Things we have in common - Tasha Kavanagh

Yasmin would give anything to have a friend . . . 
And do anything to keep one.

The first time I saw you, you were standing at the far end of the playing field. You were looking down at your brown straggly dog, but then you looked up, your mouth going slack as your eyes clocked her. Alice Taylor. I was no different. I used to catch myself gazing at the back of her head in class, at her silky fair hair swaying between her shoulder blades.

If you'd glanced just once across the field you'd have seen me standing in the middle on my own, looking straight at you, and you'd have gone back through the trees to the path quick, tugging your dog after you. You'd have known you'd given yourself away, even if only to me.

But you didn't. You only had eyes for Alice.

Let me just begin my review by saying WOW!

I'm not sure why I chose to review this book. It may have been that it said it was similar to "Curious Incident of the dog in the night time". I started to read it and I wasn't sure what it was all about, and the one thing that I still miss about having a "real" book is referring back to the cover. So I re read the synopsis and started again. 

It took me a while to get into the fact that the book is told through the eyes of a teenager called Yasmin. However, once I did - boy I could not put this book down. For me it was reminiscent in plot to "Gone Girl" which I thorough enjoyed. It also had echoes of "The Lovely Bones". But enough comparisons because this book really deserves to stand in its own limelight.

So began my train of thoughts -  "is she making it all up in her head", "is this really happening". Then I went onto - "yes, I knew it" followed later by being completely wrong! It is on reflection a very dark book but because it is told through Yasmin that never really hit me whilst I was reading it. A few really clever twists that I never saw coming or even had time to guess because I was reading so fast I wanted to know what happened next.

The writing is absolutely brilliant, and I totally forgot that an adult had written this. It was just like being inside a teenagers head - scary at times, yet so insightful. There were parts when my heart was literally in my mouth as I felt for Yasmin and what she was going through.

I'm just still trying to come to terms with the ending. I do like a book where it is all done and dusted rather than being left thinking "so what happens now?".............

My thanks go to Netgalley for allowing me an e copy of this book to review.

The Confectioner's Tale - Laura Madeleine

What secrets are hiding in the heart of Paris?

At the famous Patisserie Clermont in Paris, 1909, a chance encounter with the owner’s daughter has given one young man a glimpse into a life he never knew existed: of sweet cream and melted chocolate, golden caramel and powdered sugar, of pastry light as air.

But it is not just the art of confectionery that holds him captive, and soon a forbidden love affair begins.

Almost eighty years later, an academic discovers a hidden photograph of her grandfather as a young man with two people she has never seen before. Scrawled on the back of the picture are the words ‘Forgive me’. Unable to resist the mystery behind it, she begins to unravel the story of two star-crossed lovers and one irrevocable betrayal.

The story in this book alternates between 1988 in England and 1910 in Paris. 

In 1910 we have Gui and his story, whilst in 1988 we have Petra an academic who find amongst her deceased Grandfathers papers a photograph from Paris in 1910. 

To begin with I found it a little slow in 1988 and was glad when the book went back to 1910, but slowly the pace picks up in 1988 as the mystery deepens and Petra becomes a sleuth. I did find there was equal suspense in each of the decades and a cliffhanger ending left you want more.

I presume the author chose the 1980s as with modern day technology and social media this mystery would have been solved much quicker! So the 1980s suits the pace of the tale and has a little mystery of its own too.

I loved the social history aspect of the book regarding Paris in 1910 - so much that we take for granted today was simply a scandal back then. I was also glad I had watched the Great British Bake Off as otherwise I would simply not have been able to visualise some of the patisserie that were created other than choux buns.

All in all a good tale with an ending that I will not spoil for you. Suffice to say it had a sweet little twist!

My thanks to Netgalley for a free e copy of the book to review.

Techbitch - Lucky Sykes and Jo Piazza

Imogen Tate, editor-in-chief of Glossy magazine, is a legend in the fashion world. But when she returns from a sabbatical to find her twenty-six-year-old former assistant, Eve Morton, behind her desk, she realises times are changing.

Armed with a business degree, naked ambition and an iPhone, Eve announces she has been brought in to turn Imogen's beloved magazine into an app. With herself at the helm.

In this terrifying new world, Imogen is almost invisible. In place of her team of dedicated staff is a constantly evolving line of twenty-something bloggers at their desks day and night ('Only losers need sleep!'), amateur snaps instead of elegant photo shoots, and a URL address in place of Imogen's glossy pages.

But Imogen isn't ready to give up her hard-earned career without a fight. Where Eve has Twitter followers, Imogen has experience, talent and real relationships, and she's prepared to fight for the fashion world she knows and loves. Even if it means going to war with a ruthless Techbitch . . .

I LOVED it - keep reading to find out why.

I love fashion - but even if you don't you will love this book as it is about so much more than that. It's about the smart bright young things in any business who think because they can work an app and get online they know it all - experience counts for nothing. Imogen Tate the lead character thinks it's true too - until she begins to turn the tables with the help of some fabulous supporting characters in the form of Rashid who is a tech know all buddy and the fab Aerin Chang who I wish existed in real life as I would love to follow her IG account.

