Blog Tour Review: Villa of Secrets by Patricia Wilson

Villa of Secrets by Patricia Wilson

Published: 22nd February 2018

Publisher: Zaffre

Pages: 377

Available on Kindle

Pre-Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Rebecca Neumanner's marriage is on the brink of collapse, as her desire to be a mother becomes an obsession. Then she receives news from her estranged family in Rhodes.

Called back to the beautiful Greek island of her birth, she realises how little she knows of the grandmother she has eluded for over a decade. Bubba has never spoken of the Nazi occupation during her youth, but there have always been whispers. What desperate measures did she take that terrible day in 1944 when her family was ripped apart? Can the rumour she had blood on her own hands really be true? But Bubba intends to take her secrets to the grave.

However, as Rebecca arrives on Rhodes, bringing the promise of new life, this broken family must come together. The time has come to tell the truth about the darkest of days . . .   

Review

Villa of Secrets is the second novel by Patricia Wilson and was a book which had a lot to live up to as her first novel Island of Secrets was one of my favourite novels of last year. Not to worry though I think Villa of Secrets is even better.

Sisters Naomi and Rebecca have been estranged for ten years after Rebecca chose her husband over her family.  Both sisters are feeling lonely in their own ways, Rebecca is starting her forth round of IVF and is feeling further and further away from husband Fritz as the longing for a baby overtakes her. Naomi is suffering empty nest syndrome with both her grown boys away at university and husband Costa working on a cruise ship, the strain od Bubba’s stroke is also taking its toll on her. Now the sisters must come together once more as their grandmother has decided its time to share her. Can this family put the horrors of the past behind them and finally come together for the future?

The narrative of this story is split between the present day reuniting of Naomi and Rebecca and through Bubba’s diaries of the past. For me its though these diaries that the story really comes alive and where Patricia Wilson’s writing is at its best. The diaries are from when Bubba or Pandora as she was named, and her family were made to leave the island of Rhodes during WWII being that they were a Jewish family. The tell of how Pandora being small managed to escape being taken away by the Nazi’s on the evacuation ship to the concentration camps. They gradually unravel how Pandora showed great courage at just sixteen and joined the resistance and helped to try and sabotage the war for the Germans.

I found these diaries incredibly powerful in their storytelling, every emotion and every detail has been written about so precisely it’s as if you are there reliving the whole events. It’s through these diaries that we learn just how courageous Pandora was, risking her life to try and bring freedom to the island and they kind of left me in awe of how inspiring and determined she was. I’m ashamed to say that when I’ve thought about WWII, the Greek isles and Rhodes particularly have never really crossed my mind. Rhodes has always just been that happy relaxed holiday destination that we all think of. Villa of Secrets has altered that view dramatically and shown that the effects of the War affected all of Europe and not just the bigger countries like Poland, Germany and France.

The present-day side of the story shows us both Rebecca and Naomi have also inherited the Cohen determination and ability to fight for what they believe in. This comes across more with Rebecca as she left her family to be with the man she loves and has been determined to be a mother despite having many setbacks getting pregnant.  I also think Naomi shows courage and determination, in a smaller dose granted but she’s single-handedly nursed Bubba back to health after her stroke and has had to help to raise Rebecca also after losing her parents at ten years old.

I think Villa of Secrets is a great novel which has been thoroughly researched and very well written. Patricia Wilson has written about this sensitive time in history with great empathy and has developed a strong and courageous heroine in Pandora Cohen. This novel is about family loyalty, love, religion and fighting for what you a believe in. It’s a novel full of emotions which will make your heartache in places but its also a novel which shows there’s nothing stronger than love.

Thank you so much Bonnier Zaffre for sending me a copy to review which I have done honestly and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin

Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin

Published: 20th October 2016

Publisher: Zaffre (Paperback) Bookouture (Ebook)

Pages:362

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Penny Meadows loves her cosy cottage with its stunning views over the snow-topped town of White Cliff Bay, but not even the roaring log fire can keep her personal life from feeling frozen.

