Book Review - You Think You Know Me by Clare Chase

 

You Think You Know Me by Clare Chase

Published: 3rd December 2014

Publisher: Choc Lit

Pages: 263

Available on Kindle

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Blurb

Sometimes, it’s not easy to tell the good guys from the bad …

Freelance journalist, Anna Morris, is struggling to make a name for herself, so she’s delighted to attend a launch event for a hip, young artist at her friend Seb’s gallery.

But an exclusive interview isn’t all Anna comes away with. After an encounter with the enigmatic Darrick Farron, she is flung into the shady underground of the art scene – a world of underhand dealings, missing paintings and mysterious deaths …

Seb is intent on convincing Anna that Darrick is up to no good but, try as she might, she can’t seem to keep away from him. And as she becomes further embroiled, Anna begins to wonder – is Seb’s behaviour the well-intentioned concern of an old friend, or does he have something to hide?

 

Review

I was expecting You Think You Know Me to be good as the blurb sounded good, but I was not prepared for just how good this book would be and boy is it good! It is full of intense twists and mysterious characters and face paced writing full of suspense which make it a fabulous read.

Anna Morris is a freelance journalist wanting to make it big in the art scene like her fellow university friends. When she is invited to her friends Seb’s art gallery opening Anna is thrilled at the networking potential. Here she meets the dark and mysterious Darrick Fallon who claims he is the brother of a famous art dealer. Her friend Seb warns her Darrick is not who he says is and is no good for Anna. However Anna is unable to keep away from the sexy and mysterious Darrick and soon finds herself mixed up in some shady dealings within the art scene, with no idea who she can trust.

As Anna gets deeper involved with both Darrick and Seb and his gallery she begins to mistrust everyone around her and Claire Chase has written this book in such a way that we suspect almost every character to be hiding something, even her bossy cousin Alicia who she lives with. The way this is written about is truly brilliant, the mistrust she feels oozes off the page and the suspense gathers on every page. It built to a very dramatic ending which was just mind blowing as I totally didn’t expect the events to happen as they did. So who was the good guy and who was the bad guy? Well you will be left guessing until the very last page.

I thought Anna was a brilliant character, her inquiring mind may have led her right into trouble but she never seemed to accept lies when she was told them and used her journalist skills to go digging around for the truth. I also loved her relationship with her cousin Alicia, who was very bossy and condescending towards Anna but she just took it wholeheartedly and joked back at her.

This was a truly wonderful book to read, which I couldn’t stop reading as I had to find out the truth just like Anna. It is jam packed with suspense and intrigue and I was genuinely gutted when I’d finished as I could read Claire Chase’s words forever. I’m really hoping she’s working on another novel as she has a real talent.  I give this book 5/5 it was one of the best suspense novels I’ve ever read and if you haven’t read it then you need to!

 

Book Review - A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale

 

A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale

Published: 24th March 2015

Publisher: Tinder Press

Page: 352

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

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Blurb

To find yourself, sometimes you must lose everything.

A privileged elder son, and stammeringly shy, Harry Cane has followed convention at every step. Even the beginnings of an illicit, dangerous affair do little to shake the foundations of his muted existence - until the shock of discovery and the threat of arrest cost him everything.

Forced to abandon his wife and child, Harry signs up for emigration to the newly colonised Canadian prairies. Remote and unforgiving, his allotted homestead in a place called Winter is a world away from the golden suburbs of turn-of-the-century Edwardian England. And yet it is here, isolated in a seemingly harsh landscape, under the threat of war, madness and an evil man of undeniable magnetism that the fight for survival will reveal in Harry an inner strength and capacity for love beyond anything he has ever known before.

In this exquisite journey of self-discovery, loosely based on a real life family mystery, Patrick Gale has created an epic, intimate human drama, both brutal and breathtaking. It is a novel of secrets, sexuality and, ultimately, of great love.

 

Review

A Place Called Winter follows Harry Kane on his journey from high society in Edwardian England to the remote prairie outback of uninhabited Canada in a small settlement called Winter. When we first meet Harry he is in a psychiatric unit in Bethel, as the story develops we learn the events which unfolded for him to end up there.

