The Perfect Life - Valerie Keogh

Description

How far would you go to maintain the illusion of The Perfect Life?

Appearances can be deceptive…

Molly Chatwell has a beautiful house, a handsome husband, two children and a job she likes. It all seems so perfect but when her two children leave for university, she realises her life has become dull and empty. When her husband refuses to go away with her, Molly decides to go alone. 

But what should have been a relaxing break turns into a nightmare. 

Back at home in London, Molly tries to put it all behind her but when the police arrive at her door and tell her that a body has been found with connections to her, Molly realises that her perfect life is under threat… 

Review

What I liked most about this book was the dialogue - it really felt true to life and so did the day to day activities of the characters. I got a real feel of understanding for all the characters but most of all for Molly.

The book begins with Molly having to economise in the home, letting her housekeeper go and then the cleaner also. I did find it amusing that her husband felt they could cope now the children had left home, yet he continued to do nothing to help on the housekeeping front, not even a mug in the dishwasher!

Molly then goes away alone for a weekend with a friend and her husband. Things aren't looking good for Molly and her husband and she is constantly second guessing what he could be up to and with whom. Maybe that's what leads her to have a little "moment" of her own with a complete stranger. It's this that leads to her perfect life being under threat, as the stranger is found murdered. 

Who was the stranger?, what did Molly do that's now threatens her perfect life? These and more questions are at the root of this clever book together with a lot more too. I was on the edge of my seat for the second half of the book - I couldn't put it down.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Bloodhound books for the ARC to review.

Summer at Tiffany - Marjorie Hart

Description

Do you remember the best summer of your life?

New York City, 1945. Marjorie Jacobson and her best friend, Marty Garrett, arrive fresh from the Kappa house at the University of Iowa hoping to find summer positions as shopgirls. Turned away from the top department stores, they miraculously find jobs as pages at Tiffany & Co., becoming the first women to ever work on the sales floor--a diamond-filled day job replete with Tiffany blue shirtwaist dresses from Bonwit Teller's--and the envy of all their friends.

Hart takes us back to the magical time when she and Marty rubbed elbows with the rich and famous; pinched pennies to eat at the Automat; experienced nightlife at La Martinique; and danced away their weekends with dashing midshipmen. Between being dazzled by Judy Garland's honeymoon visit to Tiffany, celebrating VJ Day in Times Square, and mingling with Cafe society, she fell in love, learned unforgettable lessons, made important decisions that would change her future, and created the remarkable memories she now shares with all of us.

Review

I recently bought my copy of this book second hand online and when it arrived it has uncut edges to the pages. Now I understand what Helen Hanff was writing about in 84 Charing Cross Road, when she said English books have nice edges.

I was fine with it as it added to the charm of it being an American edition. There are also some old photos in the book of Marjorie and her friend Marty who we meet in the book. 

I loved reading about the summer of 1945 in New York City as experienced by these two girls. I could hardly believe how naive they were, especially when a gentleman said he had been  working for Tiffany ever since he married his wife, which they took literally! However there was also a high society customer (she bought 10 plates at $100 dollars each) who when asked where Marjorie came from and she replied Iowa, the lady informed her on the East coast they pronounce it O - Hi - o !!!!!!

It was only when I finished the book that I thought it had seemed a lot happened in what was really only a few summer months. Tiffany even gave Marjorie a Spode teapot which seems a little extravagant for such short employment. She and her friend were the first ever girls employed on the shop floor though.

I just loved the social history aspect of the book and the experience of seeing New York in the 40s through these girls eyes and of course what went on in Tiffany's no less. My heart was in my mouth a few times at some of the mishaps that were luckily resolved.

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

Mis-Matched in Manhattan - Tash Skilton

Description

'A sweet, genuinely funny, banter-filled delight of a rom-com. I absolutely loved this modern day You've Got Mail' Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks

Love can happen when you least expect it . . .

Dumped by his fiancée, Miles is reduced to couch-surfing across Manhattan and using a local café as his office. Also, he no longer believes in love - not exactly a good look in his line of work.

Zoey's eccentric L.A. boss sent her to New York to 'grow'. But beneath her chill Cali exterior, Zoey's terrified to venture beyond the café across the street.

Miles and Zoey have absolutely nothing in common. The only thing they share is their daily battle for the café's day-old biscotti. They don't know they're both ghost-writing 'authentic' profiles for rival online dating services. Until they meet online, pretending to be other people . . .

As their clients head for dating disaster, Miles and Zoey spend their virtual time falling for one another, but will their online connection turn into a perfect match when they realise who they are IRL?

