The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village - Joanna Nell

Description

It's never too late to grow old disgracefully...

The life of 79-year-old pensioner Peggy Smart is as beige as the décor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. The highlight of Peggy's day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim.

Peggy dreams of inviting the handsome widower - treasurer of the Residents' Committee and one of the few eligible men in the village - to an intimate dinner. But why would an educated man like Brian, a chartered accountant no less, look twice at Peggy? As a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties.

But a chance encounter with an old school friend she hasn't seen in five decades - the glamorous fashionista Angie Valentine - sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

Can she channel her 'inner Helen Mirren' and find love and friendship in her twilight years?

Review

Due to the title, I began this book thinking it was going to be set in South America, one of the native regions for the plant. As I began to read and references were made to Woolworths - I thought it was in the UK. Not until I was a good way through did it become apparent that it was in fact set in Australia! I now know that Coles is a famous Australian department store - but I thought it was a made up name for the book!

Anyway, it just goes to show the similarities between the UK and life down under in retirement villages and peoples perceptions - I did think they were brave going to the seaside lol! It also turns out that the author is a GP who grew up in the UK and now lives in Australia. This probably accounts for the sympathetic Dr who takes over at the retirement village and finally Peggy can reveal her hidden secret.

This was such a gentle, funny book and I couldn't wait to get back to it each time to read some more. Peggy has a great turn of phrase and her internal dialogue had be chuckling along. Peggy is maybe getting a little confused in her later years but only as much as could be expected. However, her children have other ideas and she dreads the day when they take her for the "car ride" from which she never returns to her little unit. Peggy has after all seen it happen all too many times before to other residents. 

The rivalry between everyone (well the ladies) at the Retirement village for the eligible men was very entertaining. With a "will they won't they" theme running through the book, as Peggy wonders if it's all worth it anymore at her age. Then there is Angie Valentine the glamorous old school friend, Peggy finds she has moved into the village after not seeing her for many years. Is she a new rival?

There is some back story throughout to times when Peggy and Angie were school girls and then at their first job working together. Peggy always thought she was the underdog in their friendship - will that be still true all these years later, especially when Angie decides to take her in hand and give her a makeover.

A delightful read, I loved every second of it. I'm giving the book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for a ARC to review.

Everything is Lies - Helen Callaghan

Description

**THE NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER DEAR AMY **

No-one is who you think they are

Sophia's parents lead quiet, unremarkable lives. At least that is what she's always believed.

Everyone has secrets

Until the day she arrives at her childhood home to find a house ringing with silence. Her mother is hanging from a tree. Her father is lying in a pool of his own blood, near to death.

Especially those closest to you

The police are convinced it is an attempted murder-suicide. But Sophia is sure that the woman who brought her up isn't a killer. As her father is too ill to talk it is up to Sophia to clear her mother's name.

And to do this she needs to delve deep into her family's past - a past full of dark secrets she never suspected were there . . .

What if your parents had been lying to you since the day you were born?

Review

I enjoyed the previous book by Helen "Dear Amy" so I was keen to read this one and I enjoyed it every bit as much as her last book.

The title is certainly true! When you read "what if your parents had been lying to you since the day you were born" you may think you could second guess what will happen in the book - but believe me you won't.

The book begins with Sophia and the background of her working and living in London, not wanting to return to her Suffolk roots, despite her Mother being very needy. Sophia is then informed that her parents have been involved in an incident. Her mother has committed suicide but not before attacking her father who was left for dead. 

The book then begins a flip flop to the past of the mother. What follows is very unnerving reading.  

With flips back to present day the plot became like an MI5 novel with Sophia being followed and a knife attack of her own. 

Towards the end of the book I found the events very chilling and was inwardly screaming at Sophia not to follow a request she receives. Such an usual subject for a book - I will not spoil it by going into any details. 

Although I thought I had guessed some of what was going to be found out, the very final twist I never saw coming.  There are a few loose ends in the book - I wonder if a follow on book is planned? 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley for a ARC to review.

The Last One - Alexandra Oliva

Description

She wanted an adventure. She never imagined it would go this far.TWELVE CONTESTANTS
When Zoo agrees to take part in a new reality TV show, In The Dark, she knows that she will be tested to the limits of her endurance. Beating eleven competitors in a series of survival tasks deep in the forest will be the ultimate challenge before she returns home to start a family.

A GAME WITH NO END
As the contestants are overcome by hunger, injury and psychological breakdown, the mind games to which Zoo is subjected grow dark beyond belief. This isn't what she signed up for: the deserted towns and gruesome props. Is this a game with no end? alone and disoriented, Zoo must summon all her survival skills - and learn new ones as she goes . . .