Harry is the eldest son of a wealthy businessman who spends his days lazing about in gentlemen’s clubs. After his father’s death he is left with a substantial fortune and eventually finds himself a respectable wife Winnifred Wells. All would have been well for Harry except an ill-fated investment sees him living back in his mother in laws house. Feeling trapped Harry gives into a temptation burning inside him. After his illicit affair is unearthed by his brother in law he has no option but to move away and save the family from shame. By chance Harry stumbles on an advertisement for labourers in Canada willing to build new homesteads in the remote prairies. Taking his chances Harry sets off for Canada and the place called Winter.

To be completely honest it wasn’t until I was about half way through this book that I fell for its charms. During the first half of the book very little happens and Harry himself was just not a character I could feel anything for. He came across as socially awkward and seemed to believe he was incapable of doing anything useful with his time other than frequenting clubs and horse-riding. The boat journey sees Harry changing and becoming determined to do something with his life, if only to compensate for the shame he bought his wife. I liked this stronger, more determined Harry and was glad when he was able to finally find some inner peace.

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was the writing, it just flowed beautifully and gave such a vivid description of life in Canada, Patrick Gale has such a talent for creating a sense of place that I was totally mesmerised by the end. I know he has written some previous novels, so hopefully I will get a chance to read these someday.

This is a story of Harry’s journey, not just from England to Canada but from being a seemingly lost and awkward individual to someone who is confident and has finally found his place within society. It’s a book which made me laugh and cry and one which I’ll still be thinking about for a long time.

I’m giving this book 4/5, mainly because it took me a while to get into it and also I don’t think I would read it again myself. I do think it is definitely a book worth picking up and reading as it has a way of capturing your heart.

I would like to thank Georgina at Headline for sending me a copy to review.

Book Review - The Grand Reopening of the Dandelion Cafe

 

The Grand Reopening of the Dandelion Café by Jenny Oliver

Published: 27th March 2015

Publisher: Carina UK

Available on Kindle

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Blurb

Welcome to the brand new Cherry Pie Island series from Jenny Oliver!
Home, Sweet Home….?

When Annie White steps back onto Cherry Pie Island, it’s safe to say her newly inherited Dandelion Café has seen better days! And while her childhood home on the Thames-side island idyll is exactly the same retreat from the urban bustle of London she remembers, Annie’s not convinced that Owner of The Dandelion Cafe is a title she’ll be keeping for long. Not that she can bear the idea of letting her dedicated, if endearingly disorganized staff lose their jobs. Plus café life does also have the added bonus of working a stone’s throw away from millionaire Matt and his disarmingly charming smile!

One (shoestring budget) café makeover, a few delightful additions to the somewhat retro menu and a lot of cherry pie tastings later, The Dandelion Café is ready for its grand reopening! But once she’s brought the dilapidated old café back to life, Annie finds herself wishing her stay on the island was just a bit longer. She always intended to go back to the big city…but could island living finally have lured her back home for good?

The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Café is Book 1 in The Cherry Pie Island series. Each part of Cherry Pie Island can be read and enjoyed as a standalone story – or as part of the utterly delightful series

 

Review

The Grand Reopening of the Dandelion Café is the first book in Jenny Oliver’s new Cherry Pie Island series. It is also the first book I’ve read by this author, which is shocking seen as she’s been popping up on my Amazon recommendations for months.    

Annie White has returned to Cherry Pie Island after inheriting the Dandelion Café from her father. Annie has not been on the island for a while after a miss-spent youth and mistakes she’d rather forget led her to move away. The café has seen better days and initially Annie is convinced the best thing to do is sell up and continue her life back in Hampstead. However the café  slowly charms her,  and along with memories of childhood and the close-knit community giving her a sense of belonging which she hasn’t felt for a long time, Annie decides to give the café a chance.

