A Life Without You by Shari Low

A Life Without You by Shari Low

Published: 1st April 2017

Publisher: Aria

Pages: 378

Available on Kindle

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Rating: 5/5

Blurb

30-year-old Dee Harper and her husband, Joe, are blissfully happy. Everyday she makes her loyal parents Val & Don incredibly proud.
Jen has been her best friend and 'adopted sister' since their days of teenage crushes, bad 90's make-up and huge hair.

They are just like any other group of family and friends, living life, getting by with equal measures of love and laughter.
Until one day everything changes.
Dee is gone, killed by a reckless driver, leaving the people she loved to deal with their grief in different ways.
A marriage is rocked as a parent becomes consumed with seeking justice. A husband struggles to accept the loss of his wife and their future. And a friend discovers that there were shocking secrets that went unshared.
But all of them have to learn that the only way forward is to let go of the past.

Review
A Life Without You is the first book I’ve read by Shari Low and despite its sad start it was a book I adored. Jen and Dee have known each other for ever and are more like sisters than best friends, especially after Jen moved in with Dee and her family in her teenage years. So imagine her devastation when Jen suddenly finds herself without Dee by her side. One minute Dee was alive and bouncing around the street, the next she’s gone a joy-rider hits her head on and kills her instantly. After Dee’s funeral is over, Jen’s boyfriend of fifteen years Pete decides it’s time to tell her their relationship is over and he’s moving out and for the first time in years Jen finds herself completely  alone.

Jen’s not the only one devastated by Dee’s death, husband Luke is lost without his perfect wife and turns to her for comfort. Dee’s parents are also struggling and begin to drift apart, Dee dad goes into his own little world trying to get through the day the best he can. Val, Dee’s mum is the one who seems the hardest hit by the loss of her daughter. On the outside she puts on a brave face but when alone she struggles to hold it together. It was so sad to read from Val’s perspective but Shari Low has done an excellent job in conveying the overwhelming heartbreak felt by Val. How do you really get over the loss of a child, well for Val it’s to start a one woman crusade to gain justice for her daughter? The stakeout scenes with her and best friend Josie were very funny and brought a lightness to these emotional parts.

I loved reading about Jen’s journey as she tries to follow Dee’s dream and keep their travel business alive. As Jen delves into Dee’s world of travel blogging she begins to realise that her best friend had secrets and wasn’t quite as perfect as everyone else believes.  

With the story being told from Jen, Luke and Val’s perspectives we learn a lot about Dee and how much she loved life and much of a whole she has left in the three people closest to her. I loved how the story developed and was glad there were moments which made me laugh as well as cry throughout this brilliantly told tale.

Shari Low is an excellent storyteller and has taken a very tragic storyline and handled it realistically and sensitively. She has created some great characters who I loved reading about and I’m glad they were able to realise they were all capable of a life without Dee.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria for this review copy, I loved this book and can’t wait to read more by Shari Low.

Blog Tour Review: The Girls of Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke

The Girls of Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke

Published: 1st August 2017

Publisher: Aria

Pages: 340

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Love, marriage, birth, death and betrayal make up life in Mulberry Lane, perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Cathy Sharp.
Maureen Jackson is a prisoner of her father's blackmail. Three years ago, she'd been hoping to marry Rory, the man of her dreams. However after her mother's death Maureen was left to care and work for the overbearing father who claimed he couldn't manage without her. Now Rory is back in London with a pregnant wife in tow and reminds Maureen of the life that should have been hers.
Janet Ashley is the daughter of Peggy and Laurence, landlords of the local pub The Dog and Pheasant on Mulberry Lane. With the war looming, Janet hopes to marry her sweetheart Mike, but her father refuses to grant them his blessing. Going against his wishes Janet finds herself pregnant and Peggy is determined to hold her family together at all costs.
The Girls of Mulberry Lane is the first in a series set in London's East End during WW2.

Review

The Girls of Mulberry Lane is the first novel I’ve read by Rosie Clarke and it tells the tale of three women who live on the lane Maureen, Peggy and her daughter Janet and their changing lives as war breaks out.

Maureen lives with her father and runs the local grocery store. Maureen gave up her dreams of marrying Rory the love of her life when her mother died and her father begged her to stay with him. Years later Maureen is regretting the decision as she’s beginning to feel trapped and when she meets Rory again and finds out he’s married someone else her heart breaks a little more. Maureen tries to open her heart to other men but despite his unavailability its Rory she still yearns for.

