The Cat and the City - Nick Bradley

Description

A stray cat dances through Tokyo, connecting a group of apparent strangers, in this inventive literary debut.

In Tokyo - one of the world's largest megacities - a stray cat is wending her way through the back alleys. And, with each detour, she brushes up against the seemingly disparate lives of the city-dwellers, connecting them in unexpected ways. But the city is changing. As it does, it pushes her to the margins where she chances upon a series of apparent strangers - from a homeless man squatting in an abandoned hotel, to a shut-in hermit afraid to leave his house, to a convenience store worker searching for love. The cat orbits Tokyo's denizens, drawing them ever closer.

In a series of spellbinding, interlocking narratives - with styles ranging from manga to footnotes - Nick Bradley has hewn a novel of interplay and estrangement; of survival and self-destruction; of the desire to belong and the need to escape.

Formally inventive and slyly political, The Cat and The City is a lithe thrill-ride through the less-glimpsed streets of Tokyo.

Review

It's hard to believe that this is the author's first book or that it is not in fact written by someone who is Japanese. The writing is just brilliant and certainly evoked memories of my trip to Japan. I have to say I never visited the seedy side of Roppongi district in Tokyo so I can't vouch for that, and some may find some of that side of the book not to their taste.

When the author wrote this book he would have no reason to doubt that the Olympics would not be going ahead in 2020 and so you do have to go along with the references of Tokyo preparing for the Olympics and people flying in for them.

Seemingly full of short stories, as you begin to read further into the book one or two of the characters are repeated and so you start to see the connections. The main connection throughout is of course the cat in the city. My only trouble was the mixed up time line - when you meet the characters again it could be before or after you last read about them. I almost want to read it again and really get to know them all better.

I loved the part about the American translator and it was so clever the way her footnotes were built into the tale she translated. I also loved the "cat scan" and could sense where that part of the story was heading. 

The book does contain a lot of Japanese words - most of which I was familiar with and got the "jokes", but don't let that put you off as the story flows without knowing what they mean. It even contains a bit of manga, which I found difficult to read on the kindle. 

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

Perfume Paradiso by Janey Jones #lovebookstours

Description

One week in Italy. One week to make her dreams come true . . .

Romance is the last thing on Charlotte Alexander's mind. Her perfume business is flourishing. And a glamorous new life in New York awaits. Just one more thing is needed: a supply of artisan lavender for her trademark scent.

But when Charlotte stumbles across the infuriating and infuriatingly handsome Alessio Rossini, her plans begin to fall apart. With New York finally in reach . . . should she follow her dreams or her heart?

A captivating, feelgood summer romance set in the beautiful Italian countryside.

I'm so thrilled to be on the Book Tour today.

Review

With a Jack Vettriano painting on the cover, I just knew I had to read this book. I loved every minute of it, just pure escapism into fantastic settings with wonderful writing.

Charlotte has created a fabulous perfume and she needs to secure a lavender field to supply the demand for the scent in her creation. She's also got a new life lined up in New York, but before she can take up that new life off she goes to Italy to find a lavender field. Unlike a too cool heroine you might not have anything in common with,  after minutes of arriving in Italy she's been splattered with wine and twisted her ankle in not so sensible shoes. Albeit rescued by a handsome Italian. She's a down to earth and loveable fashionista character. 

Her love life doesn't fair much better, but she certainly has her pick of handsome leading men to choose from. While she could choose an Italian stallion she actually goes for an Italian Mare called Calandra over men.There is a beautiful but haunting scene where she rides her out in a storm.

Although she is only in Italy for a week she does pack a lot into that time. As you might expect things don't quite go as planned. Between several visits to Venice (which are described so wonderfully) taking on the local mafia and sampling some fabulous food she partakes in a deal to secure a lavender field. 

The story doesn't end there though and we get to experience Charlotte moving to New York and celebrating a New York Christmas, finally fulfilling her dreams. Is there more to the story? Yes! There certainly is, but I will leave you to discover it, just as I did and loved it too. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to #LoveBooksTours and bwpublishing for the ARC to review and inviting me to the Book Tour.

Author Bio

JANEY JONES is a full-time writer with a love for food, fashion and all things French and Italian. She is the author of the fantastically successful Princess Poppy series, with sales of over 4 million copies. Before Princess Poppy took over her life, Janey had always intended to write contemporary fiction, and Perfume Paradiso is her second novel after the very popular Secret Life of Lucy Lovecake (writing as Pippa James).

@janeyjones23 @bwpublishing 

@lovebooksgroup #lovebookstours 

Buy Link 

https://amzn.to/3eMN8bm

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.