The Back Up Plan - Elsie McArthur

Description

Giving up? Or moving on?

That’s the question for thirty-something Marsaili McKenzie. Ten years after fleeing her tiny coastal village for dreams of fame and fortune in the big city, she finds herself on the brink of an existential crisis. Far from being the star actress she once imagined, she’s still working as a barmaid in a Glasgow theatre while all around her, her friends and family are getting engaged, pregnant or promoted.

It’s all she can do to keep her head above water. But as a new year approaches, she resolves to give her acting dreams one last shot. That is, until a couple of unexpected distractions arrive on the scene.

Will Hunter is undeniably handsome, as well as being aloof, socially awkward, posh and in the middle of a nasty divorce. And to make things even more complicated, he’s also her new boss.

Local boy made good, soap star Euan Campbell, is the epitome of a charismatic leading man. His easy-going charm soon sweeps Marsaili off her feet, but is there more to him than meets the eye?

To top it all off, Marsaili finds herself inexplicably drawn back to the simple, rural life she used to loathe. Can she finally figure out which dreams are worth pursuing, and would it really be so bad to resort to her back up career after all?

Join Marsaili as she navigates the choppy seas of love, family, friendship and self-discovery. This heart-warming novel is full of romance, laughter and more than enough drama to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Review

I absolutely loved this book and the writing style. Set in Scotland you get both the City side with Glasgow and then when Marsaili (rhymes with Parsley!) goes home we get to experience the lovely rural side of Scotland. All places I've been (although Skye before the bridge!) and it brought it all back so vividly, as the writing was just wonderful. You also get some lovely Scottish dialect and sayings, some of which I had never encountered before.

The main character Marsaili is a little (well a lot) self effacing and that was the only trait I wished she could lose. Otherwise I felt she was a little bit of a soul sister for me. She said so many things I would say myself and she and all the characters just felt so true to life. Sometimes you can read a book and think "why would they do or say that" but I felt so in sync with Marsaili.

Marsaili wants to be an actor but she's been trying for an awfully long time and to fill in she works in a bar in a theatre. There single and fed up she manages to meet not one but two men who both fall for her. Will she end up with one of them or none at all? 

I can't praise the style of writing enough. Do you sometimes look into people's houses when the lights are on and they haven't yet closed the curtains? For me this book was just like that. The author took you in and you got a front row seat into their lives. I couldn't wait to get back to the book each time and I'm going to miss everyone. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. Elsie is an author who deserves more recognition when she can write so well. If you are looking for a nice comfortable read of an everyday story that could and probably has happened, then this is the book for you. 

My thanks to Elsie for a copy of this lovely book. At the moment it is free on Kindle unlimited and it's only 1.99 to buy on kindle too.

The House Guest - Mark Edwards

Description

A perfect summer. A perfect stranger. A perfect nightmare.

When British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.

So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York.

They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home—but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.

As suspicions creep in that Eden may not be who she claims to be, they begin to wonder if they’ve made a terrible mistake…

Review

I just loved this book, the first by this author that I have read and it won't be the last.

I settled down to read and was straightaway transported to New York and what seemed like a dream house sitting job for Ruth and Adam. That is until Eden turned up on the doorstep and got herself invited to stay. Because the title of the book is The House Guest I read the pages waiting for something awful to happen, every move I thought - this is going to be it. But it wasn't and I got lulled into the story line of the three of them in the house just going about their business. 

A few little things happened to indicate all maybe wasn't as it should be, but nothing to prepare me for what was to follow. I don't do spoilers so all I can say is that from the moment everything changed I could not put the book down. I read it non stop until I found out what was going on. Even when I did find out there were so many twists that had me exclaiming out loud. Then just as I was congratulating myself on having worked part of it out (or so I thought!) there were more twists and turns. 

The author took me on a real adventure - it all happened so fast from the carefree New York house sitting to ...............well I can't say but I feel like I've been in a whirlwind - in a good way. This book made me think I knew it all at one point,  but it's so well crafted you actually only think what the author wants you to think. Such clever writing.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The House Guest is out on Wednesday 3 June.

Wartime at Liberty's - Fiona Ford

Description

London, 1942

Flo Canning’s heart is beyond repair following the news that she has been dreading since the outbreak of war. As Flo throws herself into the role of fabric manager at Liberty’s, old and new friends alike help pull her from a whirl of despair.

