Category: General Fiction

Forgotten by Susan Lewis

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My Rating: 3/5

It is very hard to write your opinion on this book without majorly spoiling the main plot but I will try my hardest. I have always been a fan of Susan Lewis and find her books often have a very real and harrowing storyline and this one is no different.

The book is a little bit of a slow starter as we are introduced to all the main characters such as Lisa, David and David’s daughter Rosalind. Although slow to begin with once you have a real feel for the characters the story progresses with hints as to the major problem they will both be facing. The issues that the book covers, and the reality of it for the characters, are written with real feeling and are very descriptive. From this perspective I think Susan Lewis shone and although the book is not the typical `feel-good’ you may expect it is written with incredible sensitivity.

The story itself is very believable and will be an eye opener for people that know nothing about the subject matter. Although I wouldn’t go as far as to say this is her best work it’s certainly not awful. I think the fact that it was quite slow was one downside. The only other real negative I found was the abrupt turnaround in the character Rosalind towards the end of the book.

All in all the story and characters were good but the story itself a little sad. I felt that the ending was okay although maybe it could have ended very differently had the author wanted to follow that path. I certainly hope that Susan Lewis will produce a much better book next time as some of my favourite books have been hers such as `Missing’. This book wasn’t bad but is certainly not a reflection on the sort of books she can produce.

Kiss Heaven Goodbye by Tasmina Perry

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My Rating: 5/5

As usual when I receive a Tasmina Perry book I prepare myself for the sheer weight of it as all four of her previous novels have been hefty. This current one was no different and I was eager to get started.

We meet four very different characters in this story that will sway your perception of them very early on. Miles and Grace Ashford are brother and sister and could not be more different. They are spending their summer on their parent’s private island and have both come to enjoy the summer. Miles has brought his friend Alex Doyle along who is almost like the class geek, but they have somehow become firm friends. Along with Alex is Sasha Sinclair who is currently dating Miles and has her eye on becoming the future Mrs Ashford.

The book is written in stages and we see the story from that first summer in 1990 where all four of them become part of a dark secret that they will all carry with them. Each of them goes their separate ways and the book progresses with each of them over the next twenty years bring us to the finale set in 2010.

As usual Tasmina Perry has surpassed my expectations and produced a first class book which is everything you want from a great Chick Lit novel. The story itself was so well written with the progressing years for each character. We see snippets of each of their lives and how their successes are affecting each of them. Their lives cross many times over the years and that dark secret is the cause of pain and suffering for all of them in one sense or another.

The characters are written with such insight and I found myself loving Alex and Grace almost as much as I disliked Miles and Sasha. The story was a great pace and each little nugget of information relating to the past kept me curious about the original incident until the very end of the book.

Although the story is considered Chick Lit, I loved the fact that there was a very dark side to both the story and characters. There was also a very surprising twist at the end which was very discreetly hidden and made perfect sense once the story was complete.

Although this book was hefty I devoured it over a day and a half. All the key ingredients for a great chick lit book were in here, glamour, tragedy, success, power and sex. Yet again Tasmina Perry has produced an absolutely brilliant book and right now I cannot think of many authors that write as well as her consistently. Each of her 4 previous books has rated no less than 4 stars on Amazon and in my opinion that rating is well and truly deserved. If you have never heard of her and like this genre of book I cannot recommend her highly enough.

A Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

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My Rating: 4/5

Okay, firstly I have to say that I am usually of the `trashier the better’ kind of attitude. If I am reading Chick Lit, I love the sleaze and glamour of it all. On the other side of the fence, I love a good crime thriller where we see the regular cop heroes turn up at every given opportunity. However, this book certainly doesn’t fit into the Chick Lit genre and I would be at a loss as to where to place it. It is a `real’ book, that’s the best way I can describe it. There is no gush, no fairytale typical storylines, and certainly no murders!

