One house, two women, a lifetime of secrets…

Following the death of her mother, Becky begins the sad task of sorting through her empty flat. Starting with the letters piling up on the doormat, she finds an envelope post-marked from Cornwall. In it is a letter that will change her life forever. A desperate plea from her mother’s elderly cousin, Olivia, to help save her beloved home.

Becky arrives at Chynalls to find the beautiful old house crumbling into the ground, and Olivia stuck in hospital with no hope of being discharged until her home is made habitable.

Though daunted by the enormity of the task, Becky sets to work. But as she peels back the layers of paint, plaster and grime, she uncovers secrets buried for more than seventy years. Secrets from a time when Olivia was young, the Second World War was raging, and danger and romance lurked round every corner…

My Thoughts:

I love reading books that flit from the past to the present. The past is set in World War Two which gives a good perspective on that time especially for people living in a small fishing village. The war here seems so far away but it will have a way of finding them. Olivia is a sixteen year old girl who is being brought up in World War Two, it changes her life in so many ways and have repercussions in her lifetime. When we head to the present we meet Olivia again as a ninety year old lady, who I loved. She is a brilliant character and is full of feistiness and very direct but why not be at her age. Rebecca has just lost someone close to her and needs a new direction so comes to Cornwall to help out Olivia. It was lovely to see Rebecca grow. I loved escaping to Cornwall in this beautifully told tale.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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 These 25 poems are united in their aim to challenge comforts and hardships as they cover themes of love, family and hope. 

Observational in tone, the poems explore connections with those around us, old and new, from loved ones to strangers who pass by. They focus on human – and sometimes animal – nature, special moments, relationships over time, and detail the strength and beauty of those ties, when so much can feel out of our hands. 

The book also touches on romance, marriage, the birth of a nephew, passing of a grandad, and recent experiences through lockdown and restrictions, as it seeks to find meaning in places, at a time when we’ve all been forced to slow down and reflect.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this poem book, the illustrations in it are really lovely, and brings the book to life. These are a collections of different poems that deal with life and love, but also Chris has touched upon life in Lockdown as we are dealing with it at this moment in time. My favourite poems are Mr Cat, as I own a cat and it reminded me of him, also the name of the poem amuses me. Man upstairs, as we have a very noisy neighbour next door, I love how it is a short poem but packs a punch. Hit the slopes as how the poem is set out, is very clever, it is like two ski’s next to each other and St Ives Cafe is lovely too as the illustrations are just so inviting and the words made me crave a scone with jam.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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In Tokyo – one of the world’s largest megacities – a stray cat is wending her way through the back alleys. And, with each detour, she brushes up against the seemingly disparate lives of the city-dwellers, connecting them in unexpected ways.

But the city is changing. As it does, it pushes her to the margins where she chances upon a series of apparent strangers – from a homeless man squatting in an abandoned hotel, to a shut-in hermit afraid to leave his house, to a convenience store worker searching for love. The cat orbits Tokyo’s denizens, drawing them ever closer.

My Thoughts:

I loved how interesting this book was, it is a collection of short stories that are brought to life with nature and cats. I love the uniqueness of the book, each story is about the character and the nature and is captured in the title of each story. They are nice easy stories and it is a great pick me up read. I liked the fact it is all set around Tokyo, a place I have never been to but heard so much about. Also there is a part that talks about a game called Street fighter which I remember playing as a child. You don’t have to have heard or played the game but it would help to be knowledgeable. I really liked this read and cats included was the icing on the cake for me.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Every family has its secrets, and at Hedgehog Hollow there is no exception…

It was always Samantha’s dream to run her beautiful rescue centre, Hedgehog Hollow, full-time. But just as her wish comes true, she becomes a victim of her own kindness when she finds herself with a house full of guests – all with their own problems and secrets – looking to her for support.

When her self-absorbed cousin, Chloe, unexpectedly turns up at the farm – swiftly handing over her baby to Samantha to care for – trouble is definitely brewing. Especially as Chloe won’t tell anyone why she’s left her husband, James…

As Samantha juggles new hedgehog arrivals, family dramas and her own health challenges, it soon becomes clear that she needs to start putting herself first for once. Little does she know that life-changing secrets from the past are about to unravel and turn their lives upside down…

My Thoughts:

I have loved all the books in the Hedgehog Hollow series and I am so glad there is going to be another one. I feel as though I have gained an insight into working in a Hedgehog rescue centre but also it has taught me more about hedgehogs. There are some handy hints and tips at the end to discover. If you have not read the other books in the series I would suggest to do that before reading this one as you will meet the characters and know what their back story is. Sam is the owner of Hedgehog Hollow and she is always crazy busy, she always puts others before herself and never really has any time for herself. When her cousin Chloe and her young son turns up its the last thing Sam needs but because it is her cousin she allows them to stay. Chloe is a bit self obsessed and Sam wonders why she has left her husband. Things get too much for Sam when Chloe decides to be a pain and not help her, Sam is literally left holding the baby. Sam soon is struggling herself. Can she get Chloe to open up and tell her what has happened/or will Chloe drop a bombshell no one was ever expecting? These books are just so good to get away from everything and think about other things rather than what is going on. Also there are some cute hedgehogs too that made me smile. I loved this series and never want it to end.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for sending me a copy.

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Sheffield’s beautiful Botanical Gardens – an oasis of peace in a world filled with sorrow, confusion and pain. And then, one morning, a body is found in the Gardens. A young woman, dead from a stab wound, buried in a quiet corner. Police quickly determine that the body’s been there for months. It would have gone undiscovered for years – but someone just sneaked into the Gardens and dug it up.
 
Who is the victim? Who killed her and hid her body? Who dug her up? And who left a macabre marker on the body?
 
In his quest to find her murderer, DS Adam Tyler will find himself drawn into the secretive world of nighthawkers: treasure-hunters who operate under cover of darkness, seeking the lost and valuable . . . and willing to kill to keep what they find.

My Thoughts:

This story is the follow up from FireWatching which I have yet to read but definitely want to. It is set around the Botanical Gardens where a NightHawker goes at night time with his metal detector and comes upon something he wasn’t expecting. The investigation is brought up by DS Adam Tyler and DC Mina Rabbani, which takes them to a dangerous place, is anyone safe? I liked all the characters, they were all believable, I really liked Mina as I felt as though she is becoming what she has always wanted to be. It has a good pace through out and the ending will leave you shocked to the core. I couldn’t believe it and neither will you.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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This is the story about how a dad tries to distract his daughter when she has hurt herself or feels ill. These are all real moments.

Written by Andrew Rogerson, this book is for anyone who enjoys reading time with their children. It especially highlights the unique relationship between a father and his daughter and shows how acting silly can sometimes distract and defuse a tricky situation.

My Thoughts:

This is such a wonderful story about a little girl and a dad and how he distracts her when she is feeling unwell. Some of the things dad does to distract her are so sweet, it reminded me of my dad and what he used to do when I wasn’t well. It really shows the bond between father and daughter. It is a nice story for kids to read and I love how the illustrations are bright and colourful, they also take up a whole page and are very visual. At the back of the book there is a part where you and your child can interact and look for different things through out the story. I think this is a ideal children’s book.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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