Review: The Italian Girl by Lucinda Riley (2014)

I just finished reading "The Italian Girl" (2014) by Lucinda Riley. The book follows Rosanna Menici, a young small town girl who, after being discovered by famous opera singer Roberto Rossini, starts working towards becoming a singer in her own right. But she also falls in love with Roberto which is the start of a toxic relationship that spans over many years.

I really enjoy romantic novels, but there are many problems with "The Italian Girl". The biggest one is that the main character's love interest is extremely unlikable. I kept hoping that Rosanna would get over this sexist and move on. I get that love can be illogical, but the way this toxic relationship was labelled as a love story really frustrated me, and made me feel like Rosanna's character didn't evolve much over the years.

There are things I liked about the novel though, for example, the subplot with Rosanna's older brother Luca who is torn between becoming a priest and giving himself to the girl he loves. I also enjoyed the scheming Donatella Bianchi who is one of Roberto's mistresses. She reminded me of a soap opera character.

The author jumps around a lot, with many short parts within each chapter, which could have been expanded with more descriptions of the locations and characters, something that is lacking throughout the novel. It made many scenes feel rushed.

"The Italian Girl" was originally released back in 1996 as "Aria", but Riley reworked it for this new 2014 edition. Sadly, she didn't rework it enough in my opinion. The book is okay and I don't regret reading it, but it could have been a lot better. I've been told that the author's latter books are much better so I might give them a try.

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Louise - Confessions (2025)

I recently received the deluxe edition of Louise's brand new album "Confessions" (2025) and I absolutely love it. It's one of the best albums of 2025 for me. Not one boring song, just dance-pop perfection, including the fabulous singles "Confession", "Love Me More" and "Borderline".

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Monthly chart - May 2025

1. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Vertigo
2. Alison Goldfrapp - Find Xanadu
3. David Archuleta - Crème Brulée
4. Andy Bell - Breaking Thru The Interstellar
5. Adam Lambert - Deep House
6. Robert Miles & Maria Nayler - One And One
7. Andy Bell - Put Your Empathy On Ice
8. Adam Lambert - Face
9. Deee-Lite - Power Of Love (Turn Up The Radio Mix)
10. Straight Up! - Show The World Tonight
11. Deee-Lite - Good Beat (Turn Up The Radio Mix)
12. Supersister - Coffee
13. Becky Baeling - Diva
14. David Archuleta - Afraid To Love
15. Supersister - Lock Your Boyfriends Up
16. Becky Baeling - If You Love Me (Remix)
17. La Voix - The Show Isn't Over (7th Heaven Radio Edit)
18. Supersister - Shopping
19. Becky Baeling - Without Love
20. KAJ - Bara Bada Bastu
21. Supersister - Disco Dance
22. La Voix - It's Raining Men (7th Heaven Mirrorball Radio Edit)
23. Chris - Lucky Boy
24. Stef - Ready For Love
25. Cleo - Go Go Dynamo
26. Morgana - Ready For Love
27. Danny Elfman - Desperate Housewives Theme



This list shows which songs I've listened to the most this month, on my computer and my iPod. A regularly updated list of my all-time favourite songs can be found here.

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Review: A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald by Natasha Lester (2016)

I just finished reading "A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald" (2016) by Natasha Lester. The novel is set in the 1920s and follows Evelyn Lockhart, a girl from a wealthy Concord family, who dreams of moving to New York City to study to become a doctor. Her conservative parents are dead set against it so she comes up with a secret plan to make her dream come true.

But there are many other obstacles standing in her way, for example the sexism she endures from her male colleagues. Has Evelyn taken on more than she can handle? And what will her crush, the handsome banker Thomas Whitman, think when he finds out that she's financing her studies working as a performer in the famous Ziegfeld Follies?

"A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald" is just my kind of book: a well-written historical romance filled with glamour and dark family secrets. I also learned a lot about the time period, which is always a big plus. The plot twists may not be very original, but that's a minor complaint.

I loved my time with the book and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. If you like period dramas with powerful female characters, then this is the book for you.

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Andy Bell - Ten Crowns

I recently got the brand new solo album "Ten Crowns" (2025) by Erasure singer Andy Bell. It's produced by Dave Audé and packed with amazing dance-pop music, like the amazing single "Breaking Thru The Interstellar". The album also includes duets with Deborah Harry and Sarah Potenza. Go check it out.

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Review: Christmas At Emmerdale by Pamela Bell (2018)

For as long as I can remember, I have loved soap operas. The crazier the better. The iconic British soap "Emmerdale" first started airing in 1972 and is still going strong. I first started watching it in the 2010s and got hooked right away. Who would have guessed that so much drama and action could go down in such a small village?

