Invisible Kitties - Yu Yoyo

 

Description

A whimsical and inventive debut, perfect for fans of The Guest Cat and If Cats Disappeared from the World. A young couple’s daily life is disrupted by their newly adopted cat, who soon initiates them into the wondrous world of felines.

Every cat contains multitudes…

When a young couple accidentally comes into possession of a playful kitten, their daily routine (and cramped apartment) is turned upside down. Soon they find their existence forever altered.

Charting the couple’s ever-evolving relationship with cats – some they live with, others who exist only in their imagination – Invisible Kitties is a meditation on the quiet moments of everyday life and a celebration of cats in all their many forms.

Review

Well, it's certainly different!

I found this book too surrealist for my taste. Of course as it is translated from the Japanese I was expecting it to be different to western writing.  At times it is more whimsical and that I was okay with. I can relate to some of the descriptions of cat behaviour and those I enjoyed. 

I think you need to be a cat lover to even pick up this book. For many cat lovers it would be the perfect gift. It's a short read with lots of drawings and paw prints on the pages.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Friends of Dorothy - Sandi Toksvig

 

Description

The funny, wise and brilliant new novel from the star of QI and the author of Between the Stops

'Warm, witty and wise... the perfect balm for these turbulent times' GRAHAM NORTON

After much searching, the happily married young couple, Amber and Stevie think they have found the perfect spot in Grimaldi Square. Despite the rundown pub across the way, the overgrown garden and a decidedly nosy neighbour, number 4 is the house of their dreams. Stevie, a woman who has never left anything to chance, has planned everything so nothing can spoil their happiness. But ... upstairs in their new home, seated on an old red sofa is the woman they bought the place from - eighty-year-old foul-mouthed, straight-talking, wise-cracking Dorothy - who has decided that she's not going anywhere. It turns out that Dorothy will be only the first in a line of life-changing surprises.

Friends of Dorothy is a touching, funny novel about a family that is not biological, but logical; a story close to Sandi Toksvig's heart.

Review

Amber and Stevie buy a house, but it has a sitting tenant, that they weren't expecting to have. She's 80 years old and doesn't care what anyone thinks and she certainly speaks her mind.

I really wanted to read this book as I loved Sandi's memoir book and her style of writing. Unfortunately for me from the first page I just didn't really gel with the whole premise of the book. Each time I picked the book up I thought the story wasn't progressing very much and I was beginning to get bored.

I stuck with it, and eventually there was a little bit more of a development to the story. Unfortunately whilst I had thought the book would be light-hearted it then went from almost slap stick to covering some darker themes. It felt like a bit of a slap in the face. Maybe the author thought that it was a truer representation of life, but it wasn't consistent with the rest of the book.

I did really like the character of Dorothy and she had some classic lines.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel

 

Description

Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong?

When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.

But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one option: to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.

She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.

One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.

Review

It took a while for me to get invested in this story.

Anais gets an almost derelict hotel in Paris as her divorce settlement. We learn that her ex was not to be trusted and everyone had warned her before they married. Now rueing the day she met him and didn't take everyone's advice she is trying to salvage some money by renovating the hotel to sell. 

I didn't really warm to Anais. All her dialogue seemed a little too practised. I understand she is part French and part English, however, throwing in Oui every so often began to grate on me. Noah the owner of the bar next door started out as a bit of a bore, but slowly grew on me. So thank goodness for Manon, the cousin of Anais, and for me the best character in the book closely followed by Margaret the literary agent.

Once the renovations of the hotel began and a little mystery crept in, I was well and truly submerged into the story. I loved the latter part of the book. There's definitely some Christmas magic in the book and some great facts about Paris too.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Bella's Countryside Christmas - Claire Huston

 

DESCRIPTION

Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.

Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.

A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.

But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas …

This cosy, uplifting festive romance is perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and authors such as Sarah Morgan, Phillipa Ashley and Sue Moorcroft.

REVIEW

What a great read with a wonderful storyline.

We first meet Bella in a church, shortly before she becomes entangled in a Christmas Tree. Her hero in rescuing her is Jack. Very quickly he becomes someone she decides to help out by becoming his fake plus one at the wedding about to take place in the church.

A year later Bella moves to the same village she met Jack in. Except he's a bit frosty to her this time around. Bella has more than enough to keep her occupied though. She needs to settle into village life after her demanding London career and adjust to her new job at a retirement complex. 

So many lovely characters in this book, as well as revisiting some of the ones we met in Claire's earlier books. This is a totally standalone novel though. I really liked the main character Bella, she was straight talking and just got on with everything, whilst being a nice person. Sometimes her internal voice was not in her best interest and I longed for her to see her way through what was happening. 

Reflecting on the story, such a lot happens but in a very natural way.  Each time I put the book down I couldn't wait to get back to it. It was like a little warm hug when you entered the pages.

My thanks to Claire for the ARC. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. The book is published on 18 September 2024.