Between work and home life there’s plenty to keep Flo occupied. Not least new deputy store manager, Henry Masters, whose arrival has consequences that Flo and her workmates could never have foreseen.

But there is more tragedy still to come, and Flo and her friends will need each other more than ever if they are to survive the uncertainty ahead.

Review

This is the third book in the "Liberty girls" series from Fiona Ford. She does give you little flashbacks to the previous books in case you forgot who's who, or if you are reading it as a standalone.

In each book there is someone who makes life hard for the Liberty girls and their friends and this one was no exception. A character called Evie arrives to work at Liberty's and she is a real piece of work. There are also two other "bad pennies" who roll in to cause trouble. I know it wouldn't be real life without them but I do find myself getting het up!

I wasn't sure I would like this book as much as the others but I loved it just as much. It was great to be back amongst old friends and find out what was going to happen to them. This book centres around Flo and her life since she became widowed. She has a lot to process about her way forward in life, but the others give her good advice and i was pleased with how her story turned out.

The ending of the book gave some real twists to the story if you've been following from the beginning. I've invested so much in these characters that I'm still reeling from the revelation which affects one of the original characters.  Yet again a brilliant insight into social history, much of which I was unaware of.

I wonder if there will be a fourth book? It would be great to know what happens to everyone next after the war.

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

Letter from New York - Helene Hanff

Description

A collection of anecdotes on life in New York from Helene Hanff of '84 Charing Cross Road' fame.

Review

Having recently re read 84 Charing Cross Road I began to look for what else Helene Hanff had written and came across this wonderful book. I managed to get a second hand copy as the book was published in 1994 and covers the "Letters from New York" that Helene Hanff wrote for the BBC  Woman's Hour programme.

I just love the authors voice, I think it's what today they call a smart mouth! It's the minutiae of her life in a New York apartment in 1979 to 1984 and I loved every word of it. There's also the fascinating social history side to it like when she talks about booking a seat for smoking on the BA flight to London. I do remember smoking on flights but it seems so alien today. I also learnt so many things about New York that I didn't know, things that only a true New Yorker can tell you about.

I'm going to be re reading this book, it's pure escapism. I felt it was like an older relative telling you about things you wished you asked them when you had a chance to.

I've also got a copy of her other books Apple of my Eye and Underfoot in Show Business to read.

Haven't They Grown - Sophie Hannah

Description

All Beth has to do is drive her son to his Under-14s away match, watch him play, and bring him home.

Just because she knows that her former best friend lives near the football ground, that doesn't mean she has to drive past her house and try to catch a glimpse of her. Why would Beth do that, and risk dredging up painful memories? She hasn't seen Flora Braid for twelve years.

But she can't resist. She parks outside Flora's house and watches from across the road as Flora and her children, Thomas and Emily, step out of the car. Except...

There's something terribly wrong.

Flora looks the same, only older - just as Beth would have expected. It's the children that are the problem. Twelve years ago, Thomas and Emily Braid were five and three years old. Today, they look precisely as they did then. They are still five and three. They are Thomas and Emily without a doubt - Beth hears Flora call them by their names - but they haven't changed at all.
They are no taller, no older.

Why haven't they grown?

Review

This is the second book I've read by this author and I thought it was just as intriguing as Have you seen Melody. 

The book centres around Beth and her former best friend Flora. She's recently seen Flora after a 12 year absence due to a disagreement. However, although Beth looks a older her two children don't!!! I was reeled in by this premise and couldn't wait to find out why.

At times the book reads like a thriller and so many twists and turns that I gave up with my own theories over what was happening. Other times the dialogue is a little stilted and felt too constructed. This is why I dropped a star from my rating.

This is a far fetched story - the synopsis and title tells you that. Are you intrigued enough to want to read it as I was? I can say without spoilers that this is a genius plot although at times not brilliantly told. I wasn't disappointed in this book and was happy to escape to this as some would say far fetched story line- except that so often the truth can be stranger than fiction.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. The book is from my own bookshelf.

The Jane Austen Society - Natalie Jenner

Description

'Hope can sometimes be just enough.'

It's only a few months since the war ended but the little village of Chawton is about to be hit by another devastating blow. The heart of the community and site of Jane Austen's cherished former home, Chawton estate is in danger of being sold to the highest bidder.

Eight villagers are brought together by their love for the famous author's novels, to create The Jane Austen Society. As new friendships form and the pain of the past begins to heal, surely they can find a way to preserve Austen's legacy before it is too late?

