In October last year, she published another edition of All I Know Now that included extra chapters and an extract from On The Other Side. I bought the Special Edition and read the extract. It's safe to say that, judging from the extract, it's going to be an amazing book. 

The main character is Evie, who is eighty-two when she passes away. However, there's a twist. Evie wakes up in her twenty-seven year old self and in front of the door, which leads to her heaven. Unfortunately, it's locked and Evie soon learns that her soul is too heavy to open the door and must get rid of what is preventing her from entering heaven. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years and must find a way to reveal them before it's too late. 

When Carrie first announced she was writing her first novel, I couldn't be happier. Just judging from the plot of the book proves how talented Carrie is at writing. She has a beautiful imagination and only she could write a book with a story that's so heartwarming and touching. 

Cher Lloyd's third album

When Cher Lloyd released her second album, Sorry I'm Late, in 2014, I had high hopes that it would be successful. Unfortunately, it didn't do well in the charts, due to lack of promo. Like a lot of her fans, I was devastated. Sorry I'm Late is probably her best album yet and shows her talent. The songs on there meant a lot to Cher personally, especially Goodnight, a track she wrote for her father. I think if her record label had given it good promotion, it would've been a success. Fortunately, Cher left her label, SyCo, and has confirmed that's she's with a new label (she hasn't announced which) and is making music. She's been tweeting for the past year how she's been in the studio writing and recording her new music and earlier this year she said that her third album should be released soon. Cher has also released pictures from her photoshoots, like the one above and she looks incredible. I honestly hope that Cher's third album does become a success because she has worked so hard since she left the X Factor in 2010 at the age of 17. In my opinion, she should have the same level of success as Little Mix, who have just released their third album, Get Weird, and have been touring both UK and America and are set to tour Europe later this year. This is what Sorry I'm Late should've done for Cher. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be but, hopefully, this will be the year Cher receives recognition.

X-Men: Apocalypse

I didn't become a fan of the X-Men films until I watched Days Of Future Past in 2014. They have since become one of my favourite superhero franchises. I've loved all of the films (including the prequel First Class) and, after watching the trailer, I am so excited to watch the latest film, Apocalypse. It focuses on Apocalypse, who is described as the 'first and most powerful' mutant in the X-Men universe. In this film, he has recently been awakened after thousands of years and is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruites a team of powerful mutants, one of them being Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), with the help of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

The film sounds really exciting and I can't wait to watch it. It features a lot of my favourite characters from Days Of Future Past, including Quicksilver (Evan Peters). The action sequences look really thrilling and I think it will be the best superhero film of the year (sorry Batman V Superman).

Passengers

In case you haven't already guessed, Jennifer Lawrence is one of my favourite actresses and I'm always waiting for news about new films she's in. Last year, it was announced she was going to be in a new sci-fi film alongside Chris Pratt. I was so happy when I first heard about this because it will be great to see Jennifer as a completely different character as opposed to Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and Raven/Mystique in the X-Men franchises. In the film, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt play two passengers, Aurora and Jim, who, on the way to a distant colony planet, are awakened 60 years ahead of schedule. This sounds like a great film but, unfortunately, it's not released until December 23rd in the UK. However, I know the wait will be worth it. I'm looking forward to seeing how both Jennifer and Chris' characters interact with each other and what happens in the film. The film has been described as an adventure movie so it'll be interesting to watch what happens in the film. The director is Morten Tyldum who previously directed the Oscar-nominated film, The Imitation Game. In all honesty, I don't think Passengers will be nominated for any awards, as these type of films tend to be overlooked but I know that the quality of the film will be really good. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

I love the Harry Potter films and, like a lot of people, was sad when they came to an end in 2011. To be honest, I thought that was the end of the Wizarding World but, no, J.K. Rowling, being the very talented writer she is, published another book set in the Wizarding World called 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' in 2001 and, finally, there's been a movie adaptation of it starring Eddie Redmayne as the main protagonist, Newt Scamander. It's set in New York, long before Harry Potter and Voldemort, and is about Newt's adventures in a secret community of witches and wizards. I haven't read the book so I have no idea what to expect from this film except that it features witches, wizards, a lot of magic and, of course, 'fantastic beasts'. It's going to be interesting seeing the Wizarding World from a completely new perspective and to see Oscar-winning actor, Eddie Redmayne as Newt. Redmayne has proved himself to be a very talented actor. He has performed as Marius in the film adaptation Les Miserables and as the famous physicist Stephen Hawking (which he won his Oscar for) in The Theory Of Everything. I can definitely see this film being a huge success as there are a lot of die-hard Potter fans who, like me, have been waiting for another film set in the Wizarding World.