Review

The idea of this book really appealed to me, however, I struggled to read it. It's only 350 pages but it's taken me far longer to read than a book of that length would normally take me. 

Imagine all that happens on a reality show, and every word of it written down, plus all the stuff you don't see that happens off camera - it makes for a very long 350 pages. I understand that if you commit to writing about a reality tv show you have to be in it for the long haul - it just wasn't for me. It felt a little groundhog day.

There is also the mechanism of the flip flop story telling. To begin with this confused me as I thought I had missed something. The action goes from the reality tv show as it begins and progresses to the reality tv show much later on. Once I realised that it was ok, but I couldn't understand the need for it. 

Towards the end there is a twist which I can see maybe necessitates the flip flop approach, except by then I had worked out what was happening anyway and just waited for the character to catch up. I thought it was a little far fetched but can see that the way the character has to cope without a vital piece of her everyday life could just about mean that she is slow on the uptake.

This is YA fiction - however I think the YA audience are just as smart if not smarter than some of the older generation. I personally feel they may get bored with the book before the ending. 

I did enjoy the parts of the book which related what was happening and what the TV editor would be broadcasting - very interesting and will make me rethink some of what I see on TV.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy to review.

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore - Matthew Sullivan

Description

When a bookshop patron commits suicide, it’s his favorite store clerk who must unravel the puzzle he left behind in this fiendishly clever debut novel.

Lydia Smith lives her life hiding in plain sight. A clerk at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, she keeps a meticulously crafted existence among her beloved books, eccentric colleagues, and the BookFrogs—the lost and lonely regulars who spend every day marauding the store’s overwhelmed shelves.

But when Joey Molina, a young, beguiling BookFrog, kills himself in the bookstore, Lydia’s life comes unglued. Always Joey’s favorite bookseller, Lydia has inherited his meager worldly possessions. Trinkets and books; the detritus of a lonely man. But when Lydia flips through his books she finds them defaced in ways both disturbing and inexplicable. They reveal the psyche of a young man on the verge of an emotional reckoning. And they seem to contain a hidden message. What did Joey know? And what does it have to do with Lydia?

As Lydia untangles the mystery of Joey’s suicide, she unearths a long-buried memory from her own violent childhood. Details from that one bloody night begin to circle back. Her distant father returns to the fold, along with an obsessive local cop, and the Hammerman, a murderer who came into Lydia’s life long ago and, as she soon discovers, never completely left. Bedazzling, addictive and wildly clever, Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore is a heart-pounding mystery that perfectly captures the intellect and eccentricity of the bookstore milieu.

Review

From the cover I thought this was going to be a bit of a magical type of book, how wrong I was and how so much better it was too. It's been on my TBR for a while and the thing about just seeing the title is that I had forgotten what the book was going to be about.

The words "Bookstore" had enticed me in yet again but I was not disappointed on what I found inside this book. A really unusual story that was so beautifully told and also so gripping that I read most of the book in one day. I just couldn't put it down.

When Lydia is left a pile of books by a customer at the Bookstore and finds they contain snippets cut from the pages in a random pattern a mystery ensues.  I loved this part of the book the most, so fascinating to follow the clues. The mystery is intriguing what follows begins a trail that leads Lydia to an answer she nor the reader ever expects.

At the heart of the book is a tragedy but the humour and easily readable style means that you don't really ever feel threatened by it, just drawn into the book completely. Great characters vividly drawn means that the book just never gets boring.

I'm giving this book five out of five stars. My thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.  

If I Die Before I Wake- Emily Koch

Description

HOW DO YOU SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER?

Everyone believes Alex is in a coma, unlikely to ever wake up. As his family debate withdrawing life support, and his friends talk about how his girlfriend Bea needs to move on, he can only listen.

But Alex soon begins to suspect that the accident that put him here wasn’t really an accident. Even worse, the perpetrator is still out there and Alex is not the only one in danger.

As he goes over a series of clues from his past, Alex must use his remaining senses to solve the mystery of who tried to kill him, and try to protect those he loves, before they decide to let him go.

A stunning edge-of-your-seat debut novel with an unforgettable narrator.

Review

This story is told by Alex who is in a coma. The first thing that struck me was how awful it must be to be sentient but no one knows that you are. I struggled with this to begin with as the writing was so good it felt so real and painful to read.

What is clever about this book is that the whole thing is set in the hospital room that Alex is in - we never get to see any other scenes, we only learn about them from his visitors. Luckily the visitors talk to him, relaying snippets that help us and Alex form a view of what is going on in the world around him.

For the first third of the book I began to wonder if I could stick with this. It got a little monotonous, all the visitors once you knew who they were then revisited and not much more was forthcoming about what could happen to Alex. It was literally groundhog day - which of course for Alex it was over and over again in his comatose state.

