The Art of Hiding @MrsAmandaProwse #bookreview

About The Art of Hiding

Nina McCarrick has it all: a loving husband, two beautiful boys, a well-appointed home and more time than she knows what to do with. Life is perfect. Until her husband, Finn, is killed in a car accident and everything Nina thought she could rely on unravels.

Alone, bereft and faced with a mountain of debt, Nina quickly loses her life of luxury and she begins to question whether she ever really knew the man she married. Forced to move out of her family home, Nina returns to the rundown Southampton council estate—and the sister—she thought she had left far behind.

But Nina can’t let herself be overwhelmed—her boys need her. To save them, and herself, she will have to do what her husband discouraged for so long: pursue a career of her own. Torn between the life she thought she knew and the reality she now faces, Nina finally must learn what it means to take control of her life.

Bestselling author Amanda Prowse once again plumbs the depths of human experience in this stirring and empowering tale of one woman’s loss and love.

My review of The Art of Hiding

An Amanda Prowse book is always something to look forward to, and this book was no execption. The Art of Hiding is an emotive, thought provoking and hugely enjoyable read from one of my favourite authors. As ever, this book reaches into the depths of your soul and drags out every single emotion. I could not read and remain unaffected while reading The Art of Hiding, it touched me deeply.

The story begins when Nna's husband, Finn, is suddenly killed, leaving her alone to care for their two boys, Declan and Connor. Her orderd and well maintained life of everyday luxury is quite literally tuned on its head. She loses their home, income and friends. Nina leaves all of this  mess behind to start a new life in Southnampton, the city of  her youth, where her sister, Tiggy still lives. For me, this is when the real story begins.

This is such a beautiful book, in that, although about the depths of human despair, and hitting rock bottom, it explores the fact that life always finds a way. The novel beautifully explores the theme of revisiting your roots and the importance of family, no matter what has happens in your life. The book tackles head on the issue surrounding debt, somewhat poignant in these times of austerity, that we are all living in, and I read with a twist in my gut at what happened to Nina, as theoretically, this could happen to anyone.

The crux of this novel is to do with relationships. The relationship that we have between siblings. I loved Tiggy and everything that she stood for. The fiercely protective sister who says what she thinks, while wearing her heart on her sleeve. But the book also delves into the type of relationship that we have with our partner. It asks the question: Do we ever really know our partner? Are they hiding things from us? This is the completely gripping thread that ran throughout the entire book. That of what happened to Finn, and if he really was the man who Nina saw every day.

The Art of Hiding highlights most eloquently the importance of family and that possosions are just things, stuff, that is accumulated over time. It is people that matter. This really is a life affirming book that makes you truly appreciate what you have in life.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

The Art of Hiding is published by Lake Union Publishing, 18 July, and can be found on Amazon here.

About the author

Amanda Prowse likens her own life story to those she writes about in her books. After self-publishing her debut novel, Poppy Day, in 2011, she has gone on to author sixteen novels and six novellas. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and she regularly tops bestseller charts all over the world.

Remaining true to her ethos, Amanda writes stories of ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage and love tested in ways they never imagined. The most prolific female contemporary fiction writer in the UK, with a legion of loyal readers, she goes from strength to strength. Being crowned ‘queen of domestic drama’ by the Daily Mail was one of her finest moments.

Amanda is a regular contributor on TV and radio, but her first love is and will always be writing.
You can find her online at www.amandaprowse.com, on Twitter at @MrsAmandaProwse and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amandaprowsenogreaterlove

We've Come to Take You Home by Susan Gandar #bookreview

About We've Come to Take You Home

Samantha Foster and Jessica Brown are destined to meet. But one lives in the 20th century, the other in the 21st... It is April 1916 and thousands of men have left home to fight in the war to end all wars. Jessica Brown's father is about to be one of these men. A year later, he is still alive, but Jess has to steal to keep her family from starving. And then a telegram arrives - her father has been killed in action. Four generations later, Sam Foster's father is admitted to hospital with a suspected brain haemorrhage. A nurse asks if she would like to take her father's hand. Sam refuses. All she wants is to get out of this place, stuck between the world of the living and the world of the dead, a place with no hope and no future, as quickly as possible. As Sam's father's condition worsens, her dreams become more frequent - and more frightening. She realises that what she is experiencing is not a dream, but someone else's living nightmare...

My Review of  We've Come to Take You Home

We've Come to Take You Home is a poignant read about family, history, war and reconnecting with your past to form your future. I had no idea of what to expect when I started to read this debut novel. Was it a love story? An historical read? The genre I find very hard to define, even now once I have read it, but I loved this book for its ghostly themes of love and the past,  and strong female characters who both eloquently told their stories.

We've Come to Take You Home tells the story of two women, four generations apart. Although the stories appear to be separate, as I progressed through the book I realised that the two stories were linked in some way. Jess is living through the hardship of the First World War. Her father has been recently deployed and she needs to help support her mother and new baby brother. The depictions of war are harrowing and brutally honest. When Jess is forced to move to London to work as a maid of all jobs, my heart ached for her. She was thankful for a roof over her head and food in her belly, but at what cost? Was she truly living life?

We also read Sam's story, which is just as moving as Jess's, although in an entirely different way, there are similarities to what they are both going through. They are both young, they are having to adjust to life without a father, and they are both mature beyond their years. She lives in the present day with her mother and pilot dad. She has always seen things, people, that are not really there, and as we read her story , she shares with us the fact that she sees images of war. She sees war nurses attending the sick, the bombed out fields and the sick and dying soldiers. This happens to her without warning, she is simply sucked back in time, living via another person. This is obviously terrifying, but she keeps what she believes are visions to herself, as who would believe her? She has no idea why she sees such images, and neither do we.

