Tag: books

The Pieces Of Us By Claire Alexander

The Pieces Of Us By Claire Alexander

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At fifty-eight Minnie McAllister isn’t an old woman. But as Alzheimer’s ravages her mind, her brain says otherwise.

Cat McAllister is tackling everything life can throw at her. And just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, she’s faced with the discovery that Minnie might not be the mother she once knew.

Meanwhile, Cat’s daughter, Ruby McAllister, who is staring at a two very blue lines, faces a decision that will change the course of her life.

As three generations of women are pulled in three different directions, each are forced to learn lessons about themselves that they never could have imagined.

My Thoughts:

This is a story about three generations of women, who all go through life changing events. Minnie cannot understand why her mind is not working as well as it should be, the Alzheimer’s has taken hold of her and won’t let go. Minnie is Cat’s mother and Cat is struggling with seeing how Minnie is declining very quickly. Cat knows there is little that can be done but it is still so hard to see Minnie like this. Ruby is Cat’s daughter and with everything her mum is going through at the moment with her gran, can Ruby tell her mum about a big event that is going to change her life, but is this what Ruby wants? It was an interesting concept for a book but one that worked really well. You kind of get a different perspective for what all three women are going through. It was heart breaking reading about Minnie especially when it is a subject that is close to home. It is a relatable subject and I know one that many people are going through. It is a moving read.

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

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Meet Me at the Seaside Cottage By Jenny Colgan

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottage By Jenny Colgan

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Janey Carter has a lot to be grateful for – a home by the sea in Carso that she renovated herself, a job as an audiologist that she loves, two great kids, and a network of kind and supportive friends. But since her husband left, her confidence has taken a nosedive. And then, out of the blue, her grumpy 30-year-old daughter announces she’s moving back home. Janey loves Essie dearly but they only just made it out alive from her adolescence. And this really is going to cramp her soon-to-be-rediscovered dating style.

Yes, Essie Carter is grumpy but she’s just lost her job, she can’t afford her rent in Edinburgh and her boyfriend isn’t ready to commit. There’s nothing for it but to admit defeat and hope the sea air soothes her soul. Life seems to be punching this millennial squarely in the face.

Living back under the same roof brings its challenges. But a combination of rescue dogs, pub quizzes and a surprise project doing up the unloved Seagate Cottages next door slowly brings mother and daughter closer together. Meanwhile, the steady stream of people coming past the house with fabric swatches and paint brings revelations for Essie, and offers Janey a surprise second chance at love as well.

My Thoughts:

Janey does not really know she is anymore, her husband has left and left the kids with her, she has a job she enjoys but she feels as though she is stuck in a rut. When her daughter moves back home, Janey does not know how to be around her, her daughter has always been self reliant and now she isn’t Janey feels as though she has to tiptoe around her. But Essie has reasons to be grumpy and withdrawn but can she let go and tell her mum really how she feels. Essie being near the sea with a different view altogether brings her some hope not straight away but she can really see that her life is going to change for the better. I normally love Jenny’s books but for me it wasn’t for me, it was a very slow story throughout, nothing really happened and I felt as though the story was a bit jumbled and did not really go anywhere. I had high hopes for this book but it just really did not hit for me.

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The Tenant By Freida McFadden

The Tenant By Freida McFadden

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There’s no place like home…

Blake Porter is riding high, until he’s not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new townhouse he shares with his fiancée, he’s desperate to make ends meet.

Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She’s exactly what Blake’s looking for. Or is she?

Because something isn’t quite right. The neighbours start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon, Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets…

Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realises it, it’ll be far too late. The trap is already set.

My Thoughts:

This was another great read from Freida, it had well balanced characters that pull you in from the get go. When Blake starts looking for a lodger he does not realise it will be someone as beautiful as Whitney. Blake lives with his fiancé but things have been tight lately so they need a lodger to help pay the bills. Queue Whitney, but she has other ideas about why she is there and you never really know what you are going to discover on each page as you are reading this book. Things start to go from bad to worse and is there any way for Blake to keep holding on or is it about to come crashing down around him. Another brilliant read.

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

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Will You Stay Another Day? By Samantha Tonge

Will You Stay Another Day? By Samantha Tonge

by Hannah ♥ 2 Comments

If you could spend just one more day with someone, who would it be?

When Lili sends a jokey ‘knock-knock’ message to her best friend Em, she doesn’t expect to hear back. Because – as Lili notices the chill in the air, and the little robin in her garden – she realises Christmas must be just around the corner once again. A whole year since she last saw Em.

But then this time someone replies. ‘Who’s there?’ It can’t possibly be Em, but Lili wants to believe it could be, and she hastily suggests meeting.