So that's what I'm looking forward to this year.

I know that the majority of them are films 

but I am a massive fan of watching movies.

Thank you so much for reading my blogpost,

it means a lot.

❤

March Favourites ❤

I've really enjoyed this month, I've had a lot of highlights 

including seeing both Ellie Goulding and Little Mix on their tours.

In this blogpost, I'll be talking about what 

I've been loving this month.

'Nothing But The Truth' by Vicky Pattison

In 2014, Vicky Pattison, best known for appearing in reality TV series Geordie Shore, released her first book which was an autobiography called Nothing But The Truth. Earlier this month, she released an updated version of her autobiography where she talks about winning I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in December last year. I loved reading about her experience in the jungle and what she went through. I also met Vicky herself, for a third time, at her appearance at the House Of CB store at the Manchester Arndale where we got selfies together. She was so sweet, as usual, and we chatted for a bit before getting three selfies and I went on my way, feeling so happy. 

'Get Weird' Little Mix

I know Little Mix's latest album, Get Weird, was released in November last year but I've been listening to their album a lot more this month because I was seeing them on their tour on March 24th at Manchester Arena. It's been a week since I saw them and I can say that they were amazing. They performed some of their biggest hits including Black Magic, Salute, Wings, Move and several songs from Get Weird. I was on my feet for the entire night and took a lot of pictures and videos. If you'd like to read my post about their concert, click here.

'Delirium' Ellie Goulding

I also saw Ellie Goulding on her Delirium tour. She was absolutely incredible. I remember when she released one of her first singles, Starry Eyed, in 2010 and I fell in love with her voice. I didn't get to see her live until earlier this month and she didn't disappoint. She performed her most popular songs including On My Mind, Burn, Anything Could Happen, Love Me Like You Do and many songs from her latest album. I could listen to her songs on repeat forever as she has the most beautiful voice. 

'Hymn For The Weekend' by Coldplay featuring Beyonce

I've heard this song on the radio and on the music channels a lot this month and it's quickly become one of my favourite songs. The lyrics are catchy and I was singing it within days after hearing it. I think it's incredibly underrated. It's very similar to one of Coldplay's previous singles, Paradise, as they're both full of great vocals from lead singer, Chris Martin, and Beyonce completes the song with her beautiful harmonies. The music video is amazing too as it was filmed in different Indian cities including Mumbai and Kolkata. It made me want to travel there as it shows all the stunning sides of India including its culture and what they wear. 

Those were my March Favourites.

Thank you so much for reading my blog, it really does mean a lot.

❤️

Little Mix Get Weird tour ❤

On Thursday March 24th at Manchester Arena, Little Mix performed some of their biggest hits and tracks from their recent album, Get Weird, and I was lucky enough to experience it. This post does contain spoilers from the tour so if you're going to be attending and want to be surprised then avoid reading this.

(These are all my photos, please ask me if you'd like to use any of the pictures and please give credit).

Little Mix came on stage at around 8:30pm and opened with one of the tracks from their third album which was Grown. This was a great way to open the show and everyone was cheering and on their feet dancing (especially me). They then performed Hair which is another track from Get Weird. The choreography for both songs were brilliant and all four of the girls were full of energy. They then toned the show down and performed their third single, Change Your Life. 

Little Mix performed the raunchy song, A.D.I.D.A.S, which is another track from Get Weird. This performanced showed off the girls' sexy side as they performed this song. They then went on to perform their first single, Wings, which proved to be very popular for the Manchester audience as they all sang along.

It was then time for the first costume change, but the audience weren't left bored as a video was projected onto the screen in front of us. The video shows the girls in a taxi with a mysterious taxi driver. They ask the drive to change the songs on the radio and they switched from the girls' own songs to popular pop songs such as Spice Girls' Wannabe. This was a great way to entertain the waiting fans. The tone was then dark which was appropriate for the next song the girls performed which was Lightning. This is my favourite song from Get Weird and I had high expectations. Fortunately, those expectations were beaten. This song showed off the girls' incredible vocals. They then performed DNA from their debut album of the same name. The song is about being infatuated with someone. Secret Love Song Part 2 was the next song they performed and the girls performed it with pure emotion. I could tell this song meant a lot to them. 

The girls then brought the dancing vibes back as they performed OMG. The audience then went crazy as they performed a unique medley that consisted of Jump On It / Crazy In Love / Where Are U Now and Ring The Alarm. This proved that the girls can perform a combination of popular songs and have come a long way since their X Factor days in 2011.