"Christmas At Emmerdale" (2018), written by Pamela Bell, takes place between 1914 and 1915, when the village of Emmerdale was still called Beckindale. We follow Maggie Sugden who has been forced to marry the violent farmer Joe. She dreams of being with her true love Ralph, but his parents have forbidden him to marry someone of Maggie's class.

We also meet Rose Haywood, the daughter of the village priest. She too is in love with Ralph and therefor dislikes Maggie. However, after getting to know her rival, she starts to change her mind and they become friends. Rose also meets Mick Dingle – an Irish soldier who is in Beckindale with his two brothers Nat and Levi – and sparks start to fly.

Levi Dingle is the third and final main character. He has followed his older brothers to England to join the army. He is only seventeen so his brothers try to keep him from having to fight in the war against Germany. Levi falls in love with Rose but when he finds out that his brother is pursuing her too, he vows to come between them.

I really enjoyed "Christmas At Emmerdale" with it's cosy settings, innocent romance and tear-inducing tragedy. It's well-written and you don't have to know anything about the TV series to enjoy it, since it takes place so many years ago. But it's a nice treat for fans of the show to recognise certain names and locations.

The only negative I can think of is that the ending feels a little rushed and it's clear that they wanted to leave some storylines open in order to tease the sequel. But other than that, this is a great read for anyone who loves period dramas. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

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Monthly chart - April 2025

1. Louise - Confession
2. Sugababes - Jungle
3. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Relentless Love
4. Dreamworld - Unreal
5. Louise - Love Me More
6. Sabrina Washington - OMG
7. Charlotte Hatherley - Good Ways To Cry
8. Dreamworld - Heaven Sent
9. Heidi Montag - Sex Ed
10. Jeffreymixed - Where Are You My Love (7th Heaven Radio Mix)
11. Neo - On A Mission
12. Everything But The Girl - Missing (Todd Terry Remix Radio Edit)
13. Honeyz - Definitely Something (Soulshaker Radio Edit)
14. Dreamworld - Holdin' On
15. No Angels - We Keep The Spirit Alive
16. Honeyz - I Don't Know (Almighty Radio Edit)
17. No Angels - Mad Wild (Radiomix)
18. Honeyz - Talk To The Hand (Almighty Radio Edit)
19. Dreamworld - Movin' Up
20. No Angels - Daylight In Your Eyes (W.I.P. "Wonderkins" Remix Edit)
21. Alexander Faris - The Edwardians



This list shows which songs I've listened to the most this month, on my computer and my iPod. A regularly updated list of my all-time favourite songs can be found here.

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Review: Amanda: The Untold Story by C. E. Moore (1995)

I'm a massive fan of "Melrose Place", the over-the-top nighttime soap opera that defined the nineties. So when I found out that there was a book about my favourite character Amanda Woodward – played by Heather Locklear – I had to track it down.

As the title suggests, "Amanda: The Untold Story" (1995) – written by C. E. Moore – tells us about the character's life before the show started. Amanda has just started a job at her father's finance company and in order to avoid being treated differently for being the boss's daughter, she has taken an alias. She quickly starts crushing on her handsome co-worker Geoff. But is he really a good match for her? And how far is Amanda willing to go to get ahead in business?

"Melrose Place" was a spinoff to teen soap "Beverly Hills, 90210", and started out quite tame. But as Amanda appeared at the end of season one, the show started changing and its over-the-top drama and crazy storylines made it even better than the original series. Sadly, this book doesn't get as crazy as the series, and it felt a bit slow in the beginning. However, towards the end, more drama ensue.

I'm not a big fan of books that just retread the same story as an episode of a TV series, so the fact that this one is a prequel makes it a lot better. This is a young adult novel so it's an easy read. A bit too easy at times as I kept wishing the author would have added a few more descriptions of the different characters and locations.

"Amanda: The Untold Story" isn't amazing, but it's definitely entertaining if you're a fan of the show and want to know more about Amanda's past. I enjoyed my time with the book and I'm glad to have it in my collection.

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Review: Fountain Society by Wes Craven (1999)

I'm a huge fan of director Wes Craven's horror movies, especially "A Nightmare On Elm Street" (1984), "The Hills Have Eyes" (1977) and the "Scream" series. But I had no idea that he had written a novel until I saw it at a charity shop and just had to buy it.

"Fountain Society" (1999) follows several characters, but my favourite is Elizabeth, a model living in Switzerland, who investigates her lover's mysterious death. Thinking Hans might still be alive, she travels to the island of Vieques where she finds him, but something has drastically changed. Is he really the same man she fell in love with? And does him being alive have anything to do with the top secret military base on the island?