This is such a clever story, and on paper you would think it could not possibly work. But, it does. Through both Sam and Jess we learn about what it must have been like for a normal, working class family to live through the hardship of war. Although this is the primary story, we also have Sam's struggle, in her trying to reunite her broken family. Her father is a pilot, and on the day that he leaves the family home, he is involved in an accident that leaves him in a coma. Sam has to deal with her father's critical condition, as well as having to learn to cope with the evolving relationship with her mother. 

This is a deeply moving book about the horrors of war, about family and of the important bond between father and daughter. It is beautifully written and the ending couldn't have happened any other way. I highly recommend this novel and look forward to reading more work by Susan Gandar. 

With thanks to the author who sent me a paperback copy for review purposes.

We've Come to Take You Home, published by Matador on 28 March, 2016, can be found in Amazon here.

About the author

Susan Gandar grew up surrounded by stories and storytelling.

My father, John Box, was a film production designer, working on ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘Dr. Zhivago’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘A Man For All Seasons’ and the musical ‘Oliver’. Our house was always filled with people, usually eccentric, always talented, invariably stroppy, discussing stories. My mother put my father’s four Oscars to good use as toilet roll holders, doorstops and hat stands.

A major chunk of my childhood was spent loitering around on film sets. Who needs an ‘English education’ when you have the marble-dusted streets of downtown Moscow, ten miles outside of Madrid, to explore?

But then the years of ‘Who Will Buy My Sweet Red Roses’ came to a rather abrupt end. Reality knocked on the door in the guise of the Metropolitan Line to Shepherds Bush and the BBC. Working in television as a script editor and story consultant, I was part of the creative team responsible for setting up ‘Casualty’. I became known for going after the more ‘difficult’ stories at the same time successfully racking up viewing figures from 7 to 14 million.

I went on to develop various projects for both the BBC and the independent sector. The period I enjoyed most was working with Jack Rosenthal, a wonderful writer, on the series ‘Moving Story’ – ‘That’s a situation, a good situation, but now you need to make it into a story.’

Martin, my husband, was made an offer he couldn’t refuse and we left England to live in Amsterdam. ‘Ik wil een kilo kabeljauw, alstublieft’ will, if all goes well, buy you a piece of cod – I decided to concentrate on my writing rather than my Dutch pronunciation.

My debut novel, ‘We’ve Come to Take You Home’, set in the present and in 1918, a crossover aimed at the adult and young adult women’s popular fiction market, was published March 2016.

The Lies Within by Jane Isaac #bookreview #BlogTour

About The Lies Within

Be under no illusions by her kind face and eloquent manner… This woman is guilty of murder.

Grace Daniels is distraught after her daughter's body is found in a Leicestershire country lane. With her family falling apart and the investigation going nowhere, Grace's only solace is the re-emergence of Faye, an old friend who seems to understand her loss.

DI Will Jackman delves into the case, until a family tragedy and a figure from his past threaten to derail him.

When the police discover another victim, the spotlight falls on Grace. Can Jackman find the killer, before she is convicted of a crime she didn't commit?

A gripping thriller perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, S.J. Watson, B A Paris and Sophie Hannah

My review of The Lies Within

The Lies Within is the third instalment in the DI Will Jackman series. It is a fast paced thriller that gripped me from the very first page, and which knocked my breath away at the very end. Although this novel is part of a series, it works very well as a stand alone novel. This novel is very clever, it draws you in, and I couldn't help but become immersed in this fascinating story.

The novel begins in a court of law, as we watch Grace Daniels being accused of murder. We have no idea who this woman is, who she killed. or even if she is guilty, but this beginning made me want to find out those answers and to learn more about this seemingly normal everyday housewife and mother. The story then rewinds and shifts to that of a young woman, who is found murdered late one night in a Leicestershire country lane. The woman is Jo, Grace's daughter. Once again I wanhted to know what had happened to this young woman, what her story was and how the two storylines were connected.

The investigation into Jo's death is led by DI Will Jackman, a likeable man, a people person who has integrity and loyalty running through his veins. More importantly his gut instinct is never wrong, and he uses his gut in this case to find out what happened to Jo. Will is such a likeable character, you can't help but immediately warm and connect to him. His back story is also an interesting one, the wife who was involved in a car accident and who suffered a brain injury, resulting in 'locked in' syndrome, helps to shed insight into his beliefs and the way he behaves.

All of the characters in this novel are interesting. We have Faye, the long lost friend who becomes reacquainted with Grace after Jo's murder. Is this woman quite what she seems? While reading I wasn't quite sure if I could trust her, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. She made me feel uneasy, but I didn't know why. Then we have Lydia, Grace's other daughter, Jo's younger sister, who has her own story to tell. I felt so sorry for this young teenager, having to grieve  yet support her mother at the same time.

Ms Isaac wrtes so beautifully, she brings the chatacers to life and I couldn't help but empathise with them and what they were going through. This, teamed with the fast pace and gripping narrative leads to one fantastic and enjoyable  read. The Lies Within really is a cracking read, that will keep you guessing until the very end.

The Lies Within, published by Legend Press on May 2 can be found on Amazon here.

With thanks to Legend Press for the Advanced Reader Copy.

About the author

Jane Isaac lives with her husband, daughter and dog, Bollo, in rural Northamptonshire, UK. Her debut novel, An Unfamiliar Murder, introduces DCI Helen Lavery and was nominated as best mystery in the 'eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook awards 2013.'