However when she gets to the meeting place, there only one other person there waiting. A man. And not just any man. The most handsome man Lili’s ever seen, Dylan… And he is also waiting for someone he’s been missing.

As the days get shorter and Autumn turns to Winter, will two lonely hearts spend another Christmas without their loved ones? Or can they welcome an unexpected friendship? Or maybe even more, if they can just help each other to focus on not what they’ve lost, but what they’ve found…

My Thoughts:

Lili is still reeling about what happened to her best friend Em so when she decides to send a final message to her she does not expect a message back. Everything comes flooding back to Lili and she is holding out hope it really is Em, but when they arrange to meet she cannot believe what is going to happen, this is when she meets Dylan little does she know he is going through the same thing as she is. But as the pair bond together could they both help each other to heal the pain? I don’t think I have ever read any of Samantha’s books and I am really questioning myself why. This book literally took my breath away, I felt emotionally attached to the pair of them and couldn’t believe how much pain they both must be in. I loved the idea of the robin and it’s meaning especially when you have lost someone, it means a great deal when you see one. I just loved the connection between Lili and Dylan and how the story wrapped up in the end. This is definitely a winner in my eyes and a bit of a tearjerker too. I cannot wait to read more of Samantha’s books now.

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

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Somewhere Only We Know By Cathy Bramley

Somewhere Only We Know By Cathy Bramley

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It was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip: just not for Magnolia Jones.

Six months on from the loss of her daughter and Magnolia’s heart isn’t any closer to healing. So when she discovers Bronte’s travel journal, she can think of no better way to honour her daughter’s life than setting off on the gap year trip the twenty-three-year-old had dreamed of taking.

And then the memories of a magical summer in Bali more than two decades ago come to light. Giddy with freedom, Magnolia barely recognises the girl she used to be: the dreams she’d had; the freedom that lay ahead; the midnight kisses on the beach with the curly-haired, brown-eyed Jackson…

Though this was meant to be Bronte’s trip, was it too much to hope that an adventure could piece Magnolia back together too? And without the person she loves most in the world, who is she?

What if Brontë’s adventure not only helps Magnolia to find herself, but also leads to the man who promised her the world all those summers ago?

Because as Magnolia Jones will soon realise: her journey isn’t over. It’s just about to begin…

My Thoughts:

Wow what a powerful and moving read. It blew my socks away how emotional I got reading this book. Magnolia Jones is missing part of herself as her precious daughter had a fatal accident and Magnolia is still struggling to accept that her daughter is not coming back. Magnolia’s work is being affected so they have given her time off work. Her daughter was planning to travel the world and see the sights, so Magnolia decides to go on the trip through her daughters eyes. But Magnolia is not young anymore can she really do this and will it bring her a little closure and comfort that she needs. It was a heart breaking and emotional read that deals with grief and courage and I loved the way Magnolia turned it around. Cathy’s writing is very detailed and powerful. It was such a beautiful read.

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

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The Nature Puzzle Book By Kitty Greenbrown

The Nature Puzzle Book By Kitty Greenbrown

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Pick up your backpack, your boots and your pencil!

Filled with trees, plants, and creatures great and small, this collection of puzzles celebrates Mother Nature in all her glory. Whether you’re wandering in the woods or the weather has you cooped up indoors, how about a puzzle or two to keep you feeling down to earth? From quick quizzes and riddles to more leisurely crosswords and sudoku, there’s plenty in these pages to fill your mind with wonder for our wide, wild world.

Inside this book, you will be challenged to:
– Find the flowers hiding within word searches
– Spot the differences between majestic oaks
– Shuffle the letters of anagrams to identify fascinating flora and fauna
– Wind your way through a series of woodland mazes

And much more!

My Thoughts:

This is an absolutely brilliant puzzle book, it has so many different puzzles to contend with. It would make a great gift too but I liked it as it is small enough to fit into a bag but it is also a hardback so if you are out and about and want to do a few puzzles it is easier to lean on with a hardback. There are word searches, mazes, spot the difference and anagrams something to keep everyone entertained and it makes it feel fresher if there are different puzzles to solve. I love the way it is set out and it is great to keep the mind active. A great handy pocket sized fun book.

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

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You Lied First By Annabel Kantaria

You Lied First By Annabel Kantaria

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The truth is, everyone lies. All that matters is who lies the best…

Sara is about to spend a week in a villa with people she barely knows.

Sara’s daughter Liv, her boyfriend and his parents have invited Sara on their holiday. After what happened, she’ll jump at any chance to spend time with Liv.

She tries to be the perfect guest, and while the Forrests seem like the perfect family, something isn’t right.

By the end of the trip, someone will be dead. Lies will tie the rest of them together. But who can lie the best?