Then things moved on and a whodunnit element began to weave into the book, getting me to suspect anyone and everyone. I then was on a mission to finish the book as soon as I could, I was really gripped by it to the very end.

Fantastic writing, realistic portrayal of hospital life for a patient and such an original concept. I'm giving it five out of five stars and my thanks to Netgalley.

The Last Dance - Aimee Brown

I'm here today with a cover reveal! I loved Aimee's book The Little Gray Dress and am pleased to be able to share with you the release details for her new book. The Last Dance.

About the book

Can you truly forgive and forget?

Ambri and Henry have been best friends forever. They’ve been through the highs and lows of life with each other by their sides.

The worst? When Henry’s wife, and Ambri’s sister, died. Together, they can face it all. Until one night destroys everything. Two years after he stepped out of it Henry walks back into Ambri’s life and she’s more than a little shocked.

But as old friends fall into even older habits they need to decide whether they can forget the past and embrace their future.

Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult and Anna Bell.

Pre-order link:

Mybook.to/TheLastDance

About the author

Aimee Brown is a writer of romantic comedies set in Portland, Oregon, and an avid reader. She spends much of her time writing, raising three teenagers, binge-watching shows on Netflix and obsessively cleaning and redecorating her house. She’s fluent in sarcasm and has been known to utter profanities like she’s competing for a medal. Aimee grew up in Oregon, but is now a transplant living in cold Montana with her husband of twenty years, three teenage children, and far too many pets. She is a lot older than she looks and yes, that is a tattoo across her chest. (In the Portlandia spirit, yes, I lived many years in PDX and I do indeed have a bird tattooed on me (2!)) Aimee is very active on social media. You can find her at any of the networks below. Stop by and say hello!

Follow Aimee:

Twitter: @AimeeBWrites

Instagram:@authoraimeeb

Facebook: @authoraimeeb

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Facebook: @ariafiction

Instagram: @ariafiction

Social Creature - Tara Isabella Burton

Description

A friendship to die for.

Louise is struggling to survive in New York; juggling a series of poorly paid jobs, renting a shabby flat, being cat-called by her creepy neighbour, she dreams of being a writer. And then one day she meets Lavinia. Lavinia who has everything – looks, money, clothes, friends, an amazing apartment… 

Lavinia invites Louise into her charmed circle, takes her to the best parties, bars, the opera, shares her clothes, her coke, her Uber account. Louise knows that this can’t last for ever, but just how far is she prepared to go to have this life? Or rather, to have Lavinia’s lie?

A Ripley story for the Instagram age set in contemporary New York; a world at once sophisticated and sordid, irresistible and irresponsible, unforgettable yet unattainable

Review

The two main characters are moneyed Lavinia and down at heel although smart and educated Louise. I didn't care for either of the characters as they are both so self absorbed each in their own way. Louise seems to be completely in Lavania's control - but maybe not all is what it seems and this is hinted at throughout the book with references to the future. I was surprised when I learnt exactly how the future events were arrived at. 

Comparisons are drawn between this book and the Mr Ripley stories. Certainly it is set in a privileged New York background with Lavinia spending money like it's going out of fashion but not working for it, her parents providing her with a substantial allowance.

Whether it was the background it was set against, with the talk of parties, lavish dresses, men treating women as less than equal most of the time and everyone having names from the 1920's; I kept forgetting it was set in the modern day. Every so often there would be a spate of posts to Instagram and then Facebook updates and I would have a jolt back to the 21st Century.

Towards the last third of the book when events take a different turn, the social media side does come more into its own. Made for an interesting twist on the tale. It is this part of the book that took it from 3 to 4 stars for me as up until this point I was finding it all just so pretentious and a little boring. 

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for an ARC for review.

Did you see Melody? - Sophie Hannah

Description

Pushed to breaking point, Cara Burrows abandons her home and family and escapes to a five-star spa resort she can't afford. Late at night, exhausted and desperate, she lets herself into her hotel room and is shocked to find it already occupied - by a man and a teenage girl.

A simple mistake on the part of the hotel receptionist - but Cara's fear intensifies when she works out that the girl she saw alive and well in the hotel room is someone she can't possibly have seen: the most famous murder victim in the country, Melody Chapa, whose parents are serving life sentences for her murder.

Cara doesn't know what to trust: everything she's read and heard about the case, or the evidence of her own eyes. Did she really see Melody?

And is she prepared to ask herself that question and answer it honestly if it means risking her own life?

Review

As I began to read this book I found I had no sympathy at all for Cara Burrows. Which was unfortunate as she is the main character in the book. All I could think of was her selfish attitude and how really stupid she seemed to be. So when she claims to have seen a girl whom she later finds to be a girl presumed murdered I really had little faith in her claims.