The Truth Will Out, the second in the DCI Helen Lavery series, was nominated as 'Thriller of the Month - April 2014' by E-thriller.com and winner of 'Noveltunity book club selection - May 2014'.

In 2015 Jane embarked on a new series, featuring DI Will Jackman and set in Stratford upon Avon, with Before It's Too Late. The second in the series, Beneath The Ashes, will be published by Legend Press on 1st November 2016 with the 3rd, The Lies Within, to follow on 2nd May 2017.

Both DI Jackman and DCI Lavery will return again in the near future. Sign up to Jane's newsletter on her website at www.janeisaac.co.uk for details of new releases, events and giveaways.

Accidental Damage by Alice May #bookreview

About Accidental Damage

If you think the normal school run on a Monday is entertaining you should try doing it from a tent in your back garden surrounded by the jumbled up contents of your entire home. It is vastly more diverting. Our heroine has survived the sudden collapse of her home - or has she? Certain events two and a half years ago led her to deliberately destroy an important piece of herself, hiding away all remaining evidence that it ever existed. What happens when she decides to go looking for it? Does she really deserve to be whole again? Inspired by a true story, this is an account of one woman’s secret guilt and her journey in search of forgiveness!

My review of Accidental Damage

When I first stumbled across Accidental Damage, I was first intrigued by its beautiful cover, and then by the fact that it was based upon a real life event. What would I do if my house suddenly started to crumble down around me? To be honest, I have absolutely no idea. But for the author, Alice May, she knew exactly what to do, and this is her powerful and immensely personal  story.

 Accidental Damage is told in first person narrative by the Heroine, who we are introduced to by the omniscient narrator. I loved the fact that the Heroine spoke directly to me. There is no fourth wall in this book. I followed her thoughts and feelings from when she noticed the very first cracks in the house, right through to the end of her wonderful tale. I actually felt like I knew her, she had become a fictional best friend.

The book is divided into what happened in the past, regarding the crumbling house, and the present day, ll told from Heroine's point of view. Each chapter clearly stated if it was the past or present, and each was given an explanatory title, which I loved. What this enabled me as a reader to do, was to easily follow the narrative. I always knew if I was reading about the present or past Heroine.

This is a gripping story, and one which I wouldn't have believed could happen, if it were not for the fact that it was based on real life events. I couldn't imagine living in a tent in the garden, not knowing if I would ever have the funds to rebuild my home. What most surprised me though, was how uplifting this book was. It was not a depressing read, but rather one about just getting on with life, and making the most of your situation. I found the story hugely inspiring.

I must also mention the fact that this novel heavily revolves around art and painting. Heroine is a painter, and it was very obvious that painting for her was as important as breathing. She simply had to paint, in order to live, but this was something that was incredibly difficult to do with her home crumbling down around her, and her thoughts around this subject I found very moving and insightful.

I did have a few niggles with this book, but they didn't distract me from enjoying the story. The first is how the book is formatted (I read the paperback version, so the kindle version may be different) but there were huge breaks between paragraphs, which distracted me at first, but which I quickly got used to. The second was that the characters within the story were not given names, but were referred to by their qualities, such as 'Chaos' and 'Beloved Husband'. For me this narrative technique made the characters seem somewhat distant, almost less real, apart from the Heroine of the story, as  I got into her head, I understood completely what she was going through. But, for me the rest of the family felt less real, and for me this was a shame. Perhaps I will get to know more about them in the second book which is going to be released soon.

Accidental Damage is a gripping and enjoyable read about the importance of family, the strength of women and that women will do everything in their power to protect their family. It's a thought provoking read and makes you question what is really important in life.

My thanks to the author who provided a copy for review purposes.

Accidental Damage is available to buy from Amazon here.

About the author

Alice May is a multi-tasking mother with four not-so-small children and she is fortunate enough to be married to (probably) the most patient man on the planet. They live in, what used to be, a ramshackle old cottage in the country. Her conservatory is always festooned with wet washing and her kitchen full of cake.

Following many years exhibiting as a mixed media artist, Alice decided that 2016 was the year she would write her first fictional novel. ‘Accidental Damage – Tales from the house that sat down’ simply wouldn’t leave her alone until it was written.

Blame by Paul Read #bookreview

 

About Blame

It is the summer of 1989 when Lucas witnesses an event that will tear his family apart. Over a decade later, his estranged father succumbs to a suspected heart attack.

Lucas shuns grief and escapes to New York with his colleague Mariana. However, a dark secret from his past threatens to re-emerge and destroy the burgeoning relationship before it has even begun.
When his father's girlfriend fails to reappear after reporting his death, the true cause of his demise falls under scrutiny. And as the startling truth comes to light, Lucas must confront the fact that father and son may not have been so different after all.

My review of Blame

 

Blame is a story about family, about trust and about learning from your past to shape your future. It is a book about finding yourself and who you are. I found this book both challenging and rewarding in equal measure, it really was a fascinating read. This is the first book I have read by Paul Read and I immediately liked his writing style, his use of phrasing, that was almost poetic. Although the subject matter is difficult, the book is surprisingly easy to read. The text flows, in a fast paced journey that takes us through Lucas's life, explaining who he was and who he is today.

 

The novel opens with a Prologue, that jettisons us into the future, ten years on from the present day story, which is that of Lucas coming to terms with his father's death after an apparent heart attack. The Prologue asked many questions and set up the story beautifully, leaving the reader with a griping cliff hanger. The pace doesn't slow down much from this moment onwards. We meet present-day Lucas, an intelligent man, a successful research chemist, but a man who also has self destructive tendencies, all of which can be explained by his past and what happened during the summer of 1989. Read writes with great skill, in his portrayal of this character. He is not particularly likeable, and he has his faults, but ultimately he is hugely interesting, he piqued my interest and I wanted to learn about what happened to him, as I wanted to understand the man he had become.