Annie is an instantly likable character and I liked that we were given hints at trouble in her past, which we are slowly made aware of as the story unfolds. I loved the other characters too, Martha who’s very possessive of the café her mother used to run, young River and his estranged father Matt, and even Annie self-important brother Jonathon. The sense of community oozes of the pages of this book and like Annie found, it was hard to resist the charms this lovely café and its delicious sounding cherry pie, I’ll have mine with ice-cream please!

Although this is a short story I thought it was perfect and really enjoyed the couple of hours it took me to read it. It’s a story out fining out where you belong and believing you can leave the past behind you. The budding sparks of romance between Annie and Matt were lovely and I can’t wait to see what happens next for them. I loved the hints of mystery and secrets some of the characters have and look forward to finding out more about these in the following books of the series.

This was a lovely introduction to Jenny’s Oliver’s writing for me and I’m definitely going to be reading more from this lady very soon. If you love the writing style of Milly Johnson or Rebecca Raisin I’m sure you will love Jenny Oliver as she has the same sense of community and descriptions of delicious sounding food.

Thank you to Carina UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. I’d rate it 5/5 it was just scrummy!

Book Review - The Gospel According to Drew Barrymore by Pippa Wright

 

The Gospel According to Drew Barrymore

Published: 26th March 2015

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Pages: 406

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

 

Friendship is like a shark: it has to keep moving forwards to survive.

Esther and Laura have been best friends since they were seven. Quite a bit has changed since then . . . They've swapped school for full-time employment, boyfriends for bugaboos, experimental hair-dye for salon-preened locks - and their friendship has evolved just as much. But they remain close, knitted together by the bonds of time . . .

So when Esther is told that Laura has gone missing, she immediately leaves her husband and small child for San Francisco and begins to trace her friend's last movements. All she has is an email from Laura: 'I'm channelling Drew Barrymore, as ever. The Gospel, right?'

In trying to understand why Laura has disappeared, and what on earth Drew Barrymore has to do with it, Esther needs to look back. Back at the secrets woven into their friendship and the truths she's avoided facing for so long.

 

Review

 

The Gospel According to Drew Barrymore is the story of friendship between Laura and Esther who have grown up together. Drifting in and out of each other’s lives for many years these two share an unbreakable bond. So when Laura goes missing without a trace, Esther fearing the worst drops everything and flies to Napa to search for her best  friend.

The story flips backwards and forwards between Esther’s search for Laura in the present day and flashbacks of their shared history when they tend to look at Drew Barrymore’s latest film to get them out of their current fix, quoting to each other “What would Drew do?” Being of a similar age to Laura and Esther I loved the references to the Drew Barrymore films and they brought back many memories of when I watched the same films.

I found it really hard to like either Laura or Esther. We only see Laura through Esther’s eyes but what we see is someone who is completely selfish and has no regard to the feelings of those around her. She seems to only be concerned with Ester’s friendship when it is some benefit to her.  I also found Esther to be a little weak, often changing her plans or left waiting because Laura has decided to do something else and never standing up to her friend.

The story flowed well and quick enough for me to keep interested is the story and what had happened to Laura. This was my first time reading a book by Pippa Wright and I would definitely pick up another in the future. If you’re looking for a book with a refreshingly honest look at long lasting friendships then give this a go.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy to review. I would give this book a rating of 4/5.

 

 

Book Review - Secrets of the Tower by Debbie Rix

 

Secrets of the Tower by Debbie Rix

Published: 20th March 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

Two women, centuries apart, bound together by the secrets of one of the most iconic buildings ever created.

Pisa, 1999
Sam Campbell sits by her husband’s hospital bed. Far from home and her children, she must care for Michael who is recovering from a stroke. A man she loves deeply. A man who has been unfaithful to her.

Alone and in need of distraction, Sam decides to pick up Michael’s research into the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Immersing herself in the ancient city, she begins to piece together the mystery behind the creation of the tower, and discovers the woman who history forgot…

Pisa, 1171
Berta di Bernardo, the wife of a rich merchant, sits in her chamber, dressing for a dinner party. A gathering that will change the course of her life and a young master mason, Gerardo, forever.