I have never read any of Sophie Hannah's books before and it struck me that her style had much in common with Agatha Christie. I now know that she did in fact write the first new Hercule Poirot mysteries since Agatha Christie's death. The book certainly has the feel of something that although set in the present day could well have been set in a Country House in the 1920s.

Large portions of the book are given over to Cara watching and reading material around the disappearance of Melody which I found a little heavy going. However, once the mystery was afoot so to speak, I did get caught up with the "whodunnit" aspect of the story.

Overall I think it was a clever  and unusual plot - just took a while to get going and for that reason I am giving the book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

Antiques and Alibis - Wendy H. Jones #LoveBooksGroupTours

Description

Cass Claymore, a red headed, motorbike riding, ex-ballerina inherits a Detective Agency, and accidentally employs an ex-con dwarf and an octogenarian. Hired by a client who should know better, Cass has no leads, no clue and a complete inability to solve a case. Still a girl needs to eat and her highbred client’s offering good money. Join her as, with bungling incompetence, she follows a trail littered with missing antique teddies, hapless crooks, a misplaced Lord of the Realm and dead bodies. Will Cass, and Scotland, survive?

I'm so pleased to be part of the book tour for this book. You can read about who else is on the tour and more about the author below. Together with a link to purchase the book.

Review

The description of the PI in this novel got my attention, as she's a motorbike riding ex ballerina - whose inherited a Detective agency. Great bring it on.

As you will gather from this and the fact that she's employing an ex-con dwarf and an octogenarian not to mention the oversized dog she also inherited, it is all a bit tongue in cheek. There is however detecting to be done and also death, menacing threats and guns, so not that tongue in cheek.

I liked Cass - she takes it all in her stride with sarcasm, childminding and one liners that I wish I had thought up.  I wondered would I be able to find out who dunnit before she did? As she hasn't quite graduate from PI school yet, but knows how to use her ballerina moves to her advantage, just like in Red Sparrow. She also has her vertically challenged sidekick Quill, who in my mind I cast as Warwick Davis. He's very entertaining and full of surprises too. I really enjoyed this character in the book.

If you are a fan of Stephanie Plum from the Janet Evanovich novels, well this book will be right up your street. The writing is fast paced and with some Scottish dialect that might slow you down on occasion but it adds to the feel of the book.

I'm giving this book five out of five stars and my thanks to the author and Love Books Group Tours for a review copy of the book. Love the cover too.

Link to buy the book https://amzn.to/2D3GT42

Author Information

Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie, is set in the beautiful city of Dundee, Scotland. Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years. This took her all over the world including Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Much of her spare time is now spent travelling around the UK, and lands much further afield. As well as nursing Wendy also worked for many years in Academia. This led to publication in academic textbooks and journals. Killer's Countdown is her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mystery series. Killer's Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2107. There are now six books in this series with Killer's Crypt being released in August, 2017. The Dagger's Curse is the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries for Young Adults. This book is currently shortlisted for the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year. She is also a highly successful marketer and she shares her methods in the book, Power Packed Book Marketing.

You can find her on Twitter

@WendyHJones

#FashionVictim - Amina Akhtar

Description

A darkly thrilling take on the fashion world, #FashionVictim is Dexter meets The Devil Wears Prada.

New York City fashion editor Anya St. Clair is on the verge of greatness. Her wardrobe is to die for. Her social media is killer. And her career path is littered with the bodies of anyone who got in her way. She’s worked hard to get where she is, but she doesn’t have everything.

Not like Sarah Taft. Anya’s obsession sits one desk away. Beautiful, stylish, and rich, she was born to be a fashion world icon. From her beach-wave blonde hair to her on-trend nail art, she’s a walking editorial spread. And Anya wants to be her friend. Her best friend. Her only friend.

But when Sarah becomes her top competition for a promotion, Anya’s plan to win her friendship goes into overdrive. In order to beat Sarah…she’ll have to become her. Friendly competition may turn fatal, but as they say in fashion:One day you’re in, and the next day you’re dead.

Review

I love reading about the world of fashion and magazines and so those words were a draw to this book for me. The book does have lots of that in spades, it's also set in New York another one of my fave locations.  I loved the rivalry between the staff at La vie and Anya's desperate need to be a part of the trinity that contains Sarah and Jack.

What I wasn't prepared for was the lengths that Anya will go to, to get what she wants. This is no Ugly Betty or Mean Girls, it's more like Saw meets the Devil wears Prada with a little of The Heathers! There is even an Editor that Meryl Streep would be proud to play, complete with all those digs at everyone and stealing credit for their work. She'll come to regret that though.

