Category: General Fiction

The Mum Who Got Her Life Back by Fiona Gibson

51gR96Xe0IL Synopsis: When her 18-year-old twins leave for university, single mum Nadia’s life changes in ways she never expected: her Glasgow flat feels suddenly huge, laundry doesn’t take up half her week, and she no longer has to buy ‘the Big Milk’. After almost two decades of putting everyone else first, Nadia is finally taking care of herself. And with a budding romance with new boyfriend Jack, she’s never felt more alive.

That is, until her son Alfie drops out of university, and Nadia finds her empty nest is empty no more. With a heartbroken teenager to contend with, Nadia has to ask herself: is it ever possible for a mother to get her own life back? And can Jack and Nadia’s relationship survive having a sulky teenager around?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: I really enjoyed this book and it made for a nice light-hearted read. Nadia is finally in a position where her twins go off to University and she is left with nobody but herself to answer to. She has her first relationship with a great guy named Jack and things seem to be going swimmingly…until her son Alfie drops out and returns home.

Suddenly her life is just not the same as she battles to try and keep things on an even keel. There are some real laugh out loud moments in this book which I think many people will relate to and I found myself chuckling on several occasions. The story tells a very relatable tale to many which makes the reader really will Nadia on to make the right decisions.

This book took me no time at all to finish and one that I would definitely recommend for a bit of escapism.

The Importance of Being Me by Caroline Grace-Cassidy

The Importance Of Being Me Synopsis: Thirty-eight-year-old divorcee Courtney Downey has no idea who she is any more. She has devoted her life to bringing up her beloved 15-year-old daughter Susan, but Courtney just doesn’t get the celebrity-obsessed, Snapchat-filtered teenage world Susan is part of, and they’re growing apart. When Susan announces she wants to live with her dad and his new, younger girlfriend, Courtney is devastated. But could the end of one life be the beginning of another?

When Courtney is offered a job in beautiful, sun-kissed Cornwall, she and her vivacious best friend Claire follow their hearts and leave their problems behind for a summer of sand, sea and second chances. And when she meets sexy but infuriating builder Tony, Courtney rediscovers her passions for life, for cooking and for love.

But just as Courtney is finally looking to the future, a crisis with Susan pulls her back to Dublin, and back into old habits. Will she ever be able to let go of the past and embrace the importance of being herself?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: I have only read I think one other Caroline Grace-Cassidy book and am certain I enjoyed it so have become determined to read some books on my Kindle that have been waiting for ages for me to read. The synopsis seemed okay for this story but I didn’t have any pre-conceived opinions and I was so happy I decided to read this as I really enjoyed it.

I did have a couple of niggles with the characters but aside from that this story really does highlight a theme of looking after yourself. Courtney is the lead character and is in her late 30’s with a teenage daughter Susan and an ex-husband. Courtney has spent her whole life devoted to her daughter and always putting her first, however when Susan announces she wants to live with her Dad and his new partner her life seems to have turned on its head.

She decides to take a chance and take a temporary job assignment down in Cornwall. Along with her closest friend Claire who also has her own problems they decide to take the bull by the horns. I admit I didn’t particularly have too much sympathy for Courtney in the beginning as she seemed such a doormat, however as the story progressed she grew on me.

By the halfway mark I was totally engrossed and the last half of the book absolutely flew by. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting but thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

Five Years From Now by Paige Toon

Five Years From Now Synopsis: Nell and Van meet as children when their parents fall in love, but soon they are forced worlds apart.

Five years later, they find each other.  Their bond is rekindled and new feelings take hold, but once again they must separate.

For the next two decades, fate brings Nell and Van together every five years, as life and circumstance continue to divide them. Will they ever find true happiness? And will it be together?

‘One day, maybe five years from now, you’ll look back and understand why this happened…’

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: I have always enjoyed Paige Toon books and decided to start going through my long list of unread books and selected this one. I didn’t read the synopsis so was going in with no idea of the story line but I was very pleased I selected this book. Nell and Van are the stars of the show and the book slowly unfolds in increments of five years starting from when they met as children. Nell’s Dad was in a relationship with Van’s Mum and as such they met as young children and their friendship blossomed.

As the story progresses so do Nell and Vans life and it was an absolute joy to go along for the ride. It was glorious tale of friendship, love and loss and frankly although it is very different from her other books it was a brilliant read. I was surprised at the ending but though it was fitting and not too contrived. Although a departure from her normal type of book it was very enjoyable and one I would recommend.