Rosy Thornton has managed to produce a book that doesn’t just tell you a story; it parks your butt on a plane and actually takes you there. Her style of writing is unusual in comparison to what I am used to but it is brilliant all the same. I could almost imagine myself sitting in the corner of Catherin Parkstone’s kitchen in the Cevennes Mountains and actually watching her life unfold. The characters are written really well and there is such an element of realism that you find yourself swept along with the tale. The scenery is so well described that it has left a vivid picture in my imagination of what everything and everybody should look like.

The story itself was great too and we meet Catherine’s local neighbours, who are at first very `French’, making Catherine have to work a lot harder to become part of the community. Catherine’s sister Bryony makes an appearance in Cevennes after making a radical decision to take a sabbatical from work. This complicates Catherine’s life more than she cares to admit. She struggles to get her priorities in her head the right way round. Although both her children are grown up she finds herself constantly worrying about whether they will be okay and whether moving to this remote part of France was a good idea after all.

The book is structured so that we see her time at her home progress over a number of months which makes it so much easier to imagine the different times of year in this area. It also gives the reader the element of how far she has come and what the future will hold.

All in all this was a fantastic book. I will admit that I would never have chosen this from a bookstore as it doesn’t look trashy enough for me, but boy am I glad I read this. A wonderful book with a real touch of realism that is perfect for curling up with. I would highly recommend this book and Rosy Thornton will definitely be added to my list of authors to pre-order from.

Scandalous by Tilly Bagshawe

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My Rating: 5/5

Sasha Miller is a young Cambridge physics student. She sets off for Cambridge with aspirations to become a scientist. What she doesn’t realise is that she will pay the ultimate price for her ambitions. Her tutor, Theo Dexter, looks like a movie star. He has it all, the looks, the charm and the intelligence. He is also a married man. Sasha finds herself on the wrong end of Theo’s self centred ways and leaves the UK for good with her heart broken. She is determined to make a life for herself so heads to the US and finds herself taking her career on a whole other path. Meanwhile, Theo’s wife Theresa is also suffering. When Theo casts her aside for a younger and more attractive woman she too tries to move on with her life. What she doesn’t realise is that in years to come not only will she meet up with Sasha Miller once again, but she will be asked to seek revenge against Theo.

Oh…my…GOD! Where have I been? This book has been in my ever growing pile of books to read for a little while and to be frank, would have stayed towards the bottom were it not for the rave reviews for it on certain websites. I am so glad that I made the time to read this because it was a corker of a book.

Although I tend to read a lot of crime and thriller type books I love a good Chick Lit book. I find that most of the more mainstream authors I have read or at least tried one of their books. Tilly Bagshawe however failed to reach my radar. I am also a huge fan of the Jackie Collins type smutty `bonkbusters’ (I can almost hear people sighing with disdain). Tilly Bagshawe managed to create a perfect combination between the `bonkbuster’ and the traditional `chick lit’.The characters were written brilliantly and you found yourself either loving or loathing them which is a true sign that the author is doing their job! Sasha Miller is more predominant in the first half of the book and slowly as the book and years progress we see much more of Theresa.

The book is set over a number of years but Tilly Bagshawe has managed to get the balance spot on in terms of time. We see just the right amount of each segment of their lives before moving 5 years down the road. She has created possibly one of the most arrogant male lead characters in this book which I just love. Not only do we get to see the book set over different times, but different parts of the world as well. It is set in Cambridge and then we move across the waters to New York once people’s lives move on.I loved the fact that none of the storyline was predictable. Once I had finished I had a real sense of satisfaction and couldn’t wait to order another of her books. She wrapped everything up nicely and managed to pull out many surprises over the course of the book. I read this book over a day and a half and am still slightly in shock that I have never read any of her work before.

This book had everything you could want, sex, glamour, revenge, love and fantastic characters. As a reader I could not ask for anything better and would highly recommend this book.