A strong, intelligent woman, Berta’s passion for architecture also draws her closer to Gerardo. As she embarks on a love affair, her maid Aurelia also becomes spellbound by the same man. Yet for Berta, her heart’s desire is to see the Tower built, and her determination knows no bounds…

Review

Secrets of the Tower by Debbie Rix is the story of how the Tower of Pisa came to be designed and the mystery surrounding who designed it. It is told from two viewpoints, one in 1999 and one when the tower was being designed around 1172. It is the perfect mix of old and new perspectives which although separate stories, together uncover some of the mystery of the tower and the passionate people behind it.

The story begins in 1999 with Sam, who has just learnt her husband has been unfaithful. She then gets a call to say he has had a stroke while in Italy researching the history of the tower. In turmoil she heads off to Italy to nurse her nurse her husband but soon finds herself caught in the mystery of the tower. When she meets Dario Visalberghi a man with local connections they begin to find some clues to the mysteries surrounding the tower.

The second viewpoint is mostly told from the perspective of Berta di Bernardo, the wife of wealthy merchant Lorenzo Calvo, who being the daughter of an architect has an interest in the buildings being designed in Pisa. She meets and falls in love with Gerado di Gerado a young carpenter and with her wealth and influence helps to further his career within Pisa. We also hear some of the story from Gerado and also Aurelia, Berta’s young maid.

I really enjoyed reading this book, the writing style made it easy to follow and it flowed well between the two viewpoints. I did prefer the historical aspect of the book more than the modern day setting. I think this was because there was more background story to the characters and their love triangle kept the story from purely being about the buildings.

The thing I loved most about this book was the love of Pisa that came through from all the characters, it seems to capture all their hearts, Berta’s most particularly. The passion for the city was in all the Pisans, wanting to it be seen as the most beautiful city in Italy was very inspiring and has made me want to visit this city even more.

Even though the backdrop to this book is the mystery of the tower this is essentially a tale of love in its many forms. Gerado is intoxicated by Berta and her beauty and wealth but also has a simpler, deeper long lasting love for Aurelia, but which woman will he choose to be with? Sam has to deal with infidelity in love and decide if she can forgive her husband or whether she should be swayed by the handsome Dario.

I’m surprised to learn that this is Debbie Rix’s first novel as I found it well written, very absorbing with realistic characters and the research which she must has done to have such detail in the book is outstanding. I cannot wait to see what she writes next as I’m sure it will be as brilliant as Secrets of the Tower. I give this book 5/5.

I would like to thank Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book.

Book Review - From Liverpool with Love by Lyn Andrews

 

From Liverpool With Love by Lyn Andrew

Published: 12th March 2015

Publisher: Headline

Pages: 368

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

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Blurb

In 1920s Liverpool, Jane, her little brother Alfie and their mother Ellen have faced the horrors of the workhouse together. But when Ellen dies, two very different paths open up for the siblings.

Jane is sent to work in the Empire Laundry and builds a new life for herself with the neighbours who take her in. She finds solace there and the promise of a happy future when she falls for Joe, their eldest son.

But Alfie absconds from the workhouse and embarks on a life of crime. When their paths cross once more, Alfie turns on his sister. His plans will jeopardise every happiness she hoped for...

 

Review

From Liverpool with Love is the latest novel from the hugely successful Lyn Andrews and it is another brilliant family saga. Set in the back streets of Liverpool this novel focuses on the Shaw family and particularly young Jane Shaw.

As the novel begins Ellen Shaw has decided she can no longer cope after the death of her husband Eddie and has to move into the local workhouse Brownlow Hill. After entering the workhouse Ellen is separated from daughter Jane and young delinquent son Alfie.  As the years pass the family face a number of tragedy’s but hardworking Jane is given a chance to start her life again when she is offered a job on the outside in the local Empire Laundry. Here she meets the owner James Davenport and Jane’s life takes a turn for the better, until Alfie shows up once more.

As with all Lyn Andrews novels I was instantly hooked on this story, her writing style is so comforting and just makes you want to keep reading. This novel deals with the hardships of the Shaw family including grief, poverty and separation but I didn’t find it depressing at all.

