The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe - Milly Johnson

Description

It only takes one small step to change your life!
 
Lara Cliffe and her three friends are off on a mini break for her hen party.  It’s three weeks before her wedding to ’Steady Freddie’, one of the kindest men on the planet.  But something is worrying Lara. Her friends say it’s wedding jitters, but she isn’t so sure.  Fifteen years ago the love of her life, Danny Belfont, walked out on her three weeks before their wedding and she has never been able to fully get him out of her heart.
 
Then, on the overnight ferry, Lara finds out that Danny is playing in the onboard band and he spots her in the crowd. Will she meet him the next night to talk?
 
As the wonderful city of Amsterdam works its magic on Lara, she tries to sort out her thoughts.  And if fate has brought Lara and Danny back together … is it really for love or for something quite different? 

Review

If you are struggling to read at the moment then this book from Milly is an ideal light read. It's from the Quick Reads series of books which come from a range of authors. Only 99 pages and a £1.

The story centres around Lara who is on her hen party in Amsterdam. On the way there she sees the man who jilted her before her wedding to him several years ago. Will she decide she wants to give him a second change and in turn jilt her intended?

I've heard Milly speak in person, she's so entertaining.  At the moment she is doing a Facebook live from her bookclub page on a Monday evening at 7.30pm, she chats and also reads from her books. A lovely thing to do in the present climate.You can also play the live from this last week if you missed it.

The Liberty Girls - Fiona Ford

Description

March, 1942: new mother Alice Milwood is itching to return to her job as a shop assistant at Liberty’s.

Despite her husband still being missing in action, Alice is determined to give baby Arthur the best possible start. She soon settles back into the rhythm of life on the shop floor, and the Liberty Girls rally to help keep everything on an even keel.

But when the American GIs start swarming into London, there are more complications to come. And each of the Liberty Girls has their own impossible storm to weather.

As they each fight their battles on the home front, only their close friendship will give them the strength they need to carry on.

Review

This is the second book in the series, but can easily be read as a standalone. I did enjoy the book but not quite as much as the first one. Because the war is now on and the Liberty store is feeling the pinch so not so much happening in store. The fabric department has to push utility fabric and the fabulous prints have to take a back seat.

The social history side is just as strong in this book and it was a little strange to the modern reader to hear some of the things being said, but of course it would have been the norm for the time. Also there is more of the East End goings on and this book focuses more on Alice as the first book was focussed on Mary.

Lots of changes happen at Liberty's in this book and not all of them good ones. I did find myself giving a cheer towards the end of the book when justice won through.  A nice positive story overall with a lovely ending.

From my personal bookshelf. I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.

How to Build a Boyfriend From Scratch -Sarah Archer

Description

Dating is hard. Being dateless at your perfect sister's wedding is harder.

Meet Kelly. A brilliant but socially awkward robotics engineer desperately seeking a wedding date…

Meet Ethan. Intelligent, gorgeous, brings out the confidence Kelly didn’t know she had and … not technically human. (But no one needs to know that.)

With her sister’s wedding looming and everyone in the world on her case about being perpetually single, Kelly decides to take her love life into her own hands – and use her genius skills to create Ethan.

But when she can’t resist keeping her new boy toy around even after the ‘I do’s’, Kelly knows she needs to hit the off switch on this romance, fast. Only, when you’ve found (well, made) your perfect man, how do you kiss him goodbye?

Review

I really enjoyed this book but hadn't fully grasped the blurb description. So when Kelly actually does build a boyfriend I was a little surprised. If you are in the UK and a fan of the TV series Humans then this book will be for you - maybe with a more lighthearted feel to it in the main. Although the book does scratch the surface of a few deep issues.

Reminiscent of several films that require someone needing a plus one at a wedding, tormented by their family for not having a beau readily on hand; but the first one I think where the boyfriend is actually created by a robotics engineer. The book is called "The Plus One" in the USA.

I liked the fact that Kelly is a smart woman and she is a robotics engineer. However, she does unfortunately still fall foul of society's view of her, mainly her Mother, who wouldn't be amiss in a Jane Austen novel.