I did find myself grimacing each time a murder took place, but not liking Anya any less - how weird is that? A killer who describes the fashion outfit she's wearing down to the Manolas and makes sure her body shots hit Instagram. The ingenuity of the murders and the story of Anya and her quest to be Sarah's BFF kept me gripped and I wondered how this was all going to end? Well brilliantly would be the answer to that!

The writing is fast paced and there is never really a dull moment in the story. If you love fashion, snark and the darker side of murder then this book will be for you. If you are expecting chick lit then maybe look elsewhere.

I'm giving this book five out of five stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

The Psychology of Time Travel - Kate Mascarenhas

Description

A time-travel murder mystery from a brilliantly original new voice. Perfect for readers of Naomi Alderman's The Power and Emily St John Mandel's Station Eleven.

1967: Four female scientists invent a time-travel machine. They are on the cusp of fame: the pioneers who opened the world to new possibilities. But then one of them suffers a breakdown and puts the whole project in peril...

2017: Ruby knows her beloved Granny Bee was a pioneer, but they never talk about the past. Though time travel is now big business, Bee has never been part of it. Then they receive a message from the future – a newspaper clipping reporting the mysterious death of an elderly lady...

2018: When Odette discovered the body she went into shock. Blood everywhere, bullet wounds, flesh. But when the inquest fails to answer any of her questions, Odette is frustrated. Who is this dead woman that haunts her dreams? And why is everyone determined to cover up her murder?

Review

Having read just about every time travel novel there is I was wondering how different this tale could be. As soon as I began to read it I had no need to wonder any more - this is a unique novel containing time travel with so many fabulous ideas.

I was sucked in straight away - rather than just someone hoping about in time this book has a time travel HQ called The Conclave - it's recognised by the world at large that time travel exists and you can sign up to be a time traveller. 

Even when I was reading this book I was thinking about it - the author really created a whole other world. The time travellers have their own vocabulary and also they can meet and interact with themselves in future or past times, sometimes many versions of them at once!

If that wasn't all enough there is also a murder mystery to solve too. Really this book ended far too soon for me. My only reservation was that I was unable to read it for long periods and so at times I had forgotten who was who. However, I realised that some of the time you didn't know who was who as you hadn't met them yet!

I would caution against this book for those who do not subscribe to the theory of time travelling existing, as you will not like the book, or think it believable; but for someone like me it was a joy to read.

I'm giving this remarkable book five out of five stars. My thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

Formula Q - Alexander Charalambides

Description

A ruthless dictator, an ambitious driver and a race neither can afford to lose.

Vittoria Tarno lives for the speed that only Hyper Q, Earth’s most intense racing sport, can give her, but Vittoria and her team, Goofé Troupé, have been banned from the major league.
Determined to barge back into the spotlight, Vittoria jumps at the chance to be reinstated, but there’s one big catch: she has to accept the challenge of Admiral Suresh, the famously deranged dictator of distant, forbidding Mars.
On Mars Formula Q isn’t bloodless as it is on Earth. With no support, no time to prepare and no hope of winning, Goofé Troupé are thrown into race after race against competitors determined to win the trophy, a giant metal pizza slice known as the Spearhead of Ares.
When Vittoria breaks the speed record held by one of Mars’ great racing heroes, Goofé Troupé are soon racing for more than the honor of their home planet. With a new and dangerous opponent, a regime determined to bring them down and tracks more treacherous than any they’ve seen before, Vittoria and her team face a choice. Will they return home, safe and sound but defeated, or will Goofé Troupé remain on Mars and literally race for their lives?

Review

I had previously read one of the short stories which this book follows on from and was keen to read more. Overall I enjoyed the book but for me it stretched an idea a little too far for a full novel. I must admit I am not one for reading action - I prefer to see it , so the book centres around describing a lot of racing and for me that was not the best part of the book. I did like the politics behind the racing and reading about how team Goofe Troupe get themselves out of scrapes on Mars.

This book is aimed at YA and I am sure they will enjoy it for its quirkiness and the heroine Vittoria and her love of cold pizza. I certainly liked it when she got one over on everyone else but remained true to herself.

I'm giving this book four out of five stars.

My thanks to the author for a copy of the book to review.

Roar - Cecelia Ahern

Description

I am woman. Hear me roar.

Have you ever imagined a different life?
Have you ever stood at a crossroads, undecided?
Have you ever had a moment when you wanted to roar?

The women in these startlingly original stories are all of us: the women who befriend us, the women who encourage us, the women who make us brave.

From The Woman Who Slowly Disappeared to The Woman Who Was Kept on the Shelf and The Woman Who Returned and Exchanged her Husband, discover thirty touching, often hilarious, stories and meet thirty very different women. Each discovers her strength; each realizes she holds the power to make a change.