For me this book was Ugly Betty meets The Devil Wears Prada, but was so much better than either of them. The two writers obviously know their fashion stuff and that comes across in the book and makes it so much more of a substantial book than a chick lit novel, this also meant I had to slow my reading speed down! But it relates to any business really with the talk of disruptive thinking and YOLO - the new buzzes. The authors have created the ultimate Techbitch in Eve - you will have met her maybe worked with her - so true to life.

There are some great insights into seeing tech from the viewpoint of someone who is out of the loop but Imogen also catches on fast......

 "Something told her that Eve knew exactly where she was at any given moment. There was probably an app for that" 

also a great reference back to the wonderful Abbot and Costello with the "who's on first base" joke. I've stopped referencing this joke as no one today knows of it - so fab to see it again in a book with an up to date twist.

One little thing that did annoy me is that I can't believe someone in Imogen's position would have become that outdated with tech in a short time away from work - surely her daughter tweets, uses IG - would she really not have had a clue - but I went past it as it did make the book very entertaining.

There was also the article written when Imogen begins tweeting "When olds tweet" - this just made me laugh out loud. Imogen's recovery from it was fantastic.

I don't do spoilers so all I will say is that Imogen turns out to be a "real" lady in business and for me the ending was a little subdued, but I guess that's her style!

My thanks to Netgalley for a free e copy of book to review.

Kept - Elle Field

"Did she really just say that? I am fifteen again, except the reality is I am experiencing full parental horror, aged twenty-five. I want to die."

Life hasn't quite worked out how Arielle Lockley imagined it would. Becoming the next Coco Chanel was always her childhood dream, but she's spent the past four years living a dizzying whirl of glitzy parties, luxurious holidays and daily shopping sprees - all paid for by boyfriend Piers - and not doing anything to make her Coco dreams happen.

When the recession hits, it's not just the economy that takes a tumble and Arielle finds herself living back with her parents, on bad terms with Piers, and having a CV that's as welcome as a pair of knock-off Jimmy Choos. And maybe it's the location, but she's also finding unwelcome thoughts of her childhood sweetheart are popping into her head...

What's a girl to do? Can Arielle figure out what it is she now wants to do with her life and move on, or will she be doomed to spend the rest of her life dwelling over her worst mistakes, stuck listening to her parents' embarrassing dinner table talk each night?

I wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with Arielle the main character in this book as she begins the story with her fare dodging on the train, and not just a short hop, London to Hampshire. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and I’m glad I did, as Arielle loves fashion. She loves styling people and she name drops so many fashion icons that I was drawn into the book so quickly. At first I thought she was like Becky in the Shopaholic series - but I couldn't have been more wrong!

However, then Arielle began to exhaust me with her “what if” thoughts. She was down the path through the gate and over the road and down to the river, before any other character had time to draw breath. So – like a few people can behave in real life.

The book skips back and forth through the present day and the past. A couple of times it led on as if it was still the present, but it dawned on me that we had receded into the past after a page or so due to the references made. Clever, but it threw me out a couple of times.

The storyline never stood still – in fact it was a little bit like one of those action films where you think everyone is going to be safe, then another bombshell lands and shakes it all up again. I liked the unpredictability of it – it kept me interested and made me realise this was not going to be an ordinary girl meets boy chick lit novel.

So many classic lines that Arielle utters, but to quote and explain would just spoil the plot – so read it and find out for yourself. I doubt you’ve ever met a character quite like Arielle. There’s a second book called Lost which is just out – and despite being a little exasperated by Arielle, I would like to know what happens next……….

My thanks to the author for supplying me with a copy of this book to review, and as promised, I read it all before I wrote my review ;) Great cover BTW.

A Summer of Surprises - Jan Ellis

It is two years since Eleanor Mace said farewell to her lover Christophe and returned to Devon. 

Her bookshop in the sleepy seaside town of Combemouth has become the hub of the community and with the new love of her life, Daniel, everything seems to be blissfully plain sailing. 

That is until Freya, Daniel’s ex-wife appears on the scene. 

Hired as an architect for a major celebrity who plans to build an enormous new complex in Combemouth, Freya seeks Daniel’s help to get her ambitious scheme approved. 

Outraged, Eleanor mounts a protest against the scheme – helped by some endangered local wildlife – that gets her noticed by the world’s media, but puts her at risk of losing Daniel. 

As the campaign gains momentum, Eleanor is asked to speak at a conference in Spain, where she unexpectedly bumps into the handsome Christophe – a blast from her past. 

Surely this must be fate? 

Will Eleanor fall for the charms of her French ex-boyfriend, or can she find it in her heart to forgive Daniel and return to Combemouth? 

This is the first time I have read any of Jan Ellis's work and I am thrilled to be able to supply an honest review in exchange for a copy of this novella.

The main character Eleanor owns a bookshop - so I felt right at home with her character straight away especially as she is near my own age, so a little daydreaming along with reading was in order.

There are many little turns of phrase in the book which made be smile and were very true to life. The writing is also very of the now with references to social media and its uses.

The story goes to Spain, and I was disappointed as I wanted to stay in the lovely Devon idyll, however, the writing is so evocative that I was equally enthralled by the scenes set in Spain.

