My Review for The Single Mums' Book Club by Victoria Cooke

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Single Mums’ Book Club by Victoria Cooke.

A fabulous, easy-read with a warm feeling all the way through!

Stephanie and Janey are the founding members of The Single Mums’ Book Club, and after Janey finds Stephanie having a mini-breakdown in the local supermarket, they decide that meeting for a glass of wine and a book discussion will get them both away from their real lives for a few hours. For one reason and another, they are soon joined by Amanda and Emily and book discussions regularly turn to discussions about the men (or lack of) in their lives. Edward becomes a major character in the book, as Stephanie’s new boss and they soon discover they get along well together.

I loved everything about The Single Mums’ Book Club; the characters were immediately addictive, and each had their own unique personalities. Victoria Cooke writes with passion and humour, and with apparent enjoyment of the characters she creates. She deals well with a particularly sensitive subject regarding Stephanie’s Mum and also skirts on the issues surrounding divorce, loneliness and friendship.

I loved The Single Mums’ Book Club and I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone in need of a light-hearted read, and an afternoon away from the real world.

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My Review for For Malice and Mercy by Gary W. Toyn

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and American Legacy Media for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of For Malice and Mercy by Gary W. Toyn.

This is an incredible story, amazingly researched and so educational. Slow to begin with, but as we begin to become more familiar with all the characters, we are quickly immersed into their lives and the story speeds up.

The story begins as the US entered World War II, having no choice once the Japanese, bomb Pearl Harbour. For Malice and Mercy is written primarily from the point of view of the American/German Meyer family, Karl and Marta Meyer, and their children, Hank and Ella. Hank enlists in the US Army Air Corps and Ella trains and qualifies as a nurse. We follow their story as the war progresses and the horrific events that happen to some of them because of their German background.

After reading any fiction about World War II, I always come away having learned something I wasn’t aware of and this is definitely true with Toyn’s book. I didn’t realise that there would have been German citizens living in the US at this time, let alone that they were treated so badly by a country they had come to call home. 

I thoroughly recommend For Malice and Mercy to anyone who has an interest in World War II and the additional chapter notes the author has included delve into more detail as to how and why certain events happened and the people who were affected.

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My Review for The Women of Primrose Square by Claudia Carroll, narrated by Aoife McMahon

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Let’s not spoil the story by giving you too much of a synopsis. Suffice it to say, if you enjoy contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, easy reading, and as long as you are aware that there are some sensitive topics, you will love The Women of Primrose Square. I listened to it as an Audiobook, from Borrowbox and it was narrated brilliantly by the marvellous Aoife McMahon. 

Frank Woods, Emily Dunne, and Violet Hardcastle are the three main protagonists in this book, each with their own story to tell and each with a very different background. For a short while, they all end up as housemates and in their own inimitable way, they are able to help each other to manage their individual situations.

Frank is a troubled family man who needs to become more comfortable in his own skin. Emily is an amazing young woman who hasn’t had the best of starts in life and dealt with this in the only way she knew how to, and Violet has a traumatic past which is the reason she has become known as the ‘witch of Primrose Square’. Everything becomes clear as you read on and become involved once again with the residents of Primrose Square. Carroll covered the many sensitive topics incredibly delicately and a great deal of research must have gone into this book and one reason I gave The Women of Primrose Square 5, well-deserved stars.

An enjoyable and educating read, I would thoroughly recommend this as an escape from the real world for a while. I need to check whether there are any more adventures coming from Primrose Square.

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My Review for Make Yourself at Home by Ciara Geraghty

⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read and review a copy of Make Yourself at Home by Ciara Geraghty.

Marianne’s life has fallen apart, her husband has left her, she has no home, no job, and nothing to look forward to and she begrudgingly has no choice but to move back in with her Mum. Rita lives in an old, dilapidated house placed precariously on a cliff-top, overlooking the Irish Sea, and lives for her Get-Well-Sooners, a motley bunch of recovering alcoholics who she is intent on helping to regain their lives.

As the story progresses, Marianne transforms from a lonely young woman with no friends and a bleak future, to the heart and soul of Ancaire, the childhood house she used to call home. She forges friendships that will last a lifetime and might even find a little love along the way.

Geraghty has written an awesome story and takes the readers deep into the hearts of her characters, along with some sad memories and traumatic moments comes forgiveness, happiness, and most of all, acceptance. This makes the reader appreciate we should all accept our family and friends for who they are and how they will be influential in helping you become the person you want to be.

For readers who enjoy Sheila O’Flanagan and Marian Keyes, Make Yourself at Home will worm its way into your soul and stay there.

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My Review for The Neighbours by Nicola Gill, narrated by Katy Federman

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another of my Audiobook reviews, I definitely get through a lot more when the sun is out! When winter arrives, it’ll be back to the reading!