Witty, tender, surprising, these keenly observed tales speak to us all, and capture the moment when we all want to roar.

Review

I'm not usually one for short stories but these are great reads and you don't get to the end and feel like there should be more, or wondering what happened. Each one is a perfect little life lesson.

When I read the first story I wasn't really expecting it to be quite so off the wall, but once I realised the stories are not totally set in the real world I was fine with it. A little like fairy tales but not always with a happy ever after ending.

My favourite has to be "The woman who thought the grass was greener on the other side" this one actually made me laugh out loud" as well as getting over the message. Another favourite was "The woman who was Pigeonholed."

So if you want a little escapism but with a little wake up call then these are the stories for you. My advice is to read a few at a time and look forward to the rest. I will be re reading them from time to time.  I'm giving this book five out of five stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of the book.

Access Universe - R S Hill

Description

Silver Rainwater, a psychology graduate student on the verge of breaking through the glass ceiling and becoming the first in her family to graduate college, obtain a Ph.D., and gain access to the “American dream,” is running out of time. While struggling to complete her psychology mentor’s interactive dream catalog, embrace her complicated heritage, deal with her mother’s escalating addiction, and confront a past that haunts her relentlessly, Silver finds herself in the unique position to teach a rogue artificial intelligence the difference between right and wrong and how to make ethical decisions.
The relationship starts after Silver experiences a catastrophic data crash that could end her graduate school career. She is invited by a Systematic Network Infiltration System (Sneeze) to play a secret online game at Access Universe where she begins to earn easy money completing simple life challenges. As Silver continues to play Sneeze’s game, she begins to lose sight of her priorities and eventually abandons her ethics for Jimmy Choo, Neiman Marcus and Sax Fifth Avenue. When a rogue player threatens Silver and a good friend ends up dead, Silver and Sneeze must work together to uncover the truth behind the lies and reestablish what it means to be human in this rapidly changing, fast-paced, technology driven world.

Review

When I started out reading this book I was not sure I would like it. The language being used and the content were not what I was expecting. Luckily I kept with it for the first 20 pages or so and once the tech side kicked in I was hooked.

There are so many themes in this book - you have the basic tech story of Silver interacting with the computer, but also the people she encounters whilst doing so turn it into a thriller. There are moral tales of what she is doing - is it wrong or right. Then there is the heritage side of the character of Silver. She has a very complex background and the part I loved the most, Native American heritage. I really felt the author tapped into something here with the dream analogy and the sensory ability and intuition which fascinates me.

The book was so deep at times I did feel I was reading a text book, however it was educational too. Silver also has some difficult issues from her past and near the end of the book the computer helps her to deal with them - tough love, and it was written brilliantly.

I can see this being turned into a film - someone really needs to read this and see the potential for the big screen. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. R S Hill certainly has a fantastic imagination.

The Little Paris Patisserie - Julie Caplin

Description

In a cosy corner of Paris, a delicious little patisserie is just waiting to be discovered. And romance might just be on the menu…

As the youngest of four, Nina Hadley has always had her big brothers telling her what to do. So, when she’s given the chance to move to Paris and help run a patisserie course, she can’t say au revoir quick enough!

There’s just one problem: high-flying chef Sebastian Finlay is the owner of the patisserie. He’s also her brother Nick’s best friend – and the man she has secretly been in love with since forever.

Amongst the mouth-wateringly delicious eclairs and delicate macarons, Nina’s culinary creations aren’t the only tempting thing she’s working with…

Review

Once I got this book for review it leapfrogged over many books on my TBR pile. Julie Caplin is I have to say now one of my favourite authors. This is the third book of hers I have read and it was just as wonderful as the previous two. It's a standalone book so you don't need to have read the other two first.

Nina finds herself in Paris organising a patisserie course at a run down patisserie. The course is to be run by an old crush of hers called Sebastian. He's made it clear he could do without her being there, but as he's broken his leg she is his only hope.

I really didn't want this book to end - it was just so lovely to come back to each time and read all about the people and the course they are on. The references to Paris and the streets, the visits to Laudree made me feel I was back in Paris myself.  I also loved all the vintage finds in the Patisserie - it just felt like I discovering everything with them. Of course there is some romance but it seems as if it will never work out, the cliff hangers were great.

If you want to lose yourself in a world of patisserie, Paris and old world charm then this is the book for you. If you are on a diet - maybe not!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

One day in December - Josie Silver

Description

Two people.

Ten chances.

One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist. After all, life isn't a scene from the movies, is it? But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away.

Laurie thinks she'll never see the boy from the bus again. But at their Christmas party a year later, her best friend Sarah introduces her to the new love of her life. Who is, of course, the boy from the bus.

