When I saw this book, I was intrigued, mainly by the striking red cover, but also because of the synopsis of the book - two people share the same event but have completely different memories of it - how can this be?
The story follows three main characters - Robin, Izzie and her daughter Claire. Once upon a time, Robin and Izzie met and fell in love, but their lives were torn apart by several tragic occurrences. Then, one winter's day, Izzie bumps into a tramp in town and realises that, 20 years later, Robin hasn't really changed. She buys him a coffee and is on her way.
What follows next are the events leading up to that incident, told from both Robin and Izzie's point of view. There is no deliberate mention that the facts they both recall are different, it seems quite normal to the reader and I was drawn in by finding out what led Robin to become a tramp in the high street and how Izzie came to bump into him again.
Claire is also a key character, as she is mainly the voice of reason throughout the book, trying to hold the adults together, but you are often reminded that she is also just a teenager.
I think that the author has done a brilliant job of recalling the events from the different perspectives and then joining the dots in the middle and at the end.
The only thing I was disappointed with though was that there was no real resolution as to why the recollection of events was different. It is quite vague, and although this is a minor point, it is also really the whole theme that the book is built around.
However, I really enjoyed this book and struggled to put it down at times. If you are thinking of reading it then please do - and don't be put off by the title. It isn't really a fairy story and isn't filled with pagan rituals and beliefs involving trees either. It is a lovely, heart warming, romantic story of two people who loved, lost and then found each other again, and has been brilliantly written.
Thursday, 16 April 2015
Creature Comforts, by Trisha Ashley
I was given an advance reading copy of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I have read some of Trisha Ashley's books before and enjoyed them so when I saw that this was available from Netgalley I jumped at the chance. I needed a light read that didn't need too much deciphering and I thought this book would be perfect.
It started off well, with sketchy details of a car crash that happened several years ago. The story then jumped to the present day with the main character Izzy, being involved in a similar crash to the one she was involved in many years before. This shook her up and she returned to her hometown of Halfhidden to get involved in village life, set up her own business and unravel the mysteries of what happened in the original crash.
And I have to say, that's as far as I got. This book was like reading a soap opera and there was too much 'gossip' and chat at the beginning that I got bored and annoyed by it. I suppose it was just setting up the scene for whatever happens next, but there was meaningless information in there which the reader did not know about and probably didn't need to know. It was a bit like being involved in a conversation that you have no idea what's being talked about.
So I'm really sorry that there isn't much of a review here. I hate putting people off books just because I didn't enjoy them, so I would urge others to give it a go and who knows, they may enjoy it far better than I did!
I have read some of Trisha Ashley's books before and enjoyed them so when I saw that this was available from Netgalley I jumped at the chance. I needed a light read that didn't need too much deciphering and I thought this book would be perfect.
It started off well, with sketchy details of a car crash that happened several years ago. The story then jumped to the present day with the main character Izzy, being involved in a similar crash to the one she was involved in many years before. This shook her up and she returned to her hometown of Halfhidden to get involved in village life, set up her own business and unravel the mysteries of what happened in the original crash.
And I have to say, that's as far as I got. This book was like reading a soap opera and there was too much 'gossip' and chat at the beginning that I got bored and annoyed by it. I suppose it was just setting up the scene for whatever happens next, but there was meaningless information in there which the reader did not know about and probably didn't need to know. It was a bit like being involved in a conversation that you have no idea what's being talked about.
So I'm really sorry that there isn't much of a review here. I hate putting people off books just because I didn't enjoy them, so I would urge others to give it a go and who knows, they may enjoy it far better than I did!
Sunday, 1 March 2015
First Time in Forever by Sarah Morgan
First Time in Forever is the new series by the best selling author Sarah Morgan and I was lucky enough to receive a copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This novel is based on Puffin Island, which sounds like a delightful little island that feeds on tourists during the summer months but also has a very tight knit community ready to help out a fellow islander when it trouble.
Emily arrives on the island with her niece Juliet as she is looking for a place to hid out from the prying eyes of the press. She hasn't a clue what to do when it comes to looking after children and her life is made even more complicated when Ryan Cooper turns up on her door one morning. The attraction is instant, but, determined not to let herself get hurt again, she will not let Ryan get to her.....until she realises he has already done that!