Peggy runs the local pub the Pig & Whistle with her husband Laurence. She’s an optimistic and hard-working women who just wants the best for her family, keeping them happy and safe when the war breaks out. Peggy seems the typical lovable landlady and is a favourite among the residents of Mulberry Lane as she is always seeming to be helping someone.

Peggy’s daughter Janet is eighteen and desperately in love with Mike, she’s looking forward to being married to Mike and living round the corner from her mum and being settled and happy. When Mike’s brother returns from the Navy and convinces Mike it’s something he should do to Janet’s future plans look set to be destroyed.

As war breaks out things change on Mulberry Lane and all three of these women have life changing journeys to work through. Janet is the one who has to face the biggest changes in her life as her love for Mike means she must make some difficult decisions which lead her through some traumatic times. I loved that despite the difficulties she faces Janet remains optimistic for her happy ever after and shows she may be young but she has an incredible amount of inner strength.

Maureen also faces big changes in her life as she tries to move on from loving Rory. I loved how much more confident she grew with wise words from her gran and friend Anne. Maureen’s gran was one of my favourite additional characters and regardless of her age she seems to go on and on. I loved how she wasn’t won over by her son’s devious ways and looking out for Maureen was her number one priority.

Peggy’s changes are not as dramatic as the other two girls as she realises her happy marriage is not as it seems but perhaps Peggy has further to go on her journey in the next Mulberry Lane book (fingers crossed).

I loved the way Rosie Clarke has totally captured the spirit of East End life in this book, warts and all. Even though the majority of the plot is just ordinary life as the residents adapt to the new wartime ways I found it fascinating. Among the more loveable characters such as Peggy, Maureen and Janet there are also some devious and truly awful people brought to life just as well, Rory’s wife Velma being at the top, she was such a heartless character with no shame.

As the book drew to a close each characters story is tied up loosely enough to end the book well but there is also things left which can be developed into another book which I loved. I enjoyed everything about this book and it was full of drama, romance and secrets and I found it a perfect example of its genre.

Thank you so much to Aria for the copy to review and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland

Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland

Published: 1st July 2017

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre

Pages: 400

Available in Hardcover and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

You'll never forget the day you meet Robin Wilde!

Robin Wilde is an awesome single mum. She's great at her job. Her best friend Lacey and bonkers Auntie Kath love her and little Lyla Blue to the moon and back. From the outside, everything looks just fine.

But behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things sometimes feel . . . grey. And lonely.

After 4 years (and 2 months and 24 days!) of single-mum-dom, it's time for Robin Wilde to Change. Her. Life!

A little courage, creativity and help from the wonderful women around her go a long way. And Robin is about to embark on quite an adventure . . .

Review

I was sent a sampler of Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland from the publishers and after reading it I was desperate to read the rest of Robin’s story, luckily for me I was then sent the full copy to review but this is one of those books I think every woman should read.

Robin has been a single mum to Lyla for just over four years and on the outside she appears to have everything sorted. She’s an amazing mum to Lyla, great at her job as a make-up artist and loved by those closest to her, best friend Lacey and Auntie Kath. But on the inside Robin is struggling with life and on many days she feels grey and alone. She struggles to connect with fellow school mums, goes from one dating disaster to the next and fights to find anything in her cluttered up house.  One day Robin decides enough is enough and it’s time to get her life back on track. As Robin starts to grab life with both hands things start to happen and maybe….just maybe Robin can have the life she longs for.

I loved Robin from page one of this book she’s full of sass and attitude and such overwhelming love for daughter Lyla that you just can’t help but cheer for her. I could totally identify with her moments of uncertainty about her life, we’ve all been through rough times and what I loved about Robin was she never gave up.

I wasn’t totally convinced by her whole concept of needing a man to feel complete, especially some of the men which meets for dates, but towards the end of the novel she loses this notion and realises she’s great on her own.

I found this book extremely light-hearted and full of fun even though there are some more serious themes making appearances.  One of my favourite scenes involved Robin’s daughter Lyla playing on her phone and having a go on Tinder, so funny to read how mortified Robin is. Another of my favourite scenes involved the Easter Bonnet completion at school. I just loved the reactions of most of the characters in this scene, just brilliant.