Tell Me Everything - Elizabeth Strout

 

Description

A hopeful, healing novel about new friendships, old loves, and the very human desire to leave a mark on the world, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Booker-shortlisted author – available for pre-order now

It’s autumn in Maine, and the town lawyer Bob Burgess has become enmeshed in an unfolding murder investigation, defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. He has also fallen into a deep and abiding friendship with the acclaimed writer, Lucy Barton, who lives nearby in a house next to the sea. Together, Lucy and Bob talk about their lives, their hopes and regrets, and what might have been. Lucy, meanwhile, befriends one of Crosby’s longest inhabitants, Olive Kitteridge, now living in a retirement community on the edge of town. They spend afternoons together in Olive’s apartment, telling each other stories. Stories about people they have known – “unrecorded lives,” Olive calls them – reanimating them, and, in the process, imbuing their lives with meaning.

Brimming with empathy and pathos, TELL ME EVERYTHING is Elizabeth Strout operating at the height of her powers, illuminating the ways in which our relationships keep us afloat. As Lucy says, “Love comes in so many different forms, but it is always love.”

Review

If you haven't read any of the author's books before, this is not the place to start.

I'd met everyone in this book before. In this book some of the previous characters link up, as in Lucy Barton beginning to visit Olive Kitteridge in her retirement home to share stories. Following on from the previous book (Lucy by the Sea) which was set in the pandemic Lucy is still with her ex husband and now forming a stronger friendship with Bob Burgess through their walks. Some of the backstory is repeated but really to get the most out of this book you need to have read the previous ones.

How I have enjoyed meeting all the characters from Elizabeth's previous books again. It was like reminiscing with old friends and hearing new stories too. I think you need to be a fan of this style of slow paced character led writing to fully appreciate this book. Not too much actually happens in terms of a plot, apart from a potential murder. It is however packed with Elizabeth's signature on point descriptive prose about people, their actions and inner thoughts. I can understand how she observes to create character traits but how she fabricates characters inner thoughts so well, I do not know.

I still love the Olive Kitteridge character the most. In this book she is now in her 90s but still going strong. With her opinions very much still freely voiced. My one takeaway from this book will be "Just life... that's all it is life".

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. This title is published on 19 September 2024.

Rewitched - Lucy Jane Wood

 

Description

It's time to rediscover her magic . . .

With found family, a dash of romance and an uplifting message about self-love, Rewitched is a cosy autumnal fantasy that will leave readers spellbound.

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark, but she hasn’t seen it in a while either. Balancing work at her beloved London bookshop, Lunar Books, with handling her toxic boss and concealing her witchcraft from those around her – Belle is burnt out. Perfecting the potential of her magic is the last thing on her mind.

But, when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic for ever. With the month of October to fix things and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get – from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure and even from an (infuriating) coven watchman who’s sworn to protect her . . .

'I was completely charmed by this delightful and endearing novel about rediscovering your spark' - Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Spellshop

Review

A slow burner to begin with, but a rollercoaster of an ending.

We meet Belle as she is tackling changes at the bookshop where she works. A despicable new boss who is the son of the owner, thinks he knows best. He is progressively removing the appeal, some might say magic, that Belle has worked so hard to achieve.

We then learn that Belle is a witch and so maybe she has woven a little magic into her work at the bookshop. She could be in danger of losing the magic bestowed upon her on her 15th birthday. As now she is about to turn 30 the coven summon her to see how she has used her magic for the last 15 years. If they aren't satisfied with the evidence she could be about to lose her magic forever.

What follows is the mentoring she receives to try and pass the trial to retain her magic. I really liked the different trials and the magic, although at times it felt like it dragged a little as it was very descriptive. Belle is a great character as is her Mother Bonnie who is another witch. I didn't feel that I really got to know the other characters that well but towards the end of the book new depths to the characters were revealed.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 19 September 2024.

Smoke and Murders - J L Blackhurst

 

Description

COMING SOON – PRE-ORDER NOW The follow-up to Three Card Murder and the second book in a gripping new mystery series introducing Detective Tess Fox and her con-artist sister Sarah Jacobs.

Members of the Lewes Bonfire Society would say afterwards that the event would have been a huge success that year, if it hadn’t been for the dead body…

When the charred remains of MP Rupert Millington are found inside a burning effigy, no one knows how they got there, but there are plenty of rumours about whodunnit.

The lead suspect wants Detective Tess Fox and her con-artist sister Sarah Jacobs to help clear her name. She says she's being framed, but surely there is no smoke without fire.

The heat is on when a second victim is killed in a locked room while Tess and Sarah are in the building. Can the duo solve this puzzling mystery and find the real killer before they strike again?

Review

We are back with the two sisters Tess (police officer) and Sarah (con artist) from the previous book. I don't think you will get much out of this book if you don't read the previous book first. There are so many references which you won't understand otherwise.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, even though a lot of it was far fetched, I found this one a little harder to get into. I also found it too incredible how much time Sarah spent with her sister Tess whilst she was investigating an official police matter. There was the humour which was good and the banter between the sisters was also great fun. Some of the other characters read like they were caricatures and I got Midsomer Murder vibes more than once.

It was quite the tangled web that was woven between the characters in the village and more than once I got confused who was who, but then that seemed to be the order of the day with this story. It was this that made me decide whilst reading this book that I would not read a follow on, if there was to be one. Then I got to the last page and that all changed. What a cliff hanger is all I am going to say... I need book 3!

I'm giving this book 3 out of stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC and HQStories for the invite to read this book. It will be published on 12 September 2024.