Review

As usual this book had me at "set in New York" and I was not disappointed one bit by what I read. There's a wonderful part where Zoey goes on a walk on the High Line and it was so descriptive that I really want to go and do that walk too.  It also happens to quote one of my favourite films "You've Got Mail" and references the original film that it was based on "The Shop Around the Corner", so for me this was just a win win. 

To begin with the book has a slow start and is punctuated throughout by emails from the owners of two rival firms that Zoey and Miles work for. The language is definitely that of late/early 20 somethings and I did have to google two acronyms! But I figured it was only like the days when I used to have to look up words, these are just new ones to me.The language is very American and by that I mean it's not been edited for a UK audience, so if you don't know contemporary US references you might be a little baffled by some of the remarks or different meanings for words. For me it just made it all the more real. 

So in the tradition of the two films I mentioned, Zoey and Miles don't know each other, except that they actually do because they have been communicating online with one other but as someone else. This cat and mouse routine takes over most of the book but for me it was wonderful. Will they won't they find out who the other is and if they do what will happen? Alongside this is a really sensitive backstory to Zoey and the way Miles dealt with it just melted my heart. Miles too has a backstory that comes back with a bite near the end. 

I read the whole book almost in a day because once I was hooked I could not put it down. The writing is really funny and had me laughing out loud at some of the lines. The dialogue is fast paced - my only gripe there is that Zoey is from LA and I've never met anyone who talks that fast from the West Coast, but she certainly keeps up with New Yorker Miles. and give him a run for his money in one liners.

It wasn't until I finished the book that I realised the author is in fact two people and I have to say that I never picked that up in the writing as you sometimes can with a collaboration novel.

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

Rabbit Hole - Jon Richter

Description

Elaine Napier, an investigative journalist who is made redundant from her job, decides to record a true crime podcast. All she needs is a story.

When Elaine stumbles upon the five-year-old cold case of Katrin, she begins an investigation that will quickly become a fixation.

After an early breakthrough, Elaine’s investigation leads her to Hannibal Heights, an apartment building that Katrin helped to design. The building is home to a sinister taxidermy museum, a host of intriguing residents, and more than its share of secrets.

But despite the obvious danger, Elaine’s obsession continues to grow.

As her investigation threatens to spiral out of control, Napier receives threats and police pressure to shut the broadcast down.

Can Elaine solve the mystery and keep her own sense of right and wrong intact?

Or will the shocking truth distort everything Elaine holds dear?

Review

The book centres around Elaine Napier and her quest to find out what happened to a girl called Katrin several years ago. It's the first time I've read a book which uses a podcast as a mechanism to tell the story and as it's a fairly new medium I doubt there is another book like this.

We go back and forth like in a normal crime novel as Elaine tracks down witnesses and interviews people. She is also as background to Katrin training to fight in the ring and part of the story also involves her journey as she trains. 

What is different is that every couple of chapters the book takes the form of the audio of the podcast as Elaine and her sound technician and sidekick Isaac broadcast what they've learnt so far. This is where it gets trickier than a usual crime novel where a private investigator may be nosing around. Elaine is putting this out there, all her ideas and theories - who knows who is listening....

The writing for me had an American feel to it and so every time somewhere like Leicester was mentioned I had to refocus that this was actually taking place in the UK. The format of the story certainly lends itself to you wanting to keep reading on and on - as I did. Little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter making you want more. Until that ending - wow!

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.

The Perfect Couple - Jackie Kabler

Description

A devoted wife…
A year ago, Gemma met the love of her life, Danny. Since then, their relationship has been perfect. But one evening, Danny doesn’t return home.

A missing husband…
Gemma turns to the police. She is horrified by what she discovers – a serial killer is on the loose in Bristol. When she sees photos of the victims she is even more stunned…they all look just like Danny.

Who would you believe?
But the police are suspicious. Why has no one apart from Gemma heard from Danny in weeks? Why is there barely a trace of him in their flat? Is she telling them the truth, or is this marriage hiding some very dark secrets?

Review

I've read Jackie's previous books which are in the cosy crime genre and loved them. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but she has come up with a real tale.

This book had me believing one thing and then another, I was trying to second guess what was going on throughout the book. My theories changed minute by minute and I had to take a few breaks to get my head around what I was reading. I actually read this book in a day - I just had to know what the heck was going on.

Gemma is a freelance writer and ex journalist - so when she returns home from a trip and her husband is missing and so is all trace of him having been in their home - she enlists the help of an ex colleague to try and work out what could have happened to him. 

Meanwhile two men are dead and they both look like her husband - is he also dead? and if he is, who killed him?

So many things I want to write, but I fear they may give the story line away. I will say that once you've read a book it's easy to say you could see it all along, but really I doubt you could!

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

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.