The characters in this book are lovely, and Emily, Ryan and Juliet (or Lizzie as she later becomes) really get under the skin of the reader. Morgan has created characters that everyone can sympathise with in some way and I was really touched by the kindness of the other characters with slightly lesser parts to play in the story.
The relationship between Emily and Ryan is really captured well - it's steamy and hot, yet it's kept under control for the sake of the child, and the reader - Morgan isn't known for her '50 shades of gray' style writing, more for the everyday passion that most readers can relate to.
I have to say I loved this book and couldn't put it down. There was plenty of drama and heart warming moments, and although it also had it's cheesy and predictable moments, it ended well. I would certainly recommend it - it's a perfect holiday read or even just a novel to cheer you up on a grey day. There will be a sequel out in July as well so best get reading this one sharpish!
This novel is based on Puffin Island, which sounds like a delightful little island that feeds on tourists during the summer months but also has a very tight knit community ready to help out a fellow islander when it trouble.
Emily arrives on the island with her niece Juliet as she is looking for a place to hid out from the prying eyes of the press. She hasn't a clue what to do when it comes to looking after children and her life is made even more complicated when Ryan Cooper turns up on her door one morning. The attraction is instant, but, determined not to let herself get hurt again, she will not let Ryan get to her.....until she realises he has already done that!
The characters in this book are lovely, and Emily, Ryan and Juliet (or Lizzie as she later becomes) really get under the skin of the reader. Morgan has created characters that everyone can sympathise with in some way and I was really touched by the kindness of the other characters with slightly lesser parts to play in the story.
The relationship between Emily and Ryan is really captured well - it's steamy and hot, yet it's kept under control for the sake of the child, and the reader - Morgan isn't known for her '50 shades of gray' style writing, more for the everyday passion that most readers can relate to.
I have to say I loved this book and couldn't put it down. There was plenty of drama and heart warming moments, and although it also had it's cheesy and predictable moments, it ended well. I would certainly recommend it - it's a perfect holiday read or even just a novel to cheer you up on a grey day. There will be a sequel out in July as well so best get reading this one sharpish!
Thursday, 5 February 2015
The Cold Cold Sea, by Linda Huber
The Cold Cold Sea is Linda Huber's second novel and I certainly couldn't put it down.
It starts with a tragic story of a little girl, Olivia, who goes missing one day during a family trip to the beach. There are vivid descriptions of Olivia finding and shell and washing it in the sea so that she can take it to show her Grandma. It then leaves off with her being caught in the currents and not knowing how to swim.....
At first, I did wonder how this book was going to pan out. The first couple of chapters was spent describing the mother's grief of losing her child, and there was a mysterious character called Philip who I wasn't quite sure how he fitted in to the story.
And then, everything changed and there was a disturbing twist, which I cannot tell you about unfortunately because it would certainly ruin the story. From this point onwards, I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what happened and whether it would all turn out ok in the end. Again, I can't disclose such information but I will say that it has a lovely ending.
I highly recommend this book. The characters are well built up and the reader can certainly empathise with them and feel for them. There is a very good character called Katie who helps save the day and the little girl is loveable too.
It starts with a tragic story of a little girl, Olivia, who goes missing one day during a family trip to the beach. There are vivid descriptions of Olivia finding and shell and washing it in the sea so that she can take it to show her Grandma. It then leaves off with her being caught in the currents and not knowing how to swim.....
At first, I did wonder how this book was going to pan out. The first couple of chapters was spent describing the mother's grief of losing her child, and there was a mysterious character called Philip who I wasn't quite sure how he fitted in to the story.
And then, everything changed and there was a disturbing twist, which I cannot tell you about unfortunately because it would certainly ruin the story. From this point onwards, I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what happened and whether it would all turn out ok in the end. Again, I can't disclose such information but I will say that it has a lovely ending.
I highly recommend this book. The characters are well built up and the reader can certainly empathise with them and feel for them. There is a very good character called Katie who helps save the day and the little girl is loveable too.
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Christmas in the Snow, by Karen Swan
Ok, so I know that Christmas was over several weeks ago but I have only just managed to finish this book and therefore write the review!
As usual, I look for Christmas themed books to help get me in the mood over the festive period and I was a bit late in choosing this year, mainly because I couldn't find anything that wasn't a mushy love story or a tale of a broken heart. These books are very predictable and quite easy reading too. So I came across this book by Karen Swan and thought I would give it a go as it looked like it had more than just romance in it.