I have not encountered Louise Pentland in the world of YouTube so have no pre-conceptions of her as an author. I really enjoyed reading Wilde Like Me for the light-hearted and inspiring book its meant to be. For me it would make the ideal relaxation read, perfect for a beach holiday. I’d love to read more of Robin’s story whether it mirrors Louise’s own life or not.

Thank you to Emily at Bonnier Zaffre for sending me a copy to review.

Blog Tour Review: The Room by the Lake by Emma Dibdin

The Room by the Lake by Emma Dibdin

Published: 10th August 2017

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 310

Available in Hardcover and on Kindle

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Rating: 4/5

Blurb

When Caitlin left London for New York, she thought she'd left her problems behind: her alcoholic father, her dead mother, the unrelenting pressure to succeed. But now, down to her last dollar in a strange city, she is desperately lonely.
Then she finds Jake. Handsome, smart, slightly damaged Jake. And he wants her to meet his family.
He takes her to a lake house in the middle of the woods – in the middle of nowhere. The community there live off-grid. They believe in regular exercise and group therapy. And they're friendly. Really friendly.
Turns out they're not Jake's real family – but isn't family exactly what she's running from?
But as the days drift by, Caitlin starts to feel uneasy. Now that she's no longer running, does she risk getting lost forever?

Review
Emma Dibdin’s debut novel The Room by the Lake is a cleverly written and chilling insight into cult life experienced through our main character Caitlin’s eyes.

Caitlin has arrived in New York after fleeing London and her troubles. Her mother has recently died and she can’t bear to fight with her father over his alcoholism anymore. So she leaves her house, throws her phone in the river and gets on a plane to New York. But now she’s here she desperately lonely, bored and starting to run out of money. Then one night she meets Jake, handsome rugged and slightly damaged she’s instantly drawn to him. After spending a week together Jake asks her to come and visit his family’s lake house a few hours away. Reluctantly Caitlin agrees but she’s not sure more family is what she needs. When she arrives she realises they are not his actual family but a group of people living off-grid and following a regime of exercise, mind therapy and special diets. They seem friendly enough so Caitlin agrees to stay for a while but it’s not long before she starts to get an uneasy feeling about exactly what is going on in this lakeside community.

Right from the start this book made me feel a little unnerved and I felt worried for Caitlin, who seems very lost. She tries to strike up random conversations with strangers in order to become part of their world but this doesn’t work and leaves her more desperate. When she meets Jake she feels like she’s struck gold he seems perfect as he gives her the affection she’s been longing for. I found it very scary just how easily Caitlin was convinced to stay at the lakeside community. She doesn’t seem to question any part of the authority which leader figure Don has instilled in her almost instantly, but then this is what Caitlin has been craving from her father, someone to set boundaries and give punishments.

The majority of the other characters in this book remain a little vague but this works well in the setting they are in, all their personalities seem to mould together and form a united view of the world. The only character other than Jake and Caitlin that I liked was Tyra. There are moments when we see the fun loving cheeky girl she used to be, I wish there had been more of these moments.

There is an eeriness to this book which slowly builds throughout the book making it a very gripping story as you want to read more to find out what this bad thing you’re dreading is. Emma Dibdin has created the perfect atmosphere for this genre and created a very intense read which you won’t be able to put down. As a debut novel I think The Room by the Lake is brilliant and I’m looking forward to what Emma Dibdin has to offer next.

Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me this copy to review and for inviting me on this blog tour.

Blog Tour Review: It Was Only Ever You by Kate Kerrigan

It Was Only Ever You by Kate Kerrigan

Published: 13th July 2017 (PB)

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 448

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Rating: 4/5

Blurb

Set in late 1950s Ireland and New York, the story of three women and the charismatic man with whom their lives are interwoven.

Set, like Maeve Binchy's early bestsellers, in late 1950s Ireland and New York, this is the story of three women and the charismatic man with whom their lives are interwoven.

Patrick Murphy has charm to burn and a singing voice to die for. Many people will recognise his talent. Many women will love him. Rose, the sweetheart he leaves behind in Ireland, can never forget him and will move heaven and earth to find him again, long after he has married another woman. Ava, the heiress with no self-confidence except on the dance floor, falls under his spell. And tough Sheila Klein, orphaned by the Holocaust and hungry for success as a music manager, she will be ruthless in her determination to unlock his extraordinary star quality.