And there may even be a few unexpected surprises along the way...

Review

I think my love of Jane Austen made me just grab at this book - and the lovely cover. But somehow I just didn't get along with it the way I thought I would. 

There were times I really didn't care to read it and then at other times I could not put it down. Analysing this I think the parts that drew me in the most were the discussions around the Austen novels by the characters in the book. The back story of the characters themselves didn't really flow that well for me and it felt a little stilted. Also I unfortunately found that some phrases did not ring true for the period just after the 2nd world war and had at times a North Americanism to them. There were also some legalise terms used that were not correct, but I don't want to be a pedant about them! The average reader would probably not notice, but this detracted from the book for me. One of the nice things about the book was the way that at times the lives and actions of the characters resembled those in Austen. 

Although the Society does exist this book is a work of fiction and not based on how the society was formed. A pleasant read overall with a nice ending.  I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley and Orion for the ARC to review.

These Lost & Broken Things - Helen Fields #LoveBooksTours

It's great to be a part of the Book Blog Tour for this amazing book today.

Blurb

Maiden-Mother-Murderer

How dangerous is a woman with nothing left to lose?

The year is 1905. London is a playground for the rich and a death trap for the poor. When Sofia Logan’s husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her penniless with two young children, she knows she will do anything to keep them from the workhouse. But can she bring herself to murder? Even if she has done it before…

Emmet Vinsant, wealthy industrialist, offers Sofia a job in one of his gaming houses. He knows more about Sofia’s past than he has revealed. Brought up as part of a travelling fair, she’s an expert at counting cards and spotting cheats, and Vinsant puts her talents to good use. His demands on her grow until she finds herself with blood on her hands.

Set against the backdrop of the Suffragette protests, with industry changing the face of the city but disease still rampant, and poverty the greatest threat of all, every decision you make is life or death. Either yours or someone else’s. Read best-selling crime writer Helen Fields’ first explosive historical thriller.

Review

This is the first book I have read by Helen, and it's a departure from her usual novels being an historical thriller.

I loved the style of writing which is really exceptional and was immediately drawn into the book. It is set in 1905 with flashbacks to Sofia's childhood, which is how the book begins. Not so much of a childhood though, as we find her in a gambling den with a man to whom she just lost a bet to and who wants a big repayment. 

We then are forwarded to 1905 with Sofia having just become a widow with two children to support. This was written with such emotion my heart was breaking as Sofia sets about finding work. It's no spoiler to say that eventually the work her new employer finds for her would not be amiss in Killing Eve. Indeed she can give Villanelle a run for her money for ingenuity! The murder side of things is pretty gruesome in description, so maybe not for the faint hearted.

There was an early reference for context to the Suffragettes and I was beginning to think that it was all the book would contain. However, about half way through the social history side really ramped up and the story of the Suffragette protests became more prominent in the book. Throughout the book the writing really gives you a feel and place of the early 1900s.

You may think the strap line of Maiden-Mother-Murderer sews this book up - but really there is so much in between with many twists in the tale. In fact I began to think the author had made an error at one point, I went back and forth in the book, and it was really bugging me, thankfully I let it go. All was revealed later on in another twist in the story line.

I will be thinking of Sofia for a long time - a well written character who just leapt from the pages with life.

I'm giving this book a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Kelly for the invite onto the #Lovebookstour.

Author

An international and Amazon #1 best-selling author, Helen is a former criminal and family law barrister. Every book in the Callanach series claimed an Amazon #1 bestseller flag. Her next book, the sixth in the series, 'Perfect Kill' is due out on 6 February 2020. Helen also writes as HS Chandler, and last year released legal thriller 'Degrees of Guilt'. Her previous audio book 'Perfect Crime' knocked Michelle Obama off the #1 spot. Translated into 15 languages, and also selling in the USA, Canada & Australasia, Helen's books have won global recognition. Her first historical thriller 'These Lost & Broken Things' comes out in May 2020. A further standalone thriller published by HarperColllins will come soon. She currently commutes between Hampshire, Scotland and California, where she lives with her husband and three children. Helen can be found on Twitter @Helen_Fields for up to date news and information or at www.helenfields.co.uk.

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50666797-these-lost-broken-things?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jGECB5gTj9&rank=2  

Buy Link 

https://amzn.to/2vH4aX2