I'm generally not interested in books set in the military, I find that topic boring. However, Craven manages to intrigue me, especially the parts with Elizabeth who is a civilian. The other character come with a lot of scientific terms that I know nothing about, but I get why it was needed considering the plot.

All in all, "Fountain Society" is quite entertaining and thrilling. I'm so glad I found it. I really felt for Elizabeth and wanted to see what happened to her in the end. If you happen to come across this novel, give it a go. Just keep in mind that it's more science-fiction than the kind of horror Craven is best known for.

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Kiss Me Guido, 3rd Party, Sabrina Washington and Kate Gulbrandsen

Some of the latest additions in my record collection: The soundtrack to gay themed movie "Kiss Me Guido" (1997), which features exclusive tracks by artists such as Martha Wash and Nick Scotti.

Then we have "Alive" (1997) by 3rd Party, "OMG" (2010) by Sabrina Washington and the remastered reissue of "The Beauty And The Beat" (1987) by Kate Gulbrandsen.

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Monthly chart - March 2025

1. Victoria Silvstedt - Love It!
2. Kylie Minogue - Last Night I Dreamt I Fell In Love
3. Lady Gaga - Abracadabra
4. Andreas Lundstedt - Vicious
5. Erika Vikman - Elizabeth Taylor
6. Jennifer Aoun - Breaking My Heart
7. Angela Bofill - Penetration
8. Merry Clayton - Yes
9. Angela Bofill - Can't Slow Down
10. Aaron Carter - Another Summer Night
11. Jordan Hill - For The Love Of You (Dance Mix)
12. Angela Bofill - Love Me For Today
13. Mondo - Bop
14. Arwin - This Dream Of Mine
15. Chena - E.S.P.
16. Angela Bofill - Getting Into Love
17. Alesha Dixon - Breathe Slow (Cahill Radio Edit)
18. Jay Sean - Hit The Lights
19. Sean Kingston - Fire Burning
20. Jay Sean - Down (Chasing Pluto Remix)



This list shows which songs I've listened to the most this month, on my computer and my iPod. A regularly updated list of my all-time favourite songs can be found here.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to see more stuff from my life. You can also find more information about me on DennisAlexis.com.

Lady Gaga - Mayhem (2025)

I just got Lady Gaga's brand new album "Mayhem" (2025) on CD. I'm so glad she's doing more electronic music again and that this wasn't another "Joanne", which wasn't my kind of music at all. Included are the fabulous singles "Disease" and "Abracadabra".

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Monthly chart - February 2025

1. Kim Wilde - Love Is Love
2. Malou Prytz - 24K Gold
3. Klara Hammarström - On And On And On
4. Marcus & Martinus - Die For You
5. Käärijä & Hooja - San Francisco Boy
6. Meira Omar - Hush Hush
7. Bonnie McKee - Jenny's Got A Boyfriend
8. Marcus & Martinus - 247365
9. Bonnie McKee - Show You Mine
10. Marcus & Martinus - Gimme Your Love
11. Nomi Tales - Funniest Thing
12. Kim Wilde - Midnight Train
13. Robbie Williams & Pet Shop Boys - She's Madonna (Kris Menace Vocal Re-Interpretation)
14. John Lundvik - Voice Of The Silent
15. Kim Wilde - Rocket To The Moon
16. Meira Omar - Dive
17. Prince & Sheena Easton - U Got The Look
18. Will Young - My Love (F9 Radio Edit)
19. Kylie Minogue - Do You Dare (NRG Mix)
20. Advance - Take Me To The Top (PWL Instrumental Remix)
21. Delage - Ain't No Cure (12" Master)
22. Lukasz - Visby 2003



This list shows which songs I've listened to the most this month, on my computer and my iPod. A regularly updated list of my all-time favourite songs can be found here.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to see more stuff from my life. You can also find more information about me on DennisAlexis.com.

Olly Alexander - Polari

I recently received Olly Alexander's debut solo album "Polari" and I love it. It consists of amazing electronic pop music including the fabulous Eurovision track "Dizzy" and the singles "Cupid's Bow" and "When We Kiss".

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Kim Wilde - Closer (2025)

The other day I finally got my idol Kim Wilde's brand new album "Closer" (2025) in the mail. Her voice is so unique. My favourite is of course the fabulous dance track "Love Is Love" and I wish she would record a full dance album one day.

The album consists of ten songs, including the hit singles "Trail Of Destruction" and "Midnight Train".

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to see more stuff from my life. You can also find more information about me on DennisAlexis.com.