We learn of the past via Lucas's diary entries, that he wrote as an eleven-year-old back in 1989. I loved the natural feel of the writing, the typos and clumsy way of writing, but it was so subtle, so believable, that I actually believed I was reading an authentic diary written by a child. These diary passages gripped me, the thirst to know what had happened between Lucas and his father, and the reason for his mother's almost distant behaviour and lack of motherly concern. I also loved the descriptions, both past and present of his brother, Ryan. The bond between them was so palpable on the page, the dialogue so natural with that mixture of both love and hate. I found their relationship fascinating. Marianna, was also an intriguing character. Originally from America, and a computer nerd, I found her both refreshing and very likeable, and couldn't for the life of me figure out what she saw in Lucas.

Blame is very much a story based upon several mysteries; the mystery of how Lucas's father died and the mystery of what happened in 1989. This is a raw and honest portrayal of family life that both shocks and entertains at the same time. What this book ultimately asks is that of: Can we ever really change? Are we a product of our past? Does your past and upbringing truly define us? I loved everything about this book. It captivated me from start to finish, and the story of Lucas will stay with me for a very long time.

Blame is published on April 15 by Legend Press. You can find a copy on Amazon here.

With thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press for the Advanced Reader Copy.

About the author

Paul Read has taught at several inner city schools as an Art and English teacher, both in England and Italy, where he currently lives with his partner and two children. He received a distinction in creative writing for his MA at City University London and has been a bookseller, ice cream van driver and a voice-over artist in his time.
The Art Teacher and Blame are both published by Legend Press.

This Much is True by Jane Sanderson

 

About This Much is True

After decades in a deeply unhappy marriage, Annie Doyle can barely bring herself to care that her husband Vince is finally about to die.

 

But as the family gathers to see out his final days, Vince utters a single word that will change everyone's lives forever:

 

'Martha.'

 

Who is Martha? And why is Annie so quick to dismiss the mention of her name?

 

As Annie's long-held secrets start to emerge, the lives of everyone she holds dear will be changed forever...

My Review of This Much is True

 

This Much is True is a story that I devoured in a few sittings. It is a tale of family, love and protecting everything that is most dear to you... at any cost. I loved this book, as it brought home to me the importance of family and friendship, as well as highlighting the strength and resilience of women. It was also an engaging and thought provoking read.

Annie Doyle is the narrator and protagonist of the story, it is her story, or rather her two stories that she shares with us. The Annie of the present day and, the Annie who she was when she first met her now husband, Vince. Both stories are fascinating, and it is as we learn about her past, that we come to understand why things are as they are in the present. We come to understand why she no longer loves Vince, so that the once cold appearing woman we meet at the beginning of the novel, is given perspective and meaning. We gradually understand why she acts and feels this way.

The book is full of wonderful characters, that I grew to know very well throughout the story. We meet the two sons, Michael and Andrew. Michael still lives at home with Annie and comes across a rude and dislikable character. However, through the chapters that describe Annie's past, we soon learn why he acts the way he does, and I thought that this part of the book was well written and well researched. In direct contrast, Andrew lives on the other side of the work, in Australia, with his wife and two young sons. He is the more likeable and caring of the two brothers, and there is certainly no love loss between them. The whole family dynamics between the brothers, plus Annie and Vince, fascinated me, as the way in which all families do. What was particularly fascinating was how they interacted with each other, and then, of how they all responded to the word, 'Martha' on Vince's deathbed. This is when the story really begins, as we watch how they all react to each other, and the resulting changes that are then set in motion between them.

This book is also about friendship, or rather lack of friendship, as Annie finds it difficult to confide in otters and to form friendships. It is through her dog, that she finds the friendship of two very different women, Josie and Sandra. Now, Josie I liked instantly, but Sandra took some getting used to, which just taught me that you need to really get to know someone before you judge them.

This book is very much about the ties that bind, the issue of making and keeping a family and ultimately a mother's love and the limits she will stretch to in order to keep her family together.

This Much is True is hugely enjoyable, with a wonderful twist at the end, that I never saw coming. If you love family dramas  and books that explore why people act the way they do, then this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Kindle edition is published by Orion on 20 April, paperback on 1 June. It is available for pre order on Amazon here.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

 

About the Author

Jane Sanderson was born in South Yorkshire. She studied English at Leicester University, then after graduating she became a journalist. After a series of jobs with local newspapers she joined the BBC where she worked as a producer for Radio 4, first on the World at One, and then on Woman's Hour. She lives with her husband, the Independent journalist and author Brian Viner, and their three children in rural Herefordshire.

*Blog Tour* Mary's The Name by Ross Sayers - Review

About Mary's the Name

An eight-year-old girl and her granpa are on the run…

“When me and Granpa watched James Bond films, he told me not to be scared because people didn’t have guns like that in Scotland. That must’ve been why the robbers used hammers.”

Orphaned Mary lives with her granpa, but after he is mixed up in a robbery at the bookies where he works, they flee to the Isle of Skye. Gradually, Mary realises that her granpa is involved. And the robbers are coming after him–and their money.

Mary’s quirky outlook on life, loss, and her love of all things Elvis, will capture your heart. Full of witty Scots banter, Mary’s the Name will have you reaching for the hankies, first with laughter, then with tears.

Heart-warming and heart-breaking, this darkly comic debut is from a fresh voice set to become Scotland’s answer to Roddy Doyle.