I was amused by the book and it did have a few little twists that I didn't see coming. More farce than romance at times as Kelly opens her mouth to say what's she's decided, but never really does. Leading to some interesting situations. Leaving me exclaiming more than once "oh no". Kelly also has a boss that could be in the Devil Wears Prada and I feared for her and her job all the way through the book.

There were a few comments made by characters that I was uncomfortable with, however, I guess they are made by people in society so only a reflection of that. They were brief and fleeting and it was easy to read them and move on.

I'm giving this book four out of five stars. My thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC to review.

Daisy on the Outer Line - Ross Sayers | Cover Reveal with #LoveBooksGroupTours

Blurb:

Life, Death and Time Travel on the Glasgow Subway...

When selfish student Daisy trashes her stepdad’s funeral, she gets blind drunk and wakes up on the Glasgow subway to find she has travelled back in time. To make amends for her behaviour, she must save a life—but she doesn’t know who, how, or where to begin. She’ll have to find out fast if she wants to make it back to her old life and avoid being trapped in

the wrong timeline forever.

This novel was awarded one of the first Scots Language Publication Grants funded by the Scottish Government and administered by the Scottish Book Trust.

Publication Date: 5th November 2020

ISBN:

Paperback 978-1-911279-77-8

eBook 978-1-911279-78-5

Ross Bio:

Ross Sayers grew up in Stirling and now lives in Edinburgh. He’s still finding his way around. His debut novel, Mary’s the Name was released in 2017 and was shortlisted for the Saltire First Book Award. He’s currently working on a sequel to one of his books... You can tweet him praise or abuse @Sayers33

In Five Years - Rebecca Serle

Description

'SMART, EMOTIONAL, INTRIGUING AND COMPELLING - I LOVED IT!' JILL MANSELL

'Full of twists and turns, this is a heart-breaking yet uplifting story about love and friendship, and is one of this year's must-reads' Heat magazine *****

Perfect for fans of Me Before You and One Day, this heart-breaking story of love, loss and life will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about destiny...
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Kohan has been in possession of her meticulously crafted answer since she understood the question. On the day that she nails the most important job interview of her career and gets engaged to the perfect man, she's well on her way to fulfilling her life goals.
That night Dannie falls asleep only to wake up in a different apartment with a different ring on her finger, and in the company of a very different man. The TV is on in the background, and she can just make out the date. It's the same night - December 15th - but 2025, five years in the future.
It was just a dream, she tells herself when she wakes, but it felt so real... Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.
That is, until four and a half years later, when Dannie turns down a street and there, standing on the corner, is the man from her dream...
In Five Years is a love story, brimming with joy and heartbreak. But it is definitely not the love story you're expecting.

Review

A difficult book to review without giving away too much, but I will try. 

First off I loved that it was set in New York and had lots of references to places I knew and also some scenes set in DUMBO. I also liked that the main character is a lawyer. So, it was light but not fluffy and I liked the inclusion of her work meetings and the dialogue. 

I found the writing to be fairly pacey and again that fitted with the New York setting and there was a certain sassiness about it. Especially between Dannie and her friend Bella. 

The dream in the blurb happens in chapter 3 so fairly early on in the book and then really it is a snap back to the present day until we obviously get to the period the dream was set in. Will the dream be a prophecy or just a dream?

I felt exasperated at times with the relationship between Dannie and Bella - all I can say is that there were some very sad and poignant scenes too. A few twists definitely kept my interest.

I never really found myself thinking this was a romance novel whilst I was reading it. So much happens that I just got caught up in Dannie's life and ultimately the date of 15th December 2025 getting nearer. I read it in a couple of sittings, as once I got into it I just couldn't put it down.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars for such an unusual storyline. My thanks to netgalley and Quercus books for the ARC to review.

Mrs Boots - Deborah Carr

Description

An incredible historical novel inspired by the true story behind the Boots empire.