Salute, the third single from their second album of the same name, was the next song Little Mix performed. The song is about female empowerment and their choreography showed that. This had everyone in the audience on their feet. After being on their feet for the past few songs, the girls were given a break from dancing as they performed a ballad, Little Me, which is a track from their second album. The song talks about wanting to tell the younger version of yourself and telling them that she/he is beautiful just the way they are. The song meant a lot to each of the girls as they showed pure emotion in their performance. 

The girls went off for a costume change and came back on stage with Move, the first single from Salute. This is another one of my favourite songs of theirs and their performance had me moving throughout. It was then time to take it back a few years to when they released How Ya Doin? featuring Missy Elliot in 2013. This performance was combined with a very funny performance of Drake's Hotline Bling. 

Towards the end of the show, the girls performed another track from Get Weird, which was I Won't. They wrote this song with fellow singer/songwriter, Jess Glynne, who is best known for her tracks, Hold My Hand and Don't Be So Hard On Yourself. This song is about confidence and lyrics include 'I won't take anything for granted'. 

Despite performing for over an hour, the show wasn't over. They performed Love Me Like You, the second single from Get Weird. They then showed off their weird side in Weird People which is a very upbeat song. This was one of my favourite performances of the night as I loved the message the song brought which is that you should be yourself, no matter what.

Unfortunately, every show must come to an end. The girls perfectly finished the night with a short ballad from Get Weird, The End. This shows the girls as they reflect on the past few years and how far they've come. This was definitely a tear jerker as I wasn't ready for the show to end. A beautiful song.

Little Mix may have just performed a song called The End but the show hadn't ended yet. They saved their best song for last. Of course, it was Black Magic. The girls came back on stage singing the chant from their number one single and the audience sang along. This was, by far, their best performance of the night. After performing their hit single, the girls then went out with a bang as they jumped inside a giant book and the show was finished. I stood in awe as I thought about what I had just witnessed. I feel very fortunate enough to have experience Little Mix's biggest tour yet. I had an amazing night and I will never forget it.

Thank you so much for reading my blogpost, 

I hope you enjoyed it.

❤

International Women's Day ❤

Today (March 8th) is International Women's Day. It's a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. In this post, I will be talking about why this day is important and what people can do to help.

What is feminism?

Despite it being the 21st century, people are still confused about what 'feminism' actually is. Many people think it's a group of women that think they're better than men. That is not true. Being a feminist means that you want all genders to be treated as equals. A man can be a feminist. It is not a 'girl' thing. By saying you aren't a feminist, you are basically saying that you don't think everyone should get equal rights. Feminism is still a taboo subject and it shouldn't be. There are too many people who are judgemental towards someone who is an feminist. It shouldn't be like that. When someone says they're a feminist, people should respond with, 'Really? That's great! Me too!'. 

History of Feminism

For years, men have always been seen as the superior gender. Women were seen as 'weak'. I have always been confused with this opinion. Why are women seen as weak? I think it's because, in history, women were always seen as 'wives' and 'mothers' that do all the cleaning and cooking and not much else. They weren't treated as equals. 

Over a hundred years ago, women were refused jobs because of their gender. Fortunately, we have now come a long way since then. Many women have jobs. However, sexism is still a massive problem. During the Victorian times in the late 1800s and early 1900s, women would cover up the majority of their skin, as showing 'too much' skin was deemed sexual. Even if a woman showed her ankle in public, she was shamed. Now, women are allowed to wear what they want. Unfortunately, they're still shamed. Even young teenage girls are still discriminated against for what they wear. To this day, many girls are being sent home from school as their 'skirts are too short' or because 'she was showing her shoulder'. This is wrong. Legs and shoulders aren't meant to be 'sexual' in any way. If someone says they feel 'uncomfortable' with what a person is wearing, they're in the wrong. Women should be able to wear whatever they want without being judged. 

Why We Still Need Feminism

A lot of people still question why we still need feminism. To that question, I respond to the example above. Here are more examples why we still need feminism.