‘Funny, smart, and full of heart’
HELEN SEDGWICK
Author of The Comet Seekers

‘Pacy and poignant, wee Mary leaves a big impression’
LIAM MURRAY BELL
Author of The Busker

My review of Mary's The Name

Well, firstly I am hugely honoured to be a part of the book tour for this truly amazing book. I loved this book. It is so very special in its depiction of examining the relationship between grandfather and granddaughter. I admit to having a tear in my eye during several events in this book.

Mary's The Name centres around an eight-year-old girl, Mary, who lives with her grandfather. Her parents died when she was only a toddler, and her grandfather took her in, bringing her up, so her grandpa is very much her dad. Mary is a little bit quirky, hugely intelligent beyond her years and fiercely independent. I did wonder at certain parts in the book if Mary was autistic, as she most certainly showed autistic traits, but whether this was intentional or not does not really matter, she is an interesting character who held my attention and whom I rooted for the entire way through the novel. I loved this little girl and everything she stood for. She is slowly growing up in the world and throughout the book we see this development in her social understanding of the world. The events that surround the robbery, shatter her idyllic illusion of the world, and we see the blinkers slowly being peeled back.

Then we have the grandpa, who I also loved. OK, he does get himself involved in a robbery, when he has a little girl to look after, but ultimately he is a good man. A hard working man, and I couldn't help but like him, even though I should have disliked him for his thoughtless actions. I suppose we all do things in life that we are not proud of, those mistakes that we look back on and think, what was I thinking? So, I could forgive him, as his love for Mary was so evident on the pages as I read his story. I had to forgive him, there was  no other option.

The relationship between the child and their grandparent, I suppose, has been documented countless times in historic literature. Off the top of my head I can think of Great Expectations, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Little Red Riding Hood and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. But when  it comes to modern day literature, then this topic is discussed and written about on a much smaller scale, and less so when the granddaughter is involved. Therefore this book is like a breath of fresh air. It is so original, funny, quirky and at times heartbreakingly sad, but overall the story stays with you, it has an impact upon you, and you cannot help but feel for both Mary and her grandpa and the situation that they find themselves in.

This book is so very special. I have never read a book quite like it. The relationship between grandchild and granddaughter is a special one, and the author has managed to write down and capture the essence of this relationship, in a roller coaster ride of a journey. I think that it was also so very special for me, as it reminded me of my own childhood with my grandfather, now sadly long dead, and the special memories that this book evoked.

Mary's The Name is a  stunning debut novel, and I can't wait to read what Ross Sayers writes next.

With thanks to Cranachan Publishing who provided the paperback for review purposes.

Mary's The Name is published by Cranachan Publishing and can be found on Amazon here.

About the Author

Ross Sayers is a writer of Scottish fiction, and his debut novel, 'Mary's the Name', is released January 30th 2017.

Ross graduated from the University of Stirling in 2014, with a BA (Hons) in English Studies (first class), and graduated again in 2015 with an M.Litt in Creative Writing (distinction).

His stories and poems have featured in magazines such as Quotidian and Octavius, and his short story, 'Dancin' is currently used on West College Scotland's Higher English course.

You can tweet him @Sayers33 or see more of his writing at rosssayers.co.uk.

Sweet Home by Carys Bray

About Sweet Home

 

Meet the little boy who believes in miracles.

Meet the mother who loves to bring babies home from the newborn aisle of her supermarket.

Meet the husband who carves a longed-for baby out of ice as a gift for his wife.

Meet the widow who is reminded of romance whilst standing at the kitchen sink.

In this prize-winning short story collection, Carys Bray weaves together moments of joy, heartache, sadness and unwavering love as told through seventeen very different notions of home.

 

My review of Sweet Home

 

*I listened to the Audible version of this book*

 

Sweet Home is a collection of 17 short stories that all revolve around the central theme of love. But to describe these stories in such a simplistic way does not do them justice. These stories are about the heartache that parents face, those nagging doubts that plague our every day rituals and those dark, dark secrets that none of us ever want to tell. This collection of short stories is honest, fresh and makes you stop and think about life.

 

I love listening to audio books, they keep me company while I am ironing, walking into town and when hovering up copious amounts of Cheerios. But with this book, I could not do anything else. I simply had to sit, sip my coffee and listen. I needed to absorb the words, to fully understand what the narrator was telling me. This book had my undivided attention.

 

These stories speak to the soul. We hear from a boy who is coping with the death of his sister, the woman who buys babies from the supermarket, the woman who yearns for  a baby after a miscarriage and the old woman who builds a house out of sweets and shortbread. All of these stories are very different, all with their own unique tale to tell, but all revolve around love. The love for a son, a daughter, mother, father. The central theme is that of unconditional love.

 

I loved each and every single story, but a few really stood out to me, I think because they spoke to me on some unconscious personal level. It was while I was sat in Sainsbury's café, sipping coffee before I needed to hop on the bus home, that I listened to the story about the mother of a child with Asperger's syndrome. I had to stop drinking my coffee so that I could fully immerse myself in the words. My youngest son has autism, and so from the very beginning of the story I knew that her son was autistic, before even being told. I listened to how she felt, her struggle to make

her son feel accepted and her fight for others to accept him as he was. One scene in particular, where she describes a note pinned to the classroom wall had me choking back tears. A picture of her little boy had been pinned up, while underneath it said that he had Asperger's syndrome. I understood why the mother thought this was so very cruel and rejoiced when she made the teacher in question, take it down.

 

I also felt emotional when listening to the story about the dad who was trying to bring his son back from the depths of drug addiction. His vivid descriptions of the little boy that his son used to be nearly broke my heart. Images of my two little boys flooded my mind.  Who knows how our children will end up?

