My Review for The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon is a story set within a dual timeline, full of passion, anger, cruelty and patriotism. We begin in 1943 when we are coming towards the end of the Second World War. Gabriella and her brother Riccardo are living with their parents in Florence, Italy, where they are becoming anxious about the German invasion. 

In 2019, Riccardo has recently passed away and his wife Isobel and daughter Sofia are organising an exhibition of his artwork. Neither is sure of the meanings behind his paintings, but with a little help from Riccardo, they set out to discover why he painted what he did.

I enjoyed how Gabrielle played her own role in the war, offering her services to the Resistance and doing her best to help save the city that she’s living in. Suzanne Goldring writes about such great community spirit and camaraderie amongst the inhabitants of Florence and how they lived through the war with the help and support of each other. 

Riccardo was a troubled young lad, living with the after-effects of polio and unable to attend school. He entertained himself and often got into trouble along the way. He expressed his unhappiness in his paintings and as we discover the significance behind them, my heart went out to the boy who suffered so much. 

I love historical fiction, and so much research has gone into The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon, discovering how Italians dealt with the German invasion and the removal of Jews from their society. The book is heartbreaking but thought-provoking and we are reminded that life was often difficult during these times. So many people suffered so much loss and hardship, we all need to be aware of how different countries managed during wartime. 

Suzanne draws the reader into the story with her writing and as she describes the beautiful smells of the herbs and the rose garden and the awful stench of places where people are locked away, we can almost imagine ourselves there too.

If you enjoy historical fiction with an element of fact included, then check out The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon. It’s educational and captivating and you won’t want to put it down.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon by Suzanne Goldring.

Book Description

Florence, 1943. A missing painting. A war-scarred city. A brave young girl on a black bicycle risking her life for the country she loved…

As the bells toll and arrogant soldiers torment her family, fourteen-year-old Gabriella is determined to act. She seeks out her old friend Stefanina, an unlikely member of the Italian resistance with her dark curls and scarlet ribbon. Soon the two girls are criss-crossing the river with deadly information in their bicycle baskets. But then one terrible day Stefanina disappears…

London 2019.Sofia is mourning the loss of her father, a famous painter. Desperate to feel closer to him, she begins to go through his paintings of wartime Florence, a time in his life he would never talk about. But then she realises one is missing…

Determined to learn more, she discovers that he had a sister she never knew about. She flies to Florence, the place of his tortured memories, to meet her aunt Gabriella, an elegant old woman living in a palazzo filled with roses. Therein a little bedroom, locked away from the world, she finds the missing painting, a tiny picture of a beautiful girl with a scarlet ribbon.

As Sofia uncovers the story behind the hidden painting, a tale of extraordinary bravery and terrible betrayal emerges. But will understanding her family’s haunted past bring her peace, or further heartbreak?

A completely compelling and heartbreaking story of a beautiful city, a violent war and a young woman’s daring. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and My Name is Eva will be captivated by The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon.

Author Bio

Following an eventful career as a public relations consultant, specialising in business and travel, Suzanne Goldring turned to writing the kind of novels she likes to read, about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Whether she is working in her thatched cottage in Hampshire or her seaside home in North Cornwall, Suzanne finds inspiration in the secrets hidden by everyday life.

https://suzannegoldring.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/suzannegoldringauthor

https://twitter.com/suzannegoldring

Listen to a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-girl-with-the-scarlet-ribbon-by-suzanne-goldring-narrated-by-katy-sobey

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My Review for The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I loved the first book in this new DS Max Craigie series, and The Blood Tide is even better because now we have a relationship with the characters! We know who’s a pain in the backside; we know whose heart is always in the right place, and we know who we can trust...or do we?

If you have read the first in the series, you will be familiar with what Max and his small team do, basically searching out dodgy law enforcement guys and making sure they are brought to justice, whilst solving the crimes at the same time. The Blood Tide is gritty, dark and often violent, so if you don’t like dead bodies, then it’s probably not for you! 