Determined to let him go, Laurie gets on with her life. But what if fate has other plans?

Following Laurie, Sarah and Jack through ten years of love, heartbreak and friendship, One Day in December is a joyous, heart-warming and immensely moving love story that you'll want to escape into forever, for fans of Jojo Moyes, Lucy Diamond and Nicholas Sparks. 

Review

Laurie is sitting on a bus when she first sees a man who she decides is "the one" but the bus moves on, the guy doesn't get on the bus and that's it - except she can't stop thinking about him. For one year she tries to track him down without success, until she meets him again. Only this time he's now the boyfriend of her best friend and he's called Jack.

She doesn't let on that he is "the one" she has been raving about for a year to her best friend and so begins a journey 10 years of being Jack's friend.  With the story being told through both the eyes of Laurie and Jack so we get what's running through both of their thoughts as we progress through the story.

To begin with I felt this book was a little slow - I didn't connect with the characters and also couldn't see that Laurie and Jack were that connected either. I'm not a big one for romance per se - I do like there to be some sort of a back story and eventually that is what happened in the book. There was a story other than just Laurie and Jack and slowly I began to care about the characters in this book and felt a bond with them. Each new chapter brought changes in their lives and how the bond between Jack and Laurie evolved and grew with some very poignant scenes between them - still friends. 

I devoured this book over a couple of days because once it took hold of me I had to know what was going to happen to everyone.There were also some great supporting characters in her best friend Sarah, Oscar and the MIL aka HRH Lucille. Great writing that was so easy to read.

The end of the book has to be up there with some all time great love scenes - I did shed a few tears and it was a corker of an ending. This has got to be made into a film, I think I would watch it again and again and of course my impatience for the story to get going would be easily resolved!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

The Woman at 72 Derry Lane - Carmel Harrington

Description

On a leafy suburban street in Dublin, beautiful, poised Stella Greene lives with her successful husband, Matt. The perfect couple in every way, Stella appears to have it all. Next door, at number 72 however, lives Rea Brady. Gruff, bad-tempered and rarely seen besides the twitching of her net curtains, rumour has it she’s lost it all…including her marbles if you believe the neighbourhood gossip.

But appearances can be deceiving and when Stella and Rea’s worlds collide they realise they have much in common. Both are trapped in a prison of their own making.

Has help been next door without them realising it?

Review

I haven't read any of the author's books before and was settling in for rather more of a cosy read than some of the dark stuff that the pages contained. To begin with I really wanted to read something else as it was a little too realistic in places to enjoy.

There are three stories told  - Rea, Stella and Skye. I wasn't sure where the story of Skye fitted in and kept trying to second guess it. I think on balance I enjoyed this part of the book the most, although again it had a gritty true to life side to it I thought it was very well written and truly conveyed the horror of the situation that developed.

Towards the end the stories all come together in a surprising way - one I thought I had partly guessed. After lots of outloud "oh no's" from me and cheering on the supporting characters, I was pleased with the ending, which was delayed slightly from where I would have thought it might have been. 

Such realistic writing, which at times I found hard to read so I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

I feel bad about my neck - Nora Ephron

Description

Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally, Heartburn, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail) turns her sharp wit on to her own life.
* Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from
*If the shoe doesn't fit in the shoe store, it's never going to fit
*When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you
*Anything you think is wrong with your body at the age of thirty-five you will be nostalgic for by the age of forty-five
*The empty nest is underrated
*If only one third of your clothes are mistakes, you're ahead of the game

Review

I love Nora Ephron films and thought that I should read this book - it's been on my tbr list for so many years. I guess I was putting it off in case it wasn't as good as the films - sometimes writers just aren't as funny. I'm pleased to say it did not disappoint me, I really liked this collection of essays and the subject matter. I would say that don't read it unless you are at least over 50, you just won't get it.

There were lots of ah ha, moments for me and her droll sense of humour was wonderful. However also as I was reading it I felt sad - as she talks about her legacies and what they might be especially that now Nora is no longer with us.

Near the end is a chapter "What I wish I'd known" with some great bits of advice. My favourite has got to be "you can order more than on dessert" - who knew!

Believe Me - J P Delaney

Description

Claire Wright likes to play other people. 

A British drama student, in New York without a green card, Claire takes the only job she can get: working for a firm of divorce lawyers, posing as an easy pick-up in hotel bars to entrap straying husbands.

When one of her targets becomes the subject of a murder investigation, the police ask Claire to use her acting skills to help lure their suspect into a confession. But right from the start, she has doubts about the part she's being asked to play. Is Patrick Fogler really a killer . . . Or the only decent husband she's ever met? And is there more to this set-up than she's being told?

And that's when Claire realises she's playing the deadliest role of her life . . .

