Tag: fiction

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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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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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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The Missing Half By Ashley Flowers

The Missing Half By Ashley Flowers

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Nicole Monroe is in a rut. At twenty-four, she lives alone in a tiny apartment in her hometown in Indiana, she’s just gotten a DWI, and she works the same dead-end job she’s been working since high school. Everyone has felt sorry for her for the last seven years – since the day her older sister, Kasey, vanished without a trace.

On the night Kasey went missing, her car was found over a hundred miles from home. The driver’s door was open and her purse was untouched in the seat next to it. The only real clue in her disappearance was Jules Connor, another young woman from the same area who disappeared in the same way, two weeks earlier. But with so little for the police to go on, both cases eventually went cold.

Nic wants nothing more than to move on from her sister’s disappearance and the state it’s left her in. But then one day, Jules’s sister, Jenna Connor, walks into Nic’s life and offers her something she hasn’t felt in a long time: hope.

My Thoughts:

This is a story of two sisters Nicole and Kasey who will go above and beyond to get what they want and wont let anybody stop them. Nicole is stuck in a rut, she is still young but she has nothing in life to look forward to. Her sister Kasey vanished many years ago and Nicole wants to move on but people just wont stop bringing it up. But when someone from the case turns up unexpectantly Nicole wonders if this is the time to find out what happened to her sister. Hope she can eventually close this door. As soon as I had read the first chapter I knew this book was for me, fast paced and gripping from the start, it wends its way through what happened with both sisters and how one sister remains and the impact on her life. If your after a brilliant thriller, this is the one for you.

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

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One Cornish Summer With You By Phillipa Ashley

One Cornish Summer With You By Phillipa Ashley

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Tammy loved her childhood growing up in the harbour town of Porthmellow. But when her father went bankrupt and her mother abandoned them, she was quick to learn that nothing lasts forever.

Now, Tammy spends her days creating works of art in the golden Cornish sand, and is determined to protect herself from further heartache. But everything changes when she meets Ruan – a gorgeous solicitor who has moved to Cornwall for a fresh start.

Just as Tammy starts to question if Ruan could be the one to break down her walls, she discovers he has a secret – one that unravels everything she thought she knew about her past.

Can Tammy find the courage to trust again? Or will Ruan’s secret push her away forever?

My Thoughts:

When I saw Phillipa had a new book out, I could not wait to start reading it. It is set in Porthmellow in Cornwall. Cornwall is a place I have only been to once but would love to go back there because of the descriptions of Cornwall that Phillipa writes about. This story is about Tammy who is a sand artist which I found incredibly interesting to read about, but life is not plain sailing for Tammy who meets Ruan and then everything seems to unravel and Tammy does not know where her head is at. I loved all the characters that make an appearance and I really felt part of the family there. It was an easy read to get swept away with and I look forward to reading Phillipa’s next book.

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

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