A lovely story, perfect for a quiet afternoon or maybe a long journey - I'm just sorry there wasn't more of it.

Tiffany Girl - Deeanne Gist

As preparations for the 1893 World’s Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany—heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire—seizes the opportunity to unveil his state-of-the-art, stained glass, mosaic chapel, the likes of which the world has never seen.

But when Louis’s dream is threatened by a glassworkers’ strike months before the Fair opens, he turns to an unforeseen source for help: the female students at the Art Students League of New York. Eager for adventure, the young women pick up their skirts, move to boarding houses, take up steel cutters, and assume new identities as the “Tiffany Girls.”

Tiffany Girl is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, a beautiful, budding artist who is handpicked by Louis to help complete the Tiffany chapel. Though excited to live in a boarding house when most women stayed home, she quickly finds the world is less welcoming than anticipated. From a Casanova male, to an unconventional married couple, and a condescending singing master, she takes on a colorful cast of characters to transform the boarding house into a home while racing to complete the Tiffany chapel and make a name for herself in the art world.

As challenges mount, her ambitions become threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?

I have to admit that the title of this book made me request it for review - I love Tiffany glass. I wasn't too sure if this book was going to be to my liking and I had never read anything by the author before. I also read that Deanne was previously the author of "Christian" books and some of her readers have been shocked by this book.

However, only pages in and I was hooked as one of my other great loves "sewing" was referenced in the book. I'm also very interested in social history and was intrigued to know how things were in America in the late 1880s. 

The author has done a fabulous job of researching the era and that of the social customs of the time. She provides great notes at the front of the book, and at the end of the book the author explains those acts in the book which are a vehicle for the story plot and those which actually happened. I have to say the majority is based on fact and it feels that way when you are reading the book. 

The main character Flossie is a bit of a Pollyanna - she sees the good in everything and of course we know life is not like that and so in some respects I guessed some of what befalls her. This did not detract from the storyline though and I was fascinated with the life of a "new woman" as they were called. Also by the way woman were treated in society. I remember working in a department store in the late 1970s and advising ladies that they needed their husband to come into the store and sign the hire purchase agreement for their new washing machine etc as they could not do so themselves!

What is lovely about the writing is the passion that comes over from the character Flossie and her love for painting and the wonderful coloured glass at the Tiffany factory. There is a little romance in there too - however this is not chick lit and I found it endearing and relevant to the storyline and not at all shocking as some of her readers found it to be.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a little of the films "Meet me in St Louis" and in a more modern setting "You've got Mail". There are some relevant illustrations throughout the book which unfortunately on my kindle didn't show up too well - so maybe a good idea to buy a paper version if you are interested in those, especially as some were commissioned especially for the book.

My thanks go to Netgalley and Howard Books for providing me with a review copy of the book.

The Faerie Tree - Jane Cable

How can a memory so vivid be wrong?

I tried to remember the first time I’d been here and to see the tree through Izzie’s eyes. The oak stood on a rise just above the path; not too tall or wide but graceful and straight, its trunk covered in what I can only describe as offerings – pieces of ribbon, daisy chains, a shell necklace, a tiny doll or two and even an old cuckoo clock.

"Why do people do this?" Izzie asked.

I winked at her. "To say thank you to the fairies."

In the summer of 1986 Robin and Izzie hold hands under The Faerie Tree and wish for a future together. Within hours tragedy rips their dreams apart.

In the winter of 2006, each carrying their own burden of grief, they stumble back into each other’s lives and try to create a second chance. But why are their memories of 1986 so different? And which one of them is right?

----------

I have fairly eclectic tastes when it comes to reading but probably what underlies my reading choices most is a mystery.  I wouldn't put this book into my usual choice category, but it did seem to have an air of mystery about it and I hoped the romance element wasn't going to be too prevalent. The title indicated to me that it was going to be a stretch of the imagination with tales of folklore and such like - how wrong could I have been.......

Wow - what a surprise this book was. I found it totally enthralling, tried to keep reading even when my eyes were closing - it takes a great book for me to do that. Right from the start of the book when Izzie sees a tramp and recognises him as someone she once knew I was hooked on so many different levels. 

The story that unfolded from both the perspective of  Izzie and that of Robin (the tramp) was truly amazing. I felt that I wasn't reading a work of fiction at all, so strong were the character voices and their actions that I felt like I was just watching it all happen in front of me.

It is said that there are three versions of the truth "what I think happened" what you think happened" and "what actually happened" and that I feel sums up this very clever book. There are a few twists - there is some romance, but not in a chick lit or Mills & Boon way! Basically it's a cracking story with a difference and one that I will not forget for some time. Whilst originally The "Faerie Tree" element of the book didn't appeal to me - I found myself drawn into the tales and intrigued by the beliefs.

As they say - "never judge a book by its cover" and I am so glad I didn't do that with this book as I would have missed an excellent read.

I had heard of Jane's first novel The Cheesemakers House but never got around to reading it - so many books so little time! - however, I think after this fabulous book I really must make time to read it soon.

My thanks to Netgalley, Jane Cable and Troubador Publishing for supplying a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.