Jane is an instantly likable character, she is hard working and positive and always tries to see the best in people, even brother Alfie who seems to be a lost cause. I felt a little saddened when every time she seemed to gain a little happiness something would come along and ruin it for her. I’m glad that eventually she was able to find a happy ending, even though this was somewhat predictable.

From Liverpool With Love was another great novel from Lyn Andrews with just enough drama to keep me interested. A perfect read for a rainy afternoon. I give this novel 4/5 and look forward to Lyn’s next offering.

Book Review - A Place for Us by Harriet Evans

 

A Place for Us by Harriet Evans

Published: 15th January 2015

Publisher: Headline Review

Pages: 448

Available in paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

From international bestselling author Harriet Evans, an engrossing new novel about a woman who, on the eve of her eightieth birthday, decides to reveal a secret that may destroy her perfect family.
The day Martha Winter decided to tear apart her family began like any other day.

When Martha, a wife and mother of three, sits down one late summer’s morning to write out the invitations to her eightieth birthday celebration, she knows that what she is planning to reveal at the party could ruin the idyllic life she and her husband David have spent over fifty years building…

But she has to let her family know what she and David have sacrificed. She can’t live a lie any more.

The invitation goes out far and wide, calling her three children and their families back home to Winterfold, their rambling house in the heart of the English countryside. They are Bill, the doctor; Florence, the eccentric academic; and Daisy, the child who never fit in. As the story unfolds, each character reveals the secrets, joys, and tragedies they are wrestling with through the confines of the family. What will happen when Martha finally tells the truth?

 

Review

Harriet Evans seems to be one of those authors that I’ve heard about but never managed to actually read, so when given the chance to read her latest novel I decided to give her ago. A Place for Us has previously been released in e-book form in four parts over four consecutive months. I’m glad I was able to read this all is one go as parts one and two definitely left me wanting to see what would happen next.

A Place for Us is centred on Martha and David Winter and their extended family who are spread across the globe. Martha is about to turn eighty and decides it’s time to tell her family some truths, so she summons her family home for a party to celebrate and get everything out in the open. Their three children Bill, Daisy and Florence and their two grandchildren Cat and Lucy make their way home for the party wondering what is going to happen when they arrive home.

Bill their eldest son has stayed close to the family home Winterfold and is the village GP. He’s struggling to make second wife Karen happy. He daughter from his first marriage is struggling in her job in the fashion section of a newspaper, she longs to be a proper writer. Daisy the eldest girl and is away doing charity work in India. Her daughter Cat, who was raised at Winterfold by Martha and David is currently struggling with life in Paris and is hiding a big secret from her family. Florence is Martha and David’s youngest daughter and she is highly academic and working as a University lecturer in Italy. We are also introduced to Joe Thorne who is working as a chef in the local pub and has his own connections to some members of the family.

A Place for Us is told through the eyes of many characters, each having their own chapters, with so many characters I was initially a little concerned as each chapter introduced us to yet another character. However Harriet Evans has done a remarkable job of making each of these characters have a distinctive voice making their individual stories easy for me to follow.  My favourite characters were Joe and Cat, probably because they are a similar age to me and I could relate to their feelings. I also felt the Cat probably had the most to deal with after Martha’s revelation and it was interesting to see how she coped.

I really enjoyed parts one and two of this book, the introduction of all the characters and their situations was well done and helped build a picture of this family. I’d really love a home like Winterfold myself, it seemed like such a comforting place to be. I loved the way it was like a beacon to them all. They’re all off living their lives all apart but are all drawn back to Winterfold when their lives become in crisis, as if its walls provide them with a security blanket.

In the aftermath of Martha’s confession there is a lot of devastation in the family as other secrets become known. The thing which I didn’t really enjoy was all the flashbacks into David’s early life, they added a little to the story but I felt annoyed by them because I wanted to find out how to family were coping and the flashbacks detracted from that too much for me.

I felt A Place for Us started off really well but for me the middle part was too padded out with flashbacks and I just lost the pace of the book a little.  I will definitely read more from this author as I loved her characters. I’d rate this book 3/5 as I liked it but it didn’t wow me.