But in the end, Patrick Murphy's heart belongs to only one of them. Which one will it be?

Review

It Was Only Ever You is the latest novel by Kate Kerrigan. Set in the 1950s in both County Mayo, Ireland and New York City it tells the tale of Patrick Murphy, a young charismatic man with a fantastic singing voice whose life becomes entwined with three different women.

In County Mayo young Rose Hopkins the doctor’s daughter and Patrick Murphy a farmer’s son have to keep their love affair a secret for fear their parents will keep them apart. Sadly this is what happens and Patrick is offered the chance to start a new life in America where his dreams of a singing career could become a reality.

After he meets Ava Brogan and Shelia Klein, Patrick’s life changes and all thoughts of Rose and Ireland are left behind, until one day Rose decides she wants her man back and heads to New York to get him. This turns Patrick’s world upside down as he tries to decide which women really has his heart.

I loved the setting for this novel, Kate Kerrigan has perfectly captured the excitement and glitz of the emerging music scene in the 1950s particularly the start of the Rock and Roll era. A lot of the drama is centred on The Emerald Rooms which holds a special place in the hearts of three of our main characters and is the place where many life-changing moments happen.

Patrick is the main male voice in this book and I really wanted to love him. He’s charismatic, he’s handsome and he has an amazing voice and I was longing for him to be a hero for one of these women. Sadly he let me down, not once but twice does he have the chance to fight for the women he loves but instead he just walks away leaving her heartbroken and for me that made him weak and spineless. If he really loved any of them then nothing at all should stand in the way of that love, instead he’s just worried about furthering his career.

I found Rose incredibly spoilt, immature and selfish. She follows Patrick to America on a complete whim not caring about anyone but herself. She doesn’t even stop to question if he even wants her there or not or the consequences of her actions and I just wish she’d stayed in Ireland.

Ava was by far my favourite character in this book. She’s rather plain to look at, a little too tall, intelligent and loves dancing and is finding that all the men around her find her just a little bit too intimidating to date. Which is hard for Ava as all she really wants is too fall in love and live happily ever after. Sadly life doesn’t work like that and Ava has her share of disappointment before she finds her prince.

There are a large number of other characters in this book all slightly linked together, some which add to the story and some which don’t. I think a few less characters and more romance would for me have made this an even more enjoyable read.

It Was Only Ever You is a compelling story of one man and three women, it’s a story of first loves, true loves and passions. It’s a book which I really enjoyed and one which I can recommend for people who want their romances to have a few ups and downs. It’s beautifully written and perfectly captures the essence of the era.

Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to review and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

Blog Tour Review: Tremarnock Summer by Emma Burstall

Tremarnock Summer by Emma Burstall

Published: 30th May 2017

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 384

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

Bramble Challoner has had a very normal upbringing. She lives in a semi in the suburbs of London with her parents and works at the call centre down the road. She still goes out with the boy she met at school. At weekends they stay in and watch films on the telly and sometimes hold hands. Bramble is dying for an adventure.
So when her very grand grandfather, Lord Penrose, dies, leaving his huge, rambling house in Cornwall to her, Bramble packs her bags immediately, dragging along her best friend Katie. The sleepy village of Tremarnock had better be ready for its newest residents...

Review

Tremarnock Summer is the third Tremarnock book by Emma Burstall, it’s a book which could be read as a standalone but feel it would be best read as part of the series like I have done. I started to read it before reading the other two books but felt a bit overwhelmed by what seemed to be three stories in one, so went back and read the other two books first.

The main storyline surrounds Bramble Challoner who lives in Chessington and has lead a very normal life right up until the day she receives a letter from some solicitors telling her she is the sole beneficiary of her grandfather Lord Penrose’s estate, a vast manor house in rural Cornwall. Fed up with her old life Bramble and best friend Katie head to Cornwall to start a new life where rural life and romance come as a bit of a shock for both girls.

The second storyline involves Liz who we know from the previous two books and her struggles with daughter Rosie as she begins to grow up and also Liz has a couple of shocks in this book which leave her very depressed.