And I was right. It is a very sophisticated book with a good story line, that just happens to be set around Christmas. In fact, it could also work just as well set at any other time of the year really.
It is told from the point of view of Allegra Fisher, a high flying business women who always puts her career first. She has a sister, Isabelle and a mother with dementia who is in a home. One day, the news of a long lost relatives death is heard and Allegra and Isabelle have to go to Switzerland to identify the remains. They then get drawn into a complicated family history and start to uncover the truth whilst in Switzerland.
As well as all this happening, Allegra is having difficulties at work and is also drawn to an attractive man, Sam, who she feels she must stay away from but can't.
The story is very well told in great detail. The fact that there are essentially two stories here rolled into one makes very clever writing and they are both very succinct. It also helps to draw the reader in to the lives of the Fisher sisters.
I'm also pleased to say that although there was a budding romance on the cards, the book is not full of mushy love and romance and was definitely not predictable. Rather, it was a cosy story that is an excellent bedtime read. Although it didn't really help to get me into the Christmas spirit (the only real mention of Christmas was at the end which I read this morning - nearly 2 weeks into January!), it was a really nice heart warming story that also had a couple of life lessons too.
I would certainly recommend this book for next Christmas and I am also planning on reading some more of Karen Swan's books in the Christmas's to come.
As usual, I look for Christmas themed books to help get me in the mood over the festive period and I was a bit late in choosing this year, mainly because I couldn't find anything that wasn't a mushy love story or a tale of a broken heart. These books are very predictable and quite easy reading too. So I came across this book by Karen Swan and thought I would give it a go as it looked like it had more than just romance in it.
And I was right. It is a very sophisticated book with a good story line, that just happens to be set around Christmas. In fact, it could also work just as well set at any other time of the year really.
It is told from the point of view of Allegra Fisher, a high flying business women who always puts her career first. She has a sister, Isabelle and a mother with dementia who is in a home. One day, the news of a long lost relatives death is heard and Allegra and Isabelle have to go to Switzerland to identify the remains. They then get drawn into a complicated family history and start to uncover the truth whilst in Switzerland.
As well as all this happening, Allegra is having difficulties at work and is also drawn to an attractive man, Sam, who she feels she must stay away from but can't.
The story is very well told in great detail. The fact that there are essentially two stories here rolled into one makes very clever writing and they are both very succinct. It also helps to draw the reader in to the lives of the Fisher sisters.
I'm also pleased to say that although there was a budding romance on the cards, the book is not full of mushy love and romance and was definitely not predictable. Rather, it was a cosy story that is an excellent bedtime read. Although it didn't really help to get me into the Christmas spirit (the only real mention of Christmas was at the end which I read this morning - nearly 2 weeks into January!), it was a really nice heart warming story that also had a couple of life lessons too.
I would certainly recommend this book for next Christmas and I am also planning on reading some more of Karen Swan's books in the Christmas's to come.
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Three Amazing Things About You, By Jill Mansell
I have to start by saying how much I love Jill Mansell's books and I wait in earnest for her yearly book release. This year, I was lucky enough to get a preview copy of the book via Netgalley so I didn't have to wait quite so long.
This year the main character in the book is Hallie, who has cystic fibrosis and who also runs her own website called threethingsaboutyou.com where her readers write in with their problems and Hallie does her best to give them advice.
However, as always, there are a multitude of characters in the book who all get linked up eventually and the thing that keeps the reader reading is finding out the link between them, as well as finding out if they all live happily ever after.
So there's also Tash and the story of how she meets and falls in love with the man of her dreams, and there is Flo, who also does the same thing.
As usual, Jill really builds up her characters from the beginning so the reader can really empathise with them and enjoy the ups and downs of their journey along the way.
The thing I love so much about Jill Mansell's books is that they are very realistic. They are about ordinary people with ordinary lives and then something special happens to them which makes their life complete, and that is very heartwarming. However, I must warn you now that there were some very sad bits in the book as well, which came all at once and nearly made me want to stop reading it. I was enjoying the heartwarming stories and then all of a sudden, things changed.
But that is quite true of life itself and there was quite a strong message in this book - that life is too short and that you need to grab every opportunity that you can and don't waste the short lives that we all have.
And so, once again, Jill Mansell has pulled it out of the bag, and now I have to wait for another year for her next novel. I get so engrossed in her books that I read them far too quickly and then get a bit sad when they are over! But I urge you to go and read this and take from it what you will.