Review

I was attracted to reading this book as I loved the previous novel by J P Delaney, The Girl Before. It turns out that this book was actually his first book. However, he totally rewrote it, keeping just the overall premise of the book before republishing after the success of The Girl Before. 

Claire is playing a dangerous game - not only does she not have a green card to work in the USA she's staring in her own show over and over again to entrap straying husbands. For the first few chapters of the book I felt a little sick, scared for Claire of what could happen to her in what I felt was a dangerous game.

That was only the beginning though. Suddenly Claire is part of a murder investigation, is she a suspect? Maybe if she plays a part again she can clear her name. By this point in the novel I had to distance myself from Claire otherwise I would not have been able to read the book, scared of the danger she has placed herself into.

Once I had settled myself into Claire's new role things began to settle down and then the tables turned, everything I had read was put into doubt. Several more twists and turns abound until really I couldn't take anymore and just wanted to know what was real and what was acting

Really I should have known that Claire is always the actress......

Be prepared for a roller coaster of a ride to rethink what you think you know and what the author wants you to know!

I'm giving this book 4 out of five stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Driven - Dane Cobain

Description

Meet private detective James Leipfold, computer whizzkid Maile O'Hara and good-natured cop Jack Cholmondeley in the first book of the Leipfold series.

A car strikes in the middle of the night and a young actress lies dead in the road. The police force thinks it's an accident, but Maile and Leipfold aren't so sure.

Putting their differences aside, and brought together by a shared love of crosswords and busting bad guys, Maile and Leipfold investigate. But not all is as it seems, as they soon find out to their peril.

Review

I've followed Dane Cobain through social media for some time and so when he quit his day job to become a full time writer I was intrigued what his books would be like. I've had this book on my personal tbr list for some time and am so glad I finally got around to reading it.

It really was a cracking read. I loved the characters, especially Maile with her bang up to date internet sleuthing skills. In fact the book was full of great tech references even down to the killer car. Once I started to read I really couldn't put it down, I just loved the writing it flowed beautifully from the page. It reminded me a little of Galbraith's duo in that we have a PI down on his luck who lives mainly in his office and an assistant willing to work for little or nothing. The writing was just as good as Galbraith too.

Kept me guessing to the end as to who did what and why - a great twisting and turning plot. I would love to give the book five stars but I am going with four. Much as I love Agatha Christie I wasn't such a fan when Dane decided to use one of her literary vehicles in his book! Just didn't hit the spot with me. I won't say more as I don't do spoilers, maybe he meant it as a homage?

How to live Japanese - Yutaka Yazawa

Description

With nearly 60 per cent of us living in cities, the mega-city of Tokyo, through centuries of raze and rebuild, is surely the guiding light for how we can live together amicably in an ever-urbanising world.
 
Not only is Japan the mother of all metropolis’ but with two thirds of the country covered in forest, there is still much respect and celebration of the natural world, with people perfectly placed to make the most of the green space around them. From the art of making tea, to going for a hike, or celebrating imperfections, there are ceremonies the Japanese have been honing for centuries that thrive alongside modern traditions and practices of well-being.
 
From Miyazaki to mountains, sake to sparking joy, find your Zen and make time to learn about how to live Japanese. Whether it’s the cutting edge of film-making, revolutionizing the whisky market or competing with parents on lunchboxes, you’ll be all the better for some time spent with How to Live Japanese.
 
From Japanese writer, Yutaka Yazawa, this is the ultimate insider’s guide to the country of Japan, full of inspiration and insight to help you experience the very best of Japanese design, cookery, philosophy, and culture. So get outdoors, be gracious to your neighbour and start harmonizing your all too busy life.

Review

This is an absolutely beautiful book with many wonderful illustrations and photographs. Unfortunately there is no key to photographs - if you have been to Tokyo many of them you will recognise, but to the uninitiated it may have been nice to give details of the locations. It is also not a complete guide to the regions - I would have loved to have read about the Hokuriku region which is where I visited, but it is not covered.

This is not a book in the style of Marie Kondo with the advice on how to actually live in the Japanese style. Rather it is an observation by a Japanese person who very cleverly interprets for the western mind the culture and essence of Japan. You will not buy this book and begin to live like a Japanese person, you will however have some understanding of why certain things are done they way they are in Japan.

Different areas of Japan are highlighted and a little history about that area. Every aspect of life is covered from birth, naming babies to funerals. Things I have never read in a book about Japan before. Festivals by month are given There is also a small glossary of Japanese phrases that have no literal translation - again not something I have seen written down before.

As someone who has visited Japan I found this book fascinating and a memento of my time there. If you are yet to visit or just intrigued this is a good book to become acquainted with Japan.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of the book.