 

What I don't want to convey is the feeling that these stores are somehow depressing, because they aren't. Although many deal with loss and the insecurities that all parents feel, in listening to these thoughts and feelings, you actually bond with the person who is telling the story. You realise that the thoughts and feelings that you have yourself, are actually ok, that they are human. You realise that it is ok to talk about these feelings, and this is the main point that I want to get across. This book is hugely uplifting. It restores hope. There are also many funny parts in these stories, especially in the descriptions of the children and what children get up to. I was remanded of my own childhood growing up in the north of England, and fond memories came flooding back to me.

 

Sweet Home really is a treat of a book.  I highly recommend it. It gest a whopping 5 stars from me.

 

Sweet Home is available on Audible and Amazon.

 

 

About Carys Bray

 

Carys Bray's debut collection SWEET HOME won the Scott prize and selected stories were broadcast on BBC Radio Four Extra. Her first novel A SONG FOR ISSY BRADLEY was serialised on BBC Radio Four's Book at Bedtime and was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards and the Desmond Elliott Prize. It won the Utah Book Award and the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award. Her second novel THE MUSEUM OF YOU was published in June 2016.

Carys has a BA in Literature from The Open University and an MA and PhD in Creative Writing from Edge Hill University. Her story 'Codas' will be published in HOW MUCH THE HEART CAN HOLD: SEVEN STORIES ABOUT LOVE in November 2016. She is working on a third novel.

The Food of Love by Amanada Prowse

About The Food of Love

A loving mother. A perfect family. A shock wave that could shatter everything.

Freya Braithwaite knows she is lucky. Nineteen years of marriage to a man who still warms her soul and two beautiful teenage daughters to show for it: confident Charlotte and thoughtful Lexi. Her home is filled with love and laughter.

But when Lexi’s struggles with weight take control of her life, everything Freya once took for granted falls apart, leaving the whole family with a sense of helplessness that can only be confronted with understanding, unity and, above all, love.

In this compelling and heart-wrenching new work by bestselling author Amanda Prowse, one ordinary family tackles unexpected difficulties and discovers that love can find its way through life’s darkest moments.

My Review of The Food of Love

 

The Food of Love is a poignant, heart wrenching, page turner of a book. Once I started to read, I could not stop. I read this book a few days ago, but I still find myself thinking about the characters and what happened to them. They crawled under my skin, and they are not quite yet ready to let go. Needless to say, I loved this book.

 

The story focusses on an ordinary family, a couple who have been married for nineteen years, and their two teenage daughters. They are a family like any other, and this is what struck me the hardest while reading this book. This family could be my family. I have been married for the same amount of years and I have two boys, albeit much younger. But it is the normality that struck me, and that this normality can be shattered at any moment.

 

Amanda Prowse is an extraordinarily skilled storyteller, in that she can very easily turn the tables on the ordinary and domesticated perfect life. All of the characters within this book have to face some harsh realities, and face up to their weaknesses. In particular, I empathised with the mother in the story, Freya Braithwaite, most probably because she is nearer my age, and a mother. As a mother, I feel like I have to always do the right thing, say the right thing and be the backbone of the family, I very rarely ask for help, and I saw all of these characteristic in Freya. It was throughout the book that she had to question those characteristics, and how she and her family could support her daughter, Lexi.

 

This book is obviously about eating disorders, a taboo that very rarely gets talked about, mainly I feel because there is little understanding. I hold my hands up and state that I know very little abut eating disorders. But now that I have read The Food of Love, I have more understanding about how eating disorders impact both the individual and their family.

 

The Food of Love is such an important book, and I feel that every mother, daughter, auntie and grandma should read this book. No, scrap that, EVERYONE should read this book. It raises the issue  in a sensitive and empathetic manner; of what it means to have an eating disorder, of how it effects the individual and of how that individual and family can gain support.

 

This is a book about love, honesty and the importance of family. I highly recommend it. Everyone needs to read this book.

 

The Food of Love is published on Dec 1st by Lake Union Publishing.

 

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Redder Copy 

           

About Amanda Prowse

 

Amanda Prowse likens her own life story to those she writes about in her books. After self-publishing her debut novel, Poppy Day, in 2011, she has gone on to author twelve novels and six novellas. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and she regularly tops bestseller charts all over the world. Remaining true to her ethos, Amanda writes stories of ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage and love tested in ways they never imagined. The most prolific female contemporary fiction writer in the UK, with a legion of loyal readers, she goes from strength to strength. Being crowned ‘queen of domestic drama’ by the Daily Mail was one of her finest moments. Amanda is a regular contributor on TV and radio, but her first love is and will always be writing. You can find her online at www.amandaprowse.com, on Twitter @MrsAmandaProwse, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amandaprowsenogreaterlove.

The Handsworth Times by Sharon Duggal

 

 

About - The Handsworth Times

 



 

Mukesh Agarwal sits alone in the Black Eagle pub, unaware that a riot is brewing or that Billy, his youngest son, is still out on his bike ...A mile away in the family home in Church Street, Anila, one of the three Agarwal girls, is reading Smash Hits and listening to Radio One as she sprawls across the bottom bunk, oblivious to the monumental tragedy that is about to hit her family ...It is 1981 and Handsworth is teetering on the brink of collapse. Factories are closing, unemployment is high, the National Front are marching and the neglected inner cities are ablaze as riots breakout across Thatcher's fractured Britain. The Agarwals are facing their own nightmares but family, pop music, protest, unexpected friendships and a community that refuses to disappear all contribute to easing their personal pain and that of Handsworth itself.THE HANDSWORTH TIMES is a story of loss and transition, and pulling together because ultimately, there is such a thing as society.