Jersey 1885

On the beautiful island of Jersey, Florence Rowe lives a quiet life working in her father’s bookshop.  Life for the Rowe family is good, but Florence can’t help yearning for more…

When Jesse Boot, the successful owner of Boots the chemist, arrives on the island, Florence is immediately captivated by his tales of life in a busy, bustling city on the mainland.  For the first time ever, Florence imagines a life away from the constraints of Jersey society, of being someone more than just a shopgirl.

Until her parents reveal the shocking news they will refuse any marriage proposal from Mr Boot. Can Florence find a way to be with the man she loves and make a new life for herself?

Review

I was eager to read this book as coming from Nottingham I have an interest in Boots and have been to some talks about its background. So, I was looking forward to this book to flesh out the story of Florence and Jesse.

I did find the book a little slow and the letters between Florence and Jesse sometimes repeating what we already knew had happened in the story. I was also eager to get to when Florence became Mrs Boots and began her wonderful work of which I know a little.

This is where I find the title misleading as this book only covers the period up to Florence becoming Mrs Boots - whilst a nice book and obviously a literary account and not historical as such, I feel this could have been background to the sequel book Mrs Boots of Pelham Street.

I did enjoy the social history aspects of the book and learning how young ladies had to behave at the time and also the setting of the Island of Jersey.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review. The book is out on 27 March.

The Other Bennet Sister - Janice Hadlow

Description

For fans of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister tells Mary's story...

It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be handsome and poor is misfortune enough; but to be both plain and penniless is a hard fate indeed.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mary is the middle of the five Bennet girls and the plainest of them all, so what hope does she have? Prim and pious, with no redeeming features, she is unloved and seemingly unlovable.

The Other Bennet Sister, though, shows another side to Mary. An introvert in a family of extroverts; a constant disappointment to her mother who values beauty above all else; fearful of her father’s sharp tongue; with little in common with her siblings – is it any wonder she turns to books for both company and guidance? And, if she finds her life lonely or lacking, that she determines to try harder at the one thing she can be: right.

One by one, her sisters marry – Jane and Lizzy for love; Lydia for some semblance of respectability – but Mary, it seems, is destined to remain single and live out her life at Longbourn, at least until her father dies and the house is bequeathed to the reviled Mr Collins.

But when that fateful day finally comes, she slowly discovers that perhaps there is hope for her, after all.

Simultaneously a wonderfully warm homage to Jane Austen and a delightful new story in its own right, Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister is, at its heart, a life-affirming tale of a young woman finding her place in the world. Witty and uplifting, it will make you feel – and cheer – for Mary as you never have before.

Review

It can be a little scary if you love Pride and Prejudice to read a book that bases itself on the very same characters, however, you can be sure you are in safe hands with this author. I felt every time I left the book I was thinking about it, almost like it was running on without my reading it. Every time I went back to read it was like slipping into a cosy room by the fire and settling down - I loved it. I will admit though it is a long book and I read another book in between at times to stop myself rushing ahead and not savouring this book.

The first part of the book sets the scene and introduces to Mary's character in depth - her likes and dislikes, how she sees herself fitting into the Bennet family and a little story of her own. The book then runs parallel to Pride and Prejudice with the recognisable events of the arrival of Mr Bingley and then his friend Mr Darcy. We go to the ball but this time we see it through the eyes of Mary and hear those famous words spoken by her sister when she overhears Mr Darcy discussing her to be "tolerable".

Then the book fast forwards two years and we find Mary taking advantage of her sisters good fortunes by staying with them as her father has passed away and Mr Collins is now the owner of Longbourn. What ensues is soley Mary's story and a very good one it is too. With misunderstandings in the very vein of Jane Austen's writing and the words from Mrs Bennet could have come from the pen of Austen herself so true they ring.

I loved the ending - I could read it again and again. It was so wonderful and beautifully written. I'm thankful to the author for bringing alive the characters of Pride and Prejudice and for her own interpretation which I thought was eloquently done. If you are a staunch P&P or Austen pedant you may not find it exactly to your taste, but it suited me very well and will read it again, not something I do very often.

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