Ginny is 34 and Cassie is 55, neighbours and soon-to-be friends. The most unlikely friendship you could ever think of, but somehow it works. Cassie is an ageing, out-of-work actor and Ginny is an out-of-work publicist - I think you can guess what happens next.

As with all my reviews, I’m not going to give too much away, however, The Neighbours is full of humour, friendship, some sadness and a little bit of love. Ginny and Cassie are both dominant characters and Gill did a great job with some fairly difficult subjects, approaching them with care and understanding. 

Other reviewers have stated that this wasn’t the light-hearted chick-lit book they were expecting but although there were some heavy subjects, such as old-age and depression I found that these were managed well and with a lot of humour in between.

If you enjoy a book where everything turns out well in the end and you like an easy read where you don’t have to concentrate, then give The Neighbours a try. I don’t think you will regret it.

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My Review for The Switch by Beth O'Leary, narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love a good Audiobook whilst I’m dead-heading flowers in my garden and The Switch by Beth O’Leary just allowed me to retreat into two different people’s lives for a while!

Leena Cotton lives in London, her grandmother Eileen lives in a small Yorkshire village, and currently, neither are content with their lives, so they decide to switch places for two months. Eileen disappears off to stay in Leena’s flat in London whilst Leena moves into her grandmother’s cottage in Yorkshire, complete with two cats and an irritating neighbour!

I became completely absorbed in The Switch, narrated by two brilliant actors, Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) as Leena, and Alison Steadman as Eileen. I find it makes such a difference when narrators become involved in the story and draw the listener in. 

O’Leary writes with such humour and enthusiasm, particularly with Eileen’s chapters, that I defy anyone not to smile, at least a little. The Switch shows you can achieve anything in life as long as you are determined and have the support of your family and friends. 

If you don’t want to know what’s going to happen, then I’d advise you not to read the synopsis (I never do), it gives too much away, just buy the book and settle down with a cup of Yorkshire tea and enjoy!

I’d love to read more about the Silver Shoreditch Social Club along with Eileen and Leena, so if you’re reading this Beth, can we have a sequel, please!

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My Review for Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My second Audiobook from Sarah J. Maas and the first in the Throne of Glass series. I considered reading a physical copy. However, I’m out and about in the garden so much these days, and I love Elizabeth Evans narrating. I thought I’d lose myself in a fantasy world for a few hours. It was so awesome; I loved everything about it....but Mum, if you’re reading this, don’t bother, it’s not for you! However, if you love fantasy, fae, witches, paranormal, and anything other-worldly, then prepare to lose yourselves in the life of Celaena Sardothien.

Celaena is a bad-ass assassin who is experiencing a reprieve from the salt mines of Endovier where she has been sentenced to hard labour. The Crown Prince is offering her, her freedom in a competition to find the King’s next assassin. If she wins, she will work for the King for a few years, before she gains her freedom. If she loses, she will be back in the salt mines.

As with the previous Sarah J. Maas book I listened to, the beginning is quite laborious while she sets the scene and brings in the characters, but once you work out who everyone is and their role; I defy you not to get entangled in another world. Be warned though, although the story of the competition bears a resemblance to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it is a lot more difficult to get into and certainly not written for children.

Celaena loves books and reading and when she gets to the castle, one of the first things she does is ask if she can borrow books from the library. You’ve got to love an author who creates characters who enjoy a good book!

Too many people write reviews with spoilers in them, so I’m going to leave mine there. Read it and let me know what you think.

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My Review for Freckles by Cecilia Ahern

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Freckles by Cecelia Ahern.

‘You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with’. A man with a yellow Ferrari says these words to Allegra Bird, otherwise known as Freckles, and so begins her philosophical search into which five people are the most influential in her life.

Allegra is a parking warden in Dublin, but originally from Valentia Island in Kerry, where her father still lives. Allegra is a troubled young lady with a disrupted childhood and leaves Kerry to try and discover her past. Throughout her journey, she meets a wide variety of people from varying backgrounds, and many of them; she incorporates into her life. 

I loved (and hated) all these unique characters, and they enhanced the story and Allegra’s life as she discovers who she really is and how they will influence her as she moves forward on her journey.

Ahern wrote Freckles by incorporating any speech into the general text, and I found this a little confusing, however, it was only a minor distraction, and once I became familiar with having to watch out for who was actually speaking, and when, it became less of an issue.

The ‘average of five people’ phrase got me thinking, as I’m sure it will many people, who the five are in my life. I concluded these five will change as you go through the different phases of your life and, although there may be one or two constants, you will never keep the same five.

Freckles is a great, easy-read book which lovers of Irish writing and the Irish countryside will enjoy.

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