Alongside Liz’s storyline is the story of Shannon and her brothers, I felt adding this subplot was a little too much as there were so many characters to keep track of it was hard to know was associated with who. Plus I don’t think these characters really added much to the overall flow of the story.

Bramble was a lovely who character who seemed to long for adventure and this led her into a couple of romantic disasters as she settles into her new life in Cornwall. If I’m honest I wished she ended up with someone else as I enjoyed the chemistry between them. I also loved the way she became a detective working her way around the house trying to work out what kind of man her grandfather was.

As with previous books in this series the thing that I really enjoyed about this book is the way the village all came together after a tragedy to help and look after one another, this community spirit was really heart-warming to read about.

Although this book has a couple of emotional moments it’s a very light read and the perfect holiday read. My favourite moments in this book mostly surrounded Katie who maybe a little immature for her age I still found her endearing as she was always looking for fun.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the previous two Tremarnock books which I have read and am looking forward to what happens next in Tremarnock.

Thank you to the publishers Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to review and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

The Tremarnock Guest House by Emma Burstall

The Cornish Guest House by Emma Burstall

Published: October 2016

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 384

Available in Paperback, Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

A new couple have arrived in Tremarnock, but will these glamorous strangers fit into village life?
Tremarnock is a small fishing village, crowded with holidaymakers in the summer, but a sleepy Cornish backwater at other times of the year.
Here Liz has found refuge with her young daughter, Rosie, after her relationship with Rosie's father came unstuck. Now happily married, all seems set for a quiet autumn and merry Christmas. But strangers have bought the local guest house and seem to have big plans. Why is he so charming and confident, but she so frightened? Are they who they say they are? And what are they really doing with the guest house?

Review

The Cornish Guesthouse by Emma Burstall is the second book in the Tremarnock series, in this book we meet new village residents Tabitha and Luke and learn more about one of Tremarnock’s more individual inhabitants Loveday.

Tabitha and Luke have moved from Manchester into The Stables which the plan to turn into a boutique guesthouse. Luke instantly wins the village over with his charisma and willingness to join in village life. Tabitha seems more reserved and reluctant to let her guard down. What could this mysterious beauty be hiding?

Charismatic Luke has soon won over Loveday who is swooning all over his despite just moving in with boyfriend Jesse. Luke offers Loveday a job, first as nanny to his young son Oscar but soon he’s whisking her away to help in his mysterious office in Plymouth. Has Loveday really found her dream job and is Luke as perfect as everyone thinks?

This is the second book from the Tremarnock series but I feel it could easily be read as a standalone as the main character from the previous book Liz is only a minor character in this book. If you’ve read the previous book then you will enjoy your return to Tremarnock and catching up with the lives of the villagers.

Tabitha initially comes across as a very reserved character who is definitely hiding something, which for me made her a much more interesting character than her husband Luke. I so wanted to know why Tabitha seemed so anxious all the time. As the story develops we learn of Tabitha’s background and how she came to be with Luke. Luke was not a character I warmed to and the more we learnt about Tabitha the less I felt I liked Luke. He seemed a man of two halves, with everyone else he is easy-going, captivating and has everyone completely charmed, even reserved Robert. But when he’s alone he seems controlling and even abusive towards Tabitha and I really didn’t like that.

I loved that in this book we learn more about Loveday as for me she was one of the more intriguing characters from the first book. Despite appearing all hard and standoffish she really is quite a vulnerable girl who just wants attention and when Luke gives her some it goes to her head and turns her world upside down.

In theory I liked the plotline of this book but I felt it was a little unrealistic in its delivery. Are the older generation so easily fooled out of all their money? Maybe some, but I disliked the way all old people seemed to be portrayed as weak and naïve. I also found the treatment of Jesse in the book very unjustified and unbelievable, how can a village of people who’ve known him forever suddenly make him out to be the biggest villain on practically just the assumptions of an outsider, it just didn’t seem to fit with what I knew of the community spirit among the village. I also felt Tabitha fears of her past catching up with her were a little unfounded, is she really that special that a gangster from Manchester would travel to Cornwall just to find her, I’m not so sure.

The Cornish Guest House is an enjoyable read and I enjoyed visiting Tremarnock once more, despite being a little frustrated at times with the plot. I’m looking forward to seeing where the next Tremarnock book takes us.