The Love Verb by Jane Green

My Rating: 4/5

Jane Green is a best-selling author that has been writing since 1997 with her debut novel Straight Talking. Once I had discovered her, I read every single book she had published. I then ensured that all of her new publications were on my pre-order list. However, when I reached her book Girl Friday I felt such disappointment. I felt like she had gone off the boil and lost her touch. When I saw that her new book had been released, I ordered it with the hope that maybe the last book was a blip. I think that after reading this book I am in two minds.

This book is about two sisters Callie and Steffi. Callie is the typical mother with husband and two kids who lives in the suburbs very happily. Her younger sister Steffi is the free spirit that still lives in the heart of New York, moving from job to job and man to man. Callie has everything and more, her children are her life, her relationship with her sister is good and she is still madly in love with her husband. Steff is working as a chef in New York and dating her latest in a string of Rock Star boyfriends. We also meet Lila who is Callie’s best friend. In the past she has struggled with relationships but has now met the man Ed who she thinks is `The One’.

It is extremely hard to give an idea on how the book progresses as it would be a major spoiler, but hence to say there is a `life changing experience’ that effects everybody’s life. The characters are written in true Jane Green style and I felt like her writing was back to her best. Although her writing was great the story itself was a little too sad for my liking. Having read to the end of the book Jane Green has written a chapter about why she has written this book and I have to say I believe this book was a good thing for her to do.

The story itself was well constructed and the characters were loveable. Many people will be able to empathise with the situation but I defy many to not reach for the tissues when reading it. I can only hope that this book was her comeback and maybe a soul-searching experience for her. I just hope that Jane Green in future returns to her well-loved recipe of great writing and storytelling with that feel good feeling about it. I would recommend this book but just be warned that is not the happiest book you will read and maybe you need to be prepared for that.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

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My Rating: 4/5

Jodi Picoult is an author that I, like many others, are very aware of and the majority of her new books seem to be very popular. However for some reason I have never gone out of my way to ever read any of her work. When this book landed on my lap I was genuinely intrigued.

Jodi Picoult has been publishing books since her debut novel `Songs of The Humpback Whale’ in 1992. Since then she has gone on to write a further 16 novels including her latest `House Rules’ which was published in May 2010. Her books are translated into 34 languages in 35 countries and 3 of her books have been made into television movies. More recently her book `My Sister’s Keeper’ was turned into a big screen release starring Cameron Diaz.

Like I said previously I was intrigued by the jacket detail of this book as Jodi appeared to be focussing on a subject that I am sure many people have never heard of. Asperger’s Syndrome. Jacob Hunt is 18 and looks just like any other 18 year old boy. The difference is that Jacob is not like any other boy in his town. He lives with Asperger’s which is a form of autism. Jacob tends to fixate on certain things and his most current fixation is Forensic Science. He avoids eye contact, will only eat certain colour foods on certain days and has an almost photographic memory. His mother Emma not only has to deal with Jacob, but has to raise her other son, 15 year old Theo, on her own as a single mother. Jacob regularly turns up at crime scenes where he offers unwanted advice to the police about the forensic tests they should be running. One day, Jacob returns home from his meeting with his social skills tutor and is behaving oddly. His mother Emma finds that when the police turn up on her doorstep they only have bad news to give. Jacob’s tutor Jess was found dead and now they want to question her son about what had happened. All of the innocent traits associated with Asperger’s, like not looking somebody in the eye; now all seem like the signs of a person who is guilty. Emma, Jacob and Theo are thrown in at the deep end and have to fight to prove his innocence.

I admit I had never until reading this book, heard of Asperger’s Syndrome. Of course I had heard of autism but not of this individual type. The story is written incredibly well and we are introduced to Jacob with a wide understanding of his individual quirks and traits that come with his syndrome. I couldn’t help but grow to like Jacob and his quirky ways. Jodi Picoult introduces each character by chapter and along with that she changes the typeset so that it is very clear which character you are following.