• Status - This is one of the main reasons why we still need feminism. In many countries, women aren't treated as equals, legally or socially. Women are still having to fight for equality on a daily basis. It shouldn't be like this.
• Equal Pay - Like I said earlier, women didn't even have jobs in the early 1900s. Fortunately, we've come a long way since then. Women are now working. However, they're not getting paid as much as men. Academy Award-winning actor, Jennifer Lawrence, spoke out about not getting paid as much as her male castmates on the set of American Hustle. I respect Jennifer for opening up about this and I agree. I think people should be paid based on how many hours they work, not based on their gender. The fact that many companies and businesses pay men more simply because of their gender is atrocious. It's unfair and there should be a change.
• Women As Objects - In the media, women are unfairly treated as objects. In the UK, many gossip magazines call out female celebrities for their body. If you walk into a shop and pick up a random magazine, there is almost a certain chance that one of the headlines will be about a female celebrities weight loss/gain. And inside these magazines contains many various interviews with different celebrities. They're constantly asking women about their 'diets' and their 'weight'. Women should be embracing their bodies not being shamed. I think people forget that women in the media are still people and still have feelings. 
• Representation - In the US, 20% of senators are women. In the House of Representatives, it's 18%. The UK has 22$ female MPs, Canada and Australia have 24%. Iraq has more than the US, at 25%. Rwanda has the highest at 56%. Just think about how many have little or no representation by women. I'm not saying women should be elected on their gender but judging by these numbers, they're clearly off in many countries. Also think about countries that have had no female leader.
• Sterotypes - Many women are told that they should study more 'feminine' subjects and that subjects like maths and physics 'aren't for them'. This is still a problem in the 21st century. And it isn't just women that are being stereotyped. Men are also being stereotyped into certain jobs. We need to challenge these outdated stereotypes.
• Girls Worry - Women begin worrying about their body from the moment they start puberty. We should be teaching them as early as possible that looks aren't the most important attributes and that what makes them beautiful is their personality and outlook on life. We need to teach them that they don't need to be slim and that they aren't there to please others. Women have achieved a lot and fought really hard for equality but there is still a lot of work to be done. If women are still growing up thinking that they need cosmetic surgery and having the perfect body is desirable, then, yes, we still need feminism.

How You Can Help
There are many ways people can help feminism. These include:

• Explaining what 'feminism' means - Like I said earlier, many people are still confused about what 'feminism' actually means. However, this can be helped by explaining to people about feminism and why it is important. This will help bring awareness.
• Follow 'feminist' pages on social media - By following social media accounts that are based on feminism, you'll learn more about why being a feminist is important. Most feminist accounts post daily feminist quotes and positive affirmations. A perfect example of this is @AnastasiaAmour on Instagram, who is a feminist and a body image/self-esteem coach. I've followed her account for only a few months but already I feel more positive in myself. She uses her experiences to help others to feel better about themselves. She is a true feminist as she believes in equality between the genders. 
• Open up about your opinions - Many women struggle to open up to their partners, mainly boyfriends, as they believe that, because of their gender, they will be ignored. They shouldn't be feeling this way. Don't let who you are stop you from opening up and talking about your opinions. 
• Be proud of who you are - Don't let who you are stop you from doing what you want. Your gender isn't important. What is more important is the person you are on the inside. It's your personality that defies who you are not your gender. You should be proud of who you are. By embracing your true self, you are one step closer to leading a positive life. It's important for a feminist to accept themselves as this means it's easier for them to accept others.

So those are all the reasons why feminism is still important 

and why we still need it.

Hopefully, by spreading the message about 

why feminism is important, 

women will one day be treated as equals. 

Thank you for reading my post, it means a lot.

Happy International Women's Day ❤

FEBRUARY FAVOURITES ❤

Hi, sorry for not posting in a while, I've been struggling with what I can post on this blog. I have been updating my Film Reviews blog.

Anyway, February has been a really good month for me, I hope yours was good too.

Like always, in this blogpost I'll be talking about what I've been loving this past month.

Deadpool

Deadpool definitely has to be one of my favourite films this month. I had no idea what to expect from this film since I had never read the comic books from which this film is based on. I wasn't expecting it to be as funny as it was. The film focuses on Wade Wilson played by Ryan Reynolds and how he became the title character. He explains how he's not a superhero as he doesn't want to save the world. He's more into getting revenge especially from Ajax, the man who promised to cure his cancer but actually tricks him into having a rogue experiment that leaves him disfigured. This film is similar to Kick-Ass as they are both about superheros and are full of humour. If you'd like to read my full review, click here.

How To Be Single

How To Be Single has got to be one of my favourite romcoms (romantic comedy) ever. Dakota Johnson stars as Alice who has just recently split with her boyfriend and moved to New York to live with her sister, Meg (Leslie Mann). She meets Robin (Rebel Wilson) and the two quickly become friends as Robin teaches her 'how to be single'. This involves a lot of flirting and drinking and ends in a hilarious result. This film is full of humour throughout. The characters are all likable, especially Rebel Wilson as Robin. She doesn't care that she's single and spends the majority of the film helping Alice to enjoy being single. Definitely one of my favourite films of 2016 so far. If you'd like to read my full review, click here.