 

My Review of The Handsworth Times

 

The Handsworth Times is a raw and emotional read that draws you in from the very first page. Set in the early 80's, we are taken back in time to when there where no smartphones, internet and when people relied upon their local community and newspapers to find out the local gossip and news stories of the day. I loved this book for its nostalgia, lyrical storytelling but ultimately because at its heart was the story of a family learning to live with loss and prejudice.

 

The story opens with the father and head of the household, Mukesh Agarwal, sitting alone in a pub in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. He appears to be a lonely man, sat alone with just his thoughts and as the story progressed, my sorrow for him grew. It is while he is sat in the Black Eagle pub, that the riot begins and which ultimately leads to a tragedy within the family.

 

Although set in the 80's, this book could very well be set in modern day Britain. The issues that surround migrants, post Brexit and how we are now a nation that both embraces and fights against ethnic diversity, could be transferred so easily into this book. The problems within society have not changed, they have just been given different labels.

 

So the Agarwal family live in the Handsworth area of Birmingham that is home to many different cultures and belief systems, and it is because of the tragedy that the family endures, that these different cultures come together, in a way that would not have been possible before. This is a book about community, about how a community can divide itself because of its different belief systems, race, culture etc., but that at the end of the day, when a tragedy  occurs and that particular community is on the brink of collapse, the only way to fight and to stand up for what you believe in is to stand together.

 

This book is full of wonderfully captured characters. The mother, who keeps the home together is a strong and independent woman who finds her inner strength when those around her lose their focus and love of life. She was by far my favourite character. However, I also thought that all of the children in the book had their own distinct voice and story to tell. Together through all of the various different storylines that run throughout the book, we get a glimpse into a life that was dominated by prejudice, social insecurity and poverty. On paper, you would think that this would mean that the book was somehow despondent and a tale of how life used to be for those who where less well off - living hand to mouth, but this is not the case.

 

Handsworth Times is an uplifting book about the importance of family, friendships and community. Above all else, this book makes you think about what you value most in life - and the answer should always be that of family.

 

The Handsworth Times can be bought from Amazon here

 

About Sharon Duggal

 

Sharon Duggal was born to parents who immigrated from the Punjab, India and she grew up in and around Handsworth, Birmingham. She lived in London for many years and now lives in Brighton & Hove. She is a writer, campaigner, community radio presenter (alongside one of her sons), a daughter, sister, mother and partner, amongst other things. She works in arts and literature development and has an MPhil in Creative Writing from the University of Sussex. The Handsworth Times is her first novel.

 

 

 

I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi - Review

About - I Liked My Life

Maddy was a loving, devoted stay-at-home mother...until she committed suicide, which left her husband Brady and her teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering how they can possibly continue without her. Maddy, however, isn’t quite done with them. In an attempt to fulfill her family’s needs, Maddy watches and meddles from beyond the grave, determined to find the perfect wife and mother to replace herself and heal her family. That’s when she finds Rory: a free-spirited schoolteacher, who Maddy maneuvers into Eve’s confidences, but who turns out to be harboring a tragedy of her own.

In a story both deeply moving and charming, with the domestic insight of Jodi Picoult, I Liked My Life from debut author Abby Fabiaschi is a mother’s final blessing for a family learning to live again.

My Review of I Liked My Life

 

I have no idea where to start in reviewing this book, other than to say that I completely adored this story. I'll try my very best to describe the essence of this book and what it means to me, without giving the plot away.  So let me start by writing about Maddy, one of the three characters who narrates the story. She is the mother of Eve and wife to Brady, and throughout the novel we learn of why she committed suicide. I found her to be very captivating and very easy to read. She reels you in with her scheming and the need to once again create the perfect family. She wants Brady and Eve to be happy without her, and so therefore she feels that she needs to find the perfect wife and mother replacements. Now, this whole being able to manipulate people from the grave is a very interesting concept and, it could have really been executed badly on the page. It could have been completely over sentimentalised, causing a chasm between the reader and character. But, this is not the case. The author has managed to pull off a believable and likeable mother figure who is not perfect and who simply wants the best for her loved ones who are left behind. She is startlingly real.

 

Then we have Brady, the grieving husband, and once again, the author has got this just right. We feel his anger and betrayal, because of the way in which Maddy died. Reading his words on the page, we come to realise that grieving for his wife is a difficult process for him, due to the way in which she died. He too is almost in limbo and needs to work out how to push forward. Of course he also has his teenage daughter to care for and all of the complexities that come with raising a teenager. The dialogue between them was some of the most real and frank discussions that I have ever read in a novel.

 

Eve is the daughter left behind, and she too learns how to grieve in her very own way. As well as having to deal with the loss of her mother, she has all of the normal teenage angst and troubles to deal with which make her life far from perfect. I really liked Eve and found her to be a young woman who simply wanted her mother back, to tell her that she was sorry for taking her for granted - my heart ached at her yearning for her mother and the fact that she would never have the chance to tell her how much she loved her.

 

I feel that the book's blurb does not do this book justice. This is a book about  family learning to live again, but it is so much more. It is a ghost story in a sense, that talks of all consuming love. But it is also a book that discusses the complexities of father and daughter relationships. That is what I truly feel is at the heart of this book, the daughter/father bond. It is a book about new beginnings - but also, it is a book about learning to heal from the past.