This year the main character in the book is Hallie, who has cystic fibrosis and who also runs her own website called threethingsaboutyou.com where her readers write in with their problems and Hallie does her best to give them advice.
However, as always, there are a multitude of characters in the book who all get linked up eventually and the thing that keeps the reader reading is finding out the link between them, as well as finding out if they all live happily ever after.
So there's also Tash and the story of how she meets and falls in love with the man of her dreams, and there is Flo, who also does the same thing.
As usual, Jill really builds up her characters from the beginning so the reader can really empathise with them and enjoy the ups and downs of their journey along the way.
The thing I love so much about Jill Mansell's books is that they are very realistic. They are about ordinary people with ordinary lives and then something special happens to them which makes their life complete, and that is very heartwarming. However, I must warn you now that there were some very sad bits in the book as well, which came all at once and nearly made me want to stop reading it. I was enjoying the heartwarming stories and then all of a sudden, things changed.
But that is quite true of life itself and there was quite a strong message in this book - that life is too short and that you need to grab every opportunity that you can and don't waste the short lives that we all have.
And so, once again, Jill Mansell has pulled it out of the bag, and now I have to wait for another year for her next novel. I get so engrossed in her books that I read them far too quickly and then get a bit sad when they are over! But I urge you to go and read this and take from it what you will.
Thursday, 4 December 2014
One Funeral, by Kate and Stone Bastion
This book follows the previous novel by the same authors, No Weddings and it picks up directly where the last one left off, however from a different point of view,
In the last novel, Cade met Hannah and fell for her, however she resisted his charms. Cade, who could never resist a challenge, made it his mission to get to know her better. In doing so, he discovered that like him, she was also scarred by previous relationships.
If you'd read my last review, I was most disappointed by the last book as it was billed as being a romantic novel - erotic fiction infact, told from the man's point of view. However, all they got as far as was kissing - right on the last page!
So I thought I would give this second novel a go to see if the heat had picked up. And I'm afraid to say that I got only a fraction of the way through before getting bored and giving up - sorry!!
It picks up with that kiss, however it is from Hannah's point of view now, which is a good idea as the reader now can hear how she feels about Cade and their situation. Despite this, I felt that it was repeating a lot of information I had previously read in the first book and didn't really need to read again.
Her and Cade agreed to go on a date to see how things would go, but Hannah couldn't get out of her head and decided, as a way to get over things and help move her relationship with Cade forward, she agreed to go to counselling.
It was at this point that I felt this wasn't going to work for me. Hannah went to her counsellor and the reader has to go through these sessions with her, working out her thoughts for the boy and why she is so messed up. Having recently been through a similar situation, I was in no mood to read about Hannahs troubled life.
So I gave up on the book. It just wasn't promising to be the romantic novel that I thought it was and judging by the title, it sounds like it probably is a bit depressing.
If you liked the first one then definitely give this one a go but just be prepared for what you are letting yourself in for!
In the last novel, Cade met Hannah and fell for her, however she resisted his charms. Cade, who could never resist a challenge, made it his mission to get to know her better. In doing so, he discovered that like him, she was also scarred by previous relationships.
If you'd read my last review, I was most disappointed by the last book as it was billed as being a romantic novel - erotic fiction infact, told from the man's point of view. However, all they got as far as was kissing - right on the last page!
So I thought I would give this second novel a go to see if the heat had picked up. And I'm afraid to say that I got only a fraction of the way through before getting bored and giving up - sorry!!
It picks up with that kiss, however it is from Hannah's point of view now, which is a good idea as the reader now can hear how she feels about Cade and their situation. Despite this, I felt that it was repeating a lot of information I had previously read in the first book and didn't really need to read again.
Her and Cade agreed to go on a date to see how things would go, but Hannah couldn't get out of her head and decided, as a way to get over things and help move her relationship with Cade forward, she agreed to go to counselling.
It was at this point that I felt this wasn't going to work for me. Hannah went to her counsellor and the reader has to go through these sessions with her, working out her thoughts for the boy and why she is so messed up. Having recently been through a similar situation, I was in no mood to read about Hannahs troubled life.
So I gave up on the book. It just wasn't promising to be the romantic novel that I thought it was and judging by the title, it sounds like it probably is a bit depressing.
If you liked the first one then definitely give this one a go but just be prepared for what you are letting yourself in for!
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