Each character is written with feeling and compassion, to the point that even as they are making bad choices you can’t help but feel for them. Along the way we meet Rich who is the Detective in charge of the murder of Jess as he tries to catch who he thinks is the right killer. We also meet Oliver who is a lawyer who is just starting out. Oliver becomes not only their lawyer but an integral part of their lives. He gets to see the Hunt family day in day out and in all kinds of situations. He witnesses Jacob’s `meltdowns’, where he cannot cope with a situation and has to be coaxed out of it by reciting movie quotes or singing Bob Marley. The book is incredibly well written due to not only the talent of the author but the compassion she shows in writing about subjects that are open for debate. I found to my surprise that I was over halfway through the book and I still had no real idea of what had happened, I just felt that I knew the characters that bit better. As the book progresses through the second half we are drawn into the court case that the Hunt’s have to prepare for.

Overall I actually enjoyed the book and the story it told but was extremely let down by the ending. I actually visited her website after I finished her book and had a browse at her other books. It seems that she writes about subjects that are extremely sensitive or subjects that are currently being debated in one way or another. I am not saying I didn’t enjoy this book, it’s just that I question it when an author produces books that only cover sensationalist subjects. I think that Picoult fans will not be disappointed however can’t say that I would rush out to pre-order her next book.

After The Party by Lisa Jewell

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My Rating: 5/5

Well it has been 11 long years since Lisa Jewell released a book entitled Ralph’s Party. She wrote and I read Ralphs party (unbelievably) 11 years ago and even back then her writing was great.

In Ralph’s Party we meet the residents of 31 Almanac Road, who consist of flatmates Ralph and Smith and their new neighbour who moves in, Jemimah. Upstairs live Karl and Siobhan and they have been unmarried for fifteen years albeit happily. When Cheri moves in to the flat above them she causes havoc by deciding that Karl is the man she wants and sees no reason that a girlfriend should get in the way. The book itself leads us into their lives and sees the end result with both Ralph and Jem getting together and leaving the book with that happy ever after feeling.

However, Lisa Jewell decided that 11 years later she would transport us back to Ralph and Jem’s current relationship with her book entitled After The Party. So a few years down the line we find that Ralph and Jem are unmarried, but living together with their two young children. Things are not all sweetness and light and Jem is feeling unsettled with just about everything. She is currently trying to raise her demanding and Diva like daughter Scarlett, still nurture her baby boy Blake, and keep her career going with a difficult client as well as keeping her marriage to Ralph on an even keel.

Both Ralph and Jem find that life doesn’t seem that simple anymore. Jem begins to feel quietly disgruntled with everything that Ralph does and Ralph is feeling more and more like he’s not even part of his own family. Slowly they realise that their ideal family life that they viewed all those years ago through rose tinted glasses is nothing like their present reality. Whilst Jem and Ralph both go on their own paths of discovery they both wonder at whether their relationship can survive. Will they make it through or will they be like the thousands of others that have tried and failed to make a marriage work.

Firstly, I cannot believe that an author has finally made the fantastic move to revisit a previous `happy ending’ story. I really enjoyed Ralph’s Party but found that not only did I enjoy this current book, but I fell in love with the characters all over again. Lisa Jewell has exceeded every expectation I could have imagined and produced an absolutely first class book. She didn’t take the easy option of the characters being 100% happy with a perfect life. This book is far from what most would expect an easy `chick lit’ author to produce. Lisa Jewell tackles all of the gritty real life issues that couple who are married and with a family may encounter.

She managed to keep the spirit of these characters but yet developed them as older and wiser from what they were in Ralph’s Party. There are some sensitive issues that I think are dealt with incredibly well although I’m reluctant to be specific as I don’t want any spoilers in my review. The story is started with the current situation that Jem finds herself in and slowly introduces the past year and the story unfolds as the reader gets further into the book. What I also loved was the fact that the author didn’t rush the ending and the reader is still wondering what will be the outcome right until the last few chapters. I cannot praise this book enough and would highly recommend it to anybody. It’s isn’t necessary to read the first book Ralph’s Party but for those that have I think this is a wonderful way to look at the progression of Ralph and Jem’s life. An absolutely fabulous read that can’t be awarded anything other than 5 out of 5. Get out there and get yourself a copy!