That is until dashing Henry and his daughter Daisy arrive at the cottage for the festive season. And between decking the halls and baking delicious mince pies, Penny realises there is more to Henry than meets the eye.

With sleigh bells ringing and fairy lights twinkling, the ice-sculpting competition and Christmas Eve ball are in full swing. Will Penny be able to melt the ice and allow love into her heart? And will she finally have the perfect Christmas she's been dreaming of?

Review

Christmas at Lilac Cottage is the first book in Holly Martin’s new White Cliff Bay series and it’s a book which just oozes Christmas from cover to cover. Especially the cover itself at its covered in super sparkly snowflakes which make you just want to dive in and read.

Penny Meadows is an ice sculptor who lives alone in Lilac Cottage up on the hills above White Cliff Bay and that is how she would like it to stay. But sadly Penny needs some extra income so has agreed to rent out her annexe to Henry and Daisy. Being single and suffering from heartbreak Penny is not looking forward to a couple sharing her home. So imagine the surprise she gets when she realises Daisy is actually Henry’s daughter! Despite Henry’s initial gruff exterior Penny finds herself more and more intrigued by this handsome man. With Daisy trying her best to set the two up, can Penny find a way to let love into her frozen heart.

I love Holly’s writing and her Christmas novels are some of my favourites, this one is just perfect for anyone who wants to overdose in Christmas cheer.  As with most of Holly’s characters I found Penny someone I instantly liked but was intrigued as to why she shut herself off from the rest of town so much, what could have happened to such a sweet girl to make her so isolated. Henry and Daisy are also great characters and have a lovely father/daughter relationship between them which was just lovely to read about.

White Cliff Bay is a place which Holly has brought to life perfectly, it’s a charming little town which just oozes Christmas spirit and the community really throw themselves into all things Christmas with ice carving competitions, Christmas Balls, ice-skating, it’s like a Christmas wonderland and somewhere I would just adore being over the Christmas period.

This book had everything I want in a Christmas novel, a beautiful setting, a romance which is both naughty and nice, adorable characters, a few moments of danger or uncertainty and most of all I want to laugh. With Christmas at Lilac Cottage Holly Martin has completely nailed all these aspects and written a truly wonderful book. I can see this being a favourite of my Christmas reads for many years to come.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy to review.

This Last Kiss by Madeleine Reiss

This Last Kiss by Madeleine Reiss

Published: 30th June 2016

Publisher: Zaffre (twenty7)

Pages: 327

Available in paperback and on Kindle

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Rating: 3/5

Blurb

Rora Raine is finally coming home to Hastings, twelve years after she left her grief-stricken father, and fled the love of her life, Carl.

Struggling to support her bright but troubled daughter, Rora has convinced herself she'll never love again.

When she meets a bumblingly charming stranger, Rora's heart begins to thaw.

But, try as she might, she can't run from true love forever.

Funny, warm-hearted and soaringly romantic, This Last Kiss is the redemptive story of two star-crossed lovers, told through each and every kiss they share.

Review

This Last Kiss is Madeleine Reiss’s second novel but the first which I have read. Rora Raine has finally come back to her hometown of Hastings to visit her estranged father who is dying. Twelve years ago Rora fled to London after a beach party went badly wrong, leaving behind her grieving father and the love of her life Carl. As Rora and her daughter Ursula begin to rebuild their life in Hastings can the events of the past ever be laid to rest?

The Last Kiss is written through 22 of Rora’s “kisses” starting back in 1996 when she first met Carl moving back and forth between then and the present day of 2010.  I thought this was a very clever way of writing the book as many of us have special kisses which have defined important events in our lives and this is reflected in the book.  The writing flows seamlessly between the different times making the story flow well.