 

I Liked My Life is published by St. Martin's Press on 31st January 2017

Christmas Under a Starlit Sky (A Town Called Christmas Book 2) by Holly Martin

Christmas Under a Starlit Sky 

Step inside a beautiful winter wonderland where love, laughter and cosy nights by the fire will make this Christmas one to remember.

 

Neve Whitaker loves managing the Stardust Lake hotel. She gets to work alongside her wonderful family and she’s spending Christmas on the most enchanting, snow-covered island in Scotland. So why is her heart so heavy this festive season?

 

It might have something to do with the gorgeous actor Oakley Rey, the man she finished with before he left for California and the man she loves more than anything. With Oakley’s career in Hollywood soaring, Neve is convinced she’d only hold him back. She had to end it with him – at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.

 

But now she has a secret she’s struggling to keep, and when Oakley arrives on Juniper Island determined to win her back, Neve is thrown off balance. Will Neve’s fear of having her heart broken again push Oakley away for good, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith?

 

Get swept away by this deliciously sweet and heartwarming tale, and spend an unforgettable Christmas on Juniper Island.                        

 

 

My review of Christmas Under a Starlit Sky

 

Oh where do I start with this book, other than to say that I loved it? It is such a cosy, warm and fluffy read that makes you feel all gooey inside and that anything in life is possible. This really is the perfect feel good book. There is nothing about this book that I didn't like.

Firstly we have Neve and Oakley. In the previous book Neve left Oakley as she believed that their two lives were not compatible, mainly due to the fact that he was a rising Hollywood star. However, at the beginning of this book, Oakley returns and he wants Neve back. Now Oakley is a handsome and dashing character who you just can't help but love. I  really enjoyed reading about this couple and how they fizzled off each other. Throughout the book it was plainly obvious to everyone that they were meant for each other, but would fate allow this because of a secret that Neve was keeping from him? That was the real question.

 

For me, the real surprise in the book and whom I loved the most, were the supporting characters of Dan and Ivy, and for me they stole the show. They too have their own secrets to keep.  Dan who has been brought in to help Neve manage the Stardust Lake hotel (I just love the name) over the Christmas break is simply adorable and from the very first moment that I met him, I couldn't help but love him. Ivy, who is a painter and who runs a local shop, meets Dan quite by surprise one day and their quite unexpectedly their journey begins. Now the chemistry between these two characters and how they interacted with each other was lovely to see unfurled on the page.

This book features many colourful and memorable characters whom you meet along the way. They all help to create a sense of community in the small snow covered island. That is what I truly loved about this book, that everyone looked out for each other and cared for each other. This type of close knit community is so very hard to find in the real world.
 

So, yes, I adored this story. Grab a crocheted blanket and a mug of hot chocolate when you curl up with this book. It is the perfect romantic Christmas read.
 

Christmas Under a Starlit Sky is published October 19th by Bookouture and can be bought via Amazon here

 

About Holly Martin

 

Holly lives in sunny Devon in a little white cottage by the sea. She studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of her colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years’ service was the moment when she knew she had to escape. She quit her job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, she emerged wide eyed and terrified that she now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. She taught for four years and then escaped the classroom to teach history workshops, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next. But the long journeys around the UK and many hours sat on the M25 gave her a lot of time to plan out her stories and she now writes full time, doing what she loves.

Holly has been writing for 7 years. She was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance. Her short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology. She won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance 2013 with her novel The Guestbook. She was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance 2014.

Follow her on Twitter @hollymartin00

 

                   

I had heard so many good things abut this book, so when I was browsing the shelves in my local library and spotted it, I knew that I had to read it. I devoured this beautifully written book quickly and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Abut Falling (Taken from Amazon)

Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years.

Jo’s secret could smash apart the ‘normal’ family life she’s fought so hard to build.

Lydia’s could bring her love - or the loss of everything that matters to her.

Grandmother, mother and daughter – three women whose lives are falling apart. But one summer’s day, a single dramatic moment will force their secrets into the open.

Can they save each other from falling?

My Review

This was such a beautiful book to read. The emphasis was very much upon the relationship between women, how women support each other and what different generations of women can teach each other. All of the three main characters, Honor, Jo and Lydia, are likeable, strong and feisty women who know their own mind. Each have their own secret (which I won't give away) and it is through the telling of their individual stories and unique voices, that you realise what each of their secrets is doing to them. The strong message within the book is that it is only by confiding and trusting in others that you can truly adapt and enjoy life.

Honor is the grandmother, and Jo's mother-in-law, and at first I admit that I did not like her much. But as her story developed, and I began to find out who she truly was, she gradually grew on me and by the end she was by far my most favourite of the three. Jo I found to be the weakest link, as at times I wanted her to wake up and see what was going on around her. But I empathised with her as a busy mum of two pre-schoolers, and then having to deal with a teenage daughter. The scene where she travels by bus with the two younger children had me in stitches and was vey similar to when I used to travel by bus with my two boys in their younger days. I still carry tubs of cheerio's with me, just in case. But throughout the story we soon realise that Jo is tackling her own demons and is simply doing the best that she can.

Lydia I really admired. A teenage girl coming to terms with her newly adult self and all of the associated life changes that are to take place. Her voice, for me, was the strongest. I could hear her talking to me through the pages. She was heartfelt and authentic; beautifully captured in that moment between childhood and adulthood.

I love this book. I love the fact that the entre narrative discuses how strong women are and that they are even stronger when they support each other. The bonds between grandmother, mother and daughter are also fully explored, as is the delicate relationship between mother and daughter-in-law.

This book really was like a breath of fresh air and will make you evaluate the relationships that you have with the important women in your own life.


Falling was published on 28th July by Black Swan