One Day In May by Catherine Alliott

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My Rating: 4/5

I have been reading Catherine Alliots books for a while now and her last book `The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton’ I loved. When I picked this book up I was expecting it to be just as good if not better. I am still unsure how I feel about this book. Don’t get me wrong, her writing is still brilliant as her characters but I felt like there was something missing and I can’t put my finger on what.

Hattie as a character was great.

She is a woman who seems to have a very happy life but as the first few chapters go in we start to delve into her past. We are given snippets of her past and what she endured when she was first out of college. We are introduced to Hal her friend who was totally devoted to her. When Hal agrees to get Hattie a job working for his brother Dominic she jumps at the chance. It is at this stage in her life when things don’t go quite according to plan. She ends up falling for Dominic who is married and expecting his first child.

When back in her `current’ life we meet her work partner Maggie who is feisty and strong, all of the things Hattie feels she isn’t. However their work life is coming along nicely and when Hattie’s sister Laura moves into a big pad in the country they jump at the chance to pitch for the commission to redecorate and design the family home. They also find when they arrive that they are pitching against Ralph De Grandville who is a world class designer and a Diva to boot. This makes for some great scenes between fiery Maggie and Ralph.

When they finally arrive in the village Hattie is a little worried but tries to bury her past secrets and move on. With the introduction of Letty who lives down the road and her daughter Cassie things don’t quite go for plan for Hattie in more ways than one. Letty is Dominic’s widow and Cassie their child. Along with Letty and Cassie she also bumps into Hal who she hasn’t seen in many years and this also causes problems for her. The way the story is written, flittering back and forth is quite good because you are consumed by the story slowly and it works itself up to the finale which was completely unexpected.

In Hattie’s personal life we meet Ivan her new toy boy who to be frank, we don’t really hear that much of. This along with the fact that the ending surprised me was maybe why I had reluctance to say this book was brilliant. There were moments when I was completely absorbed in the book. The storyline with Hattie’s son Seffy was really good and made for some shocking and heart warming scenes.

We also are taken back through Hattie’s past to a time when she was working out in Bosnia with her brother Kit. This part of the story was pretty good and you get a good insight into why Hattie makes some of her decisions. It’s also a great foundation for the second part of the book. Her son Seffy is integrated throughout the story but really comes into his own in the second half. Hattie’s family were written with great strength because each one wormed their way into my heart; especially Hattie’s mum, dad and brother.

Like I said before I did enjoy this book, but felt there was something missing. Maybe because I enjoyed her last book so much I felt a little let down with this one. This certainly doesn’t mean this isn’t a good book, just lacking that certain something. I think overall Catherine Alliott has produced another good book as she always has. I only have doubts that maybe this didn’t have as much spark for me in comparison to something like her last book. I will continue to pre-order her books and look forward to the next one.

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

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My Rating: 5/5

Poppy and Serena were 18 when an event took place that would change both their lives forever. Marcus was their school teacher and he ends up dead with only Serena and Poppy as witnesses. The media have a field day and label the pair `The Ice Cream Girls’. Twenty years on and their lives went in completely different directions. There are however secrets from their past that Serena is desperate to keep hidden and Poppy is determined to bring to light.

I originally came across Dorothy Koomson by accident after picking up the wrong book in a bookshop. I was very glad that `accident’ happened otherwise I may never have found this truly brilliant writer. The first book of hers I read was Marshmallows For Breakfast and what a joy it was to read. That followed with all of her other publications and I can honestly say I have not been disappointed with any of her books.