I enjoyed reading This Last Kiss, my favourite parts were when Rora and Carl were teenagers and were experiencing there first flushes of love and romance. Madeleine Reiss has captured their youthful innocence perfectly, making them quite endearing at this point in the book. As grown I wasn’t as keen on Rora, she seemed a little be too self-absorbed in her own problems to pay full attention to daughter Ursula’s problems. It isn’t until Rora’s father makes a passing comment that Rora even realises her daughter is being bullied at her new school. I liked the characters of Carl and Krystof very much as felt they added some light-heartedness to a very emotional book. Carl with his extreme dare-devil behaviours and Krystof with his over the top declarations of love.

I felt overall this was a book that was incredibly sad and left me feeling a bit flat. So many sad things happen in this book that it’s hard to imagine Rora and Ursula will ever get their happy ever after as every time they come close something happens and it’s snatched away from them.

This Last Kiss is a book about forgiveness, about first loves and true loves and of being able to find peace in things and move on. If you enjoyed reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, One Day by David Nicholls or One Summer Night by Emily Bold then I think you will enjoy This Last Kiss as it has the same emphasis of enjoying love and romance before it ultimately ends.

Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me a copy to review in exchange for my honest opinions.

GIVEAWAY - The publishers have kindly offered three copies of This Last Kiss to giveaway on my twitter account so pop on over to @joanne2913 and enter - UK only please at the publishers request.

The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart by Anna Bell

The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart by Anna Bell

Published: 10th March 2016

Publisher: Zaffre

Pages: 432

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Pre-Order now from Amazon

Blurb

Abi's barely left her bed since Joseph, the love of her life, dumped her, saying they were incompatible. When Joseph leaves a box of her possessions on her doorstep, she finds a bucket list of ten things she never knew he wanted to do. What better way to win him back than by completing the list, and proving they're a perfect match? But there's just one problem - or rather, ten. Abi's not exactly the outdoorsy type, and she's absolutely terrified of heights - not ideal for a list that includes climbing a mountain, cycling around the Isle of Wight and, last but not least, abseiling down the tallest building in town ...Completing the list is going to need all Abi's courage - and a lot of help from her friends. But as she heals her broken heart one task at a time, the newly confident Abi might just have a surprise in store ...

Review

Anna Bell has been an author on my must try list for a long time so when her publisher contacted me and asked if I would review her new book  The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart I jumped at the chance, so thank you Zaffre. The book itself is gorgeous, with metallic pink letters and confetti sprinkled all over the cover what is not to love, it’s definitely one which catches your eye.

Anyway onto the story, Abi’s just been dumped by the love of her life Joseph and is completely heartbroken. She’s hoping he’ll come back realising he’s made a terrible mistake but after two weeks when he conveniently leaves a box of her stuff on the doorstep while she’s out Abi realises she’s going to have to do something drastic to get Joseph back. While looking through the box Abi discovers something which might just help her get her man back….a copy of Joseph’s bucket list. Deciding to prove to Joseph their perfect Abi sets out to complete the list despite there only being a couple of things she might enjoy doing. What follows is three months of Abi attempting the list along with support from friends Sian and Giles and new friend Ben. But dos Abi manage to win back the man she loves?

At first I didn’t warm to Abi as she moped about over Joseph for a long time and I really wanted her to pull herself together and find someone new as Joseph didn’t sound the nicest of people anyway. As she begun the list I began to like her as her determination to succeed comes and out and she doesn’t give in, even if the more adventurous things on the list are a struggle for her. This leads to some quite comical moments which I really enjoyed. I was longing for her to see what was right under her nose and make the right decision.

I found the idea of completing someone else’s bucket list an original and very interesting. My favourite part of this novel was reading about how Abi changed as she went from a virtual couch potatoes to climbing up mountains. As someone who is complete couch potato herself I found Abi’s journey quite inspirational and just wonder if I would have as much courage as she did to complete the list

 Anna’s writing style flows easily and is full of humour making this a lovely read to fully immerse yourself in for an afternoon. I loved how real her characters felt each with their individual personalities shining through. My favourite I think was Giles, I loved how he becomes softer and more loved up whenever he was around wife Laura.

I have really enjoyed my first Anna Bell novel and know it won’t be my last. I’d rate The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart 5 out 5 as its chick lit at its best. Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.