Virtually Famous

This has been one of my favourite TV shows since it began in July 2014. It always makes me laugh and is full of great games about popular YouTube videos. It's presented by Kevin McHale, it has two teams which are captained by Chris Stark and Seann Walsh and every week there are new celebrity guests that help to win points for their team in various ways. Every episode begins with a game called 'Meet The Maker' which involves a person who is 'virtually famous' and the teams have to guess who the person is by choosing between three different videos. It is unlike any other programme on TV as it focuses on popular YouTube videos and the games are always over the top. It's currently on its third series and I've been loving it. I definitely think the show gets better every week. If you'd like to watch, it's on E4 on Tuesdays at 10pm.

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

Saturday Night Takeaway is, by far, one of the best shows on Saturday night television. It's presented by Ant and Dec, one of the most liked presenters in the UK, and consists of them entertaining the studio audience and the viewers at home in various ways. It first started in 2002 and is currently on its thirteenth series. The reason why its popular is because every show is different and Ant & Dec never fail to entertain. There are always celebrity guest appearances and a chance for the studio audience to win lots of prizes. They also prank celebrities in 'Ant & Dec Undercover' and in 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Out Of My Ear', they get celebrities to wear earpieces and they tell them to do various things as they prank members of the public. The show never fails to entertain. It's currently on ITV on Saturdays at 7pm.

The Girl Is Mine by 99 Souls featuring Destiny's Child & Brandy

The Girl Is Mine is a mash-up of two songs by a electronic music duo known as 99 Souls. The two songs are Destiny Child's 'Girl' and Brandy & Monica's 'The Boy Is Mine'. I think this is one of the best mash-ups I've ever heard. I normally don't like mash-ups as I don't think two songs could work when mixed together but when I heard this, I immediately fell in love with it. I also love the music video too. It features a man, who is walking forwards, but in the video we see everyone is walking backwards. He stands out because he is different and doesn't know how to walk 'properly' and is sent to a hospital where he must learn to walk backwards. This is where he meets another woman, who walks forward like him, and the two immediately become friends. The rest of the video shows them trying to fit in and walk backwards like everyone else but they soon give up and leave the hospital. This video is saying, in a metaphorical way, that it's okay to be different and you don't have to fit into society's standards. It's important to be yourself. If you'd like to listen to the song and watch the music video, click here.

Those were my February Favourites. 

Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot to me.

I will try and start posting more on here as I do enjoy writing on my blog.

❤

'ALL THAT GLITTERS' BY VICKY PATTISON BOOK REVIEW ❤

When I heard that Vicky Pattison was writing her first novel, I couldn't have been more excited. Her first book, which was an autobiography called Nothing But The Truth, was an entertaining read so I had high hopes for her first novel. When it was published in July 2015, I went to meet Vicky at a signing and, whilst I was in the queue, I read a few chapters. I discovered the story was set in Manchester (where I live) so I immediately fell in love with the story. When I met Vicky, I discussed the book with her and how I had been reading it in the queue and enjoying it and she was really happy. I can tell that she's worked really hard on this book. 
The story focuses on Issy Jones, a hairdresser from Manchester, who dreams of becoming famous and successful. After her father secretly sends an application in for her to appear on a reality TV show based on a hairdressing competition called Can You Cut It?, Issy finally thinks her dream is coming true. However, a week into the show and she soon learns what it's really like to be famous. She goes through betrayals, heartbreaks and shock but Issy proves to be a strong woman and overcomes each and every obstacle the show and fame throws at her. 
I really like Issy, as a character, from the beginning. The book begins with her father almost dying and we see how much she cares for him. He wants her to live her dreams which is why he sends the application. 
Another character I really liked was Lexi, a fellow contestant on the show. She and Issy bond really well throughout the show. She also has a really fierce personality and isn't afraid to stand up for herself. 
However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows for Issy. The contestants are forced to live in an apartment for the duration of the competition. Issy is happy, at first, until she meets Mia, a posh hairdresser who hates Issy the moment the two meet. To say Mia is mean is an understatement. She is downright horrible to Issy. However, Issy is a strong woman and doesn't let Mia's bitchy comments get to her.
This book was clearly inspired by Vicky's appearence on reality TV series, Geordie Shore. She uses her experiences to write about Issy and her journey from being a hairdresser from Manchester to famous celebrity. 
There is great character development, especially for Issy. She knew that, by appearing on a reality TV show, she'd become a bit famous but she had no idea how tense and dramatic it was going to be. This book shows all the highs and lows of being on a reality TV show.
This is Vicky's first novel but you wouldn't have guessed. The book is probably one of the best romance novels I've ever read. 
Overall, this is definitely one of the funniest and most romantic books I've read about the pressures of being on reality TV.
4/5