One thing I want to point out is the genre of these books. I would hazard a guess that most of her books are put into the Chick Lit genre which isn’t that true, especially where this book is concerned. The front cover may lead you to think this is a feel good book but don’t be fooled. This is a very heartfelt and in parts powerful book telling an incredibly sad story.

The story is written in two parts one being written from Serena’s perspective and one from Poppy’s. Not only that, we are taken on a journey through the current nightmare that they are both facing. Not only are we swept up into their current lives but are given glimpses of their past as the story progresses.

We meet Serena and her husband Evan who knows nothing of her past. She does everything in her power to stop him from finding out about her and what she used to be like. Unfortunately for her there are things in her life that are threatening to put her perfect life at risk and her secrets won’t stay that way for long. We also get introduced to Poppy and learn about her relationship with her parents, brother and sister.

We get to share their pain as they relive both their pasts and their attempts to move on with their life in the way they know best. I felt at times that I was almost sitting beside these two women and sharing their experiences. The writing is done wonderfully with the right balance of emotion and meaning. It covers some very sensitive topics which are done with empathy but bares the souls of the characters involved in the book.

The switch between Poppy and Serena, past and present was done with ease and as the reader you are just swept along whether that be to the current day or their murky pasts. As the story progresses it picks up pace and manages to pack a serious punch in the last 5 chapters.

It is hard to go into too much detail about the book itself because I do not like spoilers and the theme running through this book is the whole point of the story. All I can say is that I didn’t want to put this down until I had finished, it was that good. I’m not a naturally sensitive person but I would be surprised if anybody read this and didn’t feel the tug of emotion whilst reading this story. It is truly a wonderful book, not always happy, not always easy to read, but truly, truly wonderful. If you have not read Dorothy Koomson and you want something different then this would be a good place to start.

Take A Chance on Me by Jill Mansell

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My Rating: 5/5

Cleo and Abbie Quinn are sisters. Abbie is happily married to Tom and has been since she was young. They are envied by people living in their village as they seem to have the perfect marriage. Cleo on the other hand has never had much luck with men. Her latest boyfriend Will seems to tick all of the boxes. One of Cleo’s old school friends Johnny LaVenture turns up back in the village and he has never been Cleo’s favourite person. Having teased her mercilessly at school Cleo can’t bear to be around him. Meanwhile Abbie’s husband is behaving strangely; he is being very withdrawn and is definitely hiding something. When she finds out the shocking truth, she is not only shocked, but completely unaware that her life is about to turn head over heels. Both sisters realise that the past is never too far away and that it can ultimately destroy everything.

I have my preference for reading and it falls either into the Crime/Thrillers genre or Chick Lit. When it comes to Chick Lit, Jill Mansell is one of the favourites amongst many of my friends and family. I have read every single one of her books and thoroughly loved at least 95% of them. However in recent years with other authors breaking through and the older authors producing great stories she hasn’t shone as much for me. Luckily with this book she has re-taken her crown. She is firmly placed in the Chick Lit Elite and quite rightly so.

It is very hard to review and give opinion when you don’t want to give too much away so forgive me if some of it seems cryptic. Overall this story flowed off the pages and with each page I read it became even more enjoyable.

The two sisters are nothing like each other, which personally I love. They have two completely different situations to deal with but throughout the whole story are there for each other. Mansell writes two threads in the book one for each sister. They are a joy to read because each of them has their own strange quirks which make them pretty loveable but not perfect.

Cleo’s story is difficult to comment on but it was written extremely well with one of the two men appearing in her life getting a great come-uppance. Cleo is a chauffeur and on her journey we get to meet a famous start she is driving around Casey Kruger and he is written as the bolshie and obnoxious typical star. We also meet Ash who is Cleo’s best friend and neighbour. Not only is Ash a neighbour he is a minor celebrity in the village hosting a Radio Station Programme where he has a devout following of female fans.

Abbie on the other hand is battling her issues with her husband. She manages to get the wrong end of the stick and gets herself in a sticky predicament that could cause the break up of her marriage.