The Garden on Sparrow Street by Tilly Tennant

51i+CbkuNYL Synopsis: As Christmas cheer fills Sparrow Street with excitement, grieving widow Nina is having a hard time. December is always a difficult month to face without her beloved husband Gray, the days feel long and bleak, and to cap it all, she’s just lost her job.

So when Nina hears that Sparrow Street’s Community Garden, one of Gray’s favourite places, is to be put up for sale she knows she must do something. Filled with purpose, she gathers the residents of Sparrow Street around her to turn the neglected patch of land into a Garden of Memories.
Continue reading “The Garden on Sparrow Street by Tilly Tennant”

When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson

41D1gSSc0EL Synopsis: Sometimes life can be bittersweet . . .

Between tending to the whims of her seven-year-old and the demands of her boss, Viv barely gets a moment to herself. It’s not quite the life she wanted, but she hasn’t run screaming for the hills yet.

But then Viv’s husband Andy makes his mid-life crisis her problem. He’s having an affair with his (infuriatingly age-appropriate) colleague, a woman who – unlike Viv – doesn’t put on weight when she so much as glances at a cream cake. Continue reading “When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson”

Dumped Actually by Nick Spalding

Synopsis: When Ollie Sweet is very publicly dumped by ‘The One’, his seemingly perfect world dissolves into misery, self-pity, and a bizarre rooftop meeting with a suicidal man in flip-flops. While most would seek out the support of loved ones at such a torrid time, natural-born journalist Ollie asks the subscribers of his website: how did they get over their failed relationships?

When Ollie follows some of their more extreme advice, chaos inevitably ensues, including accidentally exposing himself to some unsuspecting wildlife, jumping out of a perfectly serviceable aeroplane, and suffering from an extremely painful bottom, courtesy of a maniacal Scotsman. Continue reading “Dumped Actually by Nick Spalding”

An Almost Perfect Holiday by Lucy Diamond

580C5D72-C21A-4004-8662-7F8F44ACE10A Synopsis: The holidays are here, and down in Cornwall Lorna’s cottages are fully booked. The sun loungers are lined up beside the swimming pool, the sky is blue and a new set of arrivals are on their way . . .

Em’s planned the perfect break with her teenagers plus her new boyfriend, George . . . but now his difficult six-year-old is coming too. Will their romance survive the realities of parenthood?

Maggie’s hoping a seaside holiday will bring her and her daughter closer together, but when her ex makes a surprise reappearance, it changes everything. Can she trust the man who broke her heart? Continue reading “An Almost Perfect Holiday by Lucy Diamond”

Publication List – Lucy Diamond

Coming Home To Winter Island by Jo Thomas

51JhOcODbOL._SY346_ Synopsis: Do you need to find out where you’ve come from before you can know what the future holds?

Ruby’s singing career is on the verge of hitting the big time, when her voice breaks. Fearing her career is over, she signs up for a retreat in Tenerife to recover.

But an unexpected call from a stranger on a remote Scottish island takes her on a short trip to sort out some family business. It’s time to go and see the grandfather she’s never met. Continue reading “Coming Home To Winter Island by Jo Thomas”

The Bookshop on The Shore by Jenny Colgan

JC Synopsis: Zoe is a single mother, sinking beneath the waves trying to cope by herself in London. Hari, her gorgeous little boy is perfect in every way – except for the fact that he just doesn’t speak, at all. When her landlord raises the rent on her flat, Zoe doesn’t know where to turn.

Then Hari’s aunt suggests Zoe could move to Scotland to help run a bookshop. Going from the lonely city to a small village in the Highlands could be the change Zoe and Hari desperately need.

Faced with an unwelcoming boss, a moody, distant bookseller named Ramsay Urquart, and a band of unruly children, Zoe wonders if she’s made the right decision. But Hari has found his very first real friend, and no one could resist the beauty of the loch glinting in the summer sun. If only Ramsay would just be a little more approachable…

My Rating: 3/5

My Review: I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand by the time I had finished it I realised I had enjoyed it, however on the downside it took me two attempts to get into the book. Normally with a JC book it just flows, but for some reason I struggled to gel with the main character Zoe and her son Hari. This had a somewhat lacklustre feel to it, which is not at all how I normally feel about her books but there was something missing for me in this latest book. Zoe and Hari start afresh up in Scotland, and Zoe splits her time between running a mobile bookshop for Nina and looking after Ramsay Urquarts children. The story just seems to trundle along with no real eye catching characters which is again slightly unusual with this author. I persevered and by the end it was a reasonably enjoyable book but in truth nowhere near as good as her other books.