My Thoughts:

When Sara gets invited on holiday with her daughter’s boyfriends family, she is a little nervous, not knowing his family well but Sara will do anything to make her daughter happy. Things seem to go well, they all make time for each other and they have a good laugh. But when tragedy strikes, is this family really who they say they are. And then things start to unravel and Sara wishes she never came on this holiday. This was such a good thriller read, quick paced, dark in places and full of suspense. I guessed half way what the ending would be but it was still good, there are a few twists along the way and it had me on the edge of my seat on anticipation for the ending. It was so good and I really enjoyed it. I will be looking out for Annabel’s books in the future.

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

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The Secrets of Harbour House By Liz Fenwick

The Secrets of Harbour House By Liz Fenwick

by Hannah ♥ 3 Comments

When Kerensa is sent by her father’s auction house to catalogue a neglected house overlooking the sea in Newlyn, Cornwall, it’s a welcome escape. Once the home of two female artists, Harbour House is a treasure trove, but one painting in particular catches Kerensa’s eye – a hypnotically sensual portrait of a beautiful young woman which dominates the hallway.

Captivated and intrigued, Kerensa finds herself piecing together the enigma of Bathsheba Kernow, a fiercely talented young artist who left St Ives almost a hundred years before, eager to escape a society that wouldn’t understand her, and her sweeping journey from the underbelly of Paris to the heady luxury of Venice, where a chance encounter would change her life for ever, drawing her into the most dangerous and forbidden of love affairs.

For Kerensa, still reeling with a grief of her own and facing an uncertain future in love, Harbour House will have secrets that will change her life too, and in ways she could never have imagined…

My Thoughts:

This is a story that will whisk you away not only to Cornwall but also to Venice, a place I have heard about but never been too. Kerensa is from Venice and working for her father, she finds herself in Cornwall to valuate items in a very run down property. This is perfect for her as she needs to get away for a bit. When Kerensa finds a painting, she goes and researches into it. She has things going on in her life that she needs to come to terms with. This was storytelling at it’s best, Liz always finds a way to make you completely entranced in her books. I enjoyed all aspects of this book, the history and the art and I found it useful to know a little more about both of these. I really enjoyed this spellbinding read.

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

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A Place in the Sun By Jo Thomas

A Place in the Sun By Jo Thomas

by Hannah ♥ 2 Comments

It’s never too late to find where you belong…

Thea knew the holiday house her late husband Marco bought in Tuscany wasn’t pristine. But when she relocates to Italy for the summer with her children, she’s shocked by how much work Casa Luna needs. And she only has six weeks to fix it up ready to sell! Her only option is to ask the tight-knit Italian community for help.

In return, Thea and her children become involved in the community kitchen, working alongside handsome chef Giovanni and three very competitive nonnas. Gradually, Thea begins to open up to the people around her for the first time in a long while. But just as she’s beginning to wonder whether this small Tuscan town could become a new place to call home, a surprise visitor turns everything on its head . . .

My Thoughts:

I love when a Jo Thomas book can whisk you away to another country. It is making me want to go to Italy and experience the life out there. I could feel the sun’s warmth on my face whilst reading this book. Thea has come to Italy to sort out her late husbands holiday home. With her children to think of too, she does not realise how much she will have to do. Also the mayor has given her a time line. Thea starts to meet the locals and they need her just as much as she needs them in her time of need. Such a beautiful setting and the descriptions of food sounded wonderfully sumptuous. I love how the community brought everyone together. A wonderful read to escape with. I love how Jo writes about food it always makes me hungry whilst reading one of her books. I cannot wait to see what Jo writes about next.

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

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When Sleeping Women Wake By Emma PeiYin

When Sleeping Women Wake By Emma PeiYin

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Hong Kong, 1941. Following the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, the wealthy Tang family flee to Hong Kong.

As the First Wife of the family, Mingzhu leads a sheltered – if lonely – existence overseeing her daughter Qiang and managing the household alongside her devoted maid, Biyu.

But when the Japanese army invade, the three women are scattered. Mingzhu is coerced into working for a Japanese captain. Qiang and Biyu escape the island, only to be forced into factory work then separated after an encounter with the East River Column Resistance fighters.

The longer the brutal occupation lasts, the more determined the women are to resist. And as war rages around the world, each is holding onto the hope that the other is alive.

My Thoughts:
This is a different kind of read for me, but I am trying to broaden my horizon with different genres. It is set in the 1940’s Hong Kong. It is all about the Tang Family who go to Honk Kong for a better life, each of them have their reasons, it was interesting to read about this era and how different it was back then especially for the country. It captivated me right from the beginning, it was not a book I thought I would enjoy as I thought it may be heavy going but I felt completely entranced by the story and the women who braved their souls. I also felt as though I learnt a great deal about this era. A fantastic and well thought out story.

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

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