Throughout a lot of the book, I found myself thinking that he or she had turned into one of the bad guys, and the author kept me guessing with every turn of the page. Was it safe to let this character have the information they are being given or not? I found myself muttering out loud sometimes when I voiced my opinions and often cringed when some of the scary and bad things were happening. This is why Neil Lancaster is such a talented author, he puts his readers in the situations and they live the scenario along with the characters. 

Dead Man’s Grave is the first in the series, and no, you don’t need to read that first, but it will give you a better insight and introduction to the characters if you do. If I were you, I’d definitely add both to your TBR list. 

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster.

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My Review for The Drowned Village by Norma Curtis

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Set between the present day and the years following the end of World War II in Mid Wales, The Drowned Village is a beautiful, but heartbreaking story. Sixty-five years ago, Elin Jenkins, a young Welsh girl, and Al Locke, an American sailor, had their whole lives ahead of them and, after Al proposed, the plan was for Elin to move to Pennsylvania and marry the man she loved. However, life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to.

Present-day and Sophie is running a bunkhouse in Wales, and one of her guests is an elderly gentleman in his eighties...

I thoroughly love a book that is based on historical facts and makes me want to research more about what I’ve read, This is definitely true of The Drowned Village, I only live about 3 hours drive from Mid Wales, yet I wasn’t aware of entire villages that were flooded with water to create a reservoir, to provide water for industries, just over the border in Liverpool. 

The descriptions of the Welsh countryside, with its towering hills, beautiful green countryside and sparkling lakes are perfectly written, and it’s apparent that the author loves the country she was born and brought up in. 

I really enjoyed reading The Drowned Village and would recommend this to anyone who is interested in fiction, based on fact, with a good love story thrown in.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Drowned Village by Norma Curtis.

Book Description

The Drowned Village: A heartbreaking and absolutely gripping WW2 romance by Norma Curtis

As he reaches the top of the familiar hill, a startling brightness draws him in like a vision. A glittering lake fills the entire valley. The pretty stone village, and all trace of the girl he loved, are gone…

Wartime Britain. Pushing aside drooping hollyhocks, Elin Jenkins tosses back her dark hair and runs up the familiar path to her family’s farm in the village. Laughing, Al catches her around the waist. ‘Marry me,’ he whispers. ‘I’ll use my Navy liberty leave. I don’t want this to end.’ Tears prick her eyes as she smiles up at him.

Three days later, Al is gone. And in the months that follow, Elin’s frantic telegrams to him go unanswered. Then she receives an invitation to his society wedding in Philadelphia. Scribbled on the back are three words: No hard feelings.

Present day. Al Locke, retired Navy Captain, smooths his silver hair and finishes up with a spritz of aftershave. With a spring in his step he hasn’t had for decades, he sets off up the well-worn track through the valley. He has no doubt he will meet her in the village today. He will at last hear the horrible truth of what happened to Elin after he left, and he’ll confess why he couldn’t face returning to her… until now.

But what he finds in that silent valley is a mystery that is greater even than his and Elin’s own. The village, once lively, is underwater. A shimmering ghost town in the depths of a vast lake. The tragedy of Elin and Al’s broken engagement sits at the heart of what happened here – Ellen's irreparably devastated heart, and the home she tried so desperately to save.

A beautiful and heartbreaking read about secrets, heartache and forgiveness, based on a true story. Fans of Fiona Valpy and Lorna Cook will love this book.

(This book was previously titled The Captain’s Wife)

Author bio:

Norma Curtis's first published stories were for teenage magazines and she began writing novels when she joined the Romantic Novelists' Association. Her first novel won the New Writer's Award and was chosen as a WH Smith Fresh Talent title. A couple of years after being invited onto the RNA committee she was made chairman and following her two-year term of office, she studied creative writing at City University before taking an MA in Prose Fiction at Middlesex University. The Drowned Village is her sixth novel and she lives in North London with her family.

Author social media:

Twitter: @The NormaCurtis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ncurtis.books

Website: www.normacurtisauthor.com/

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My Review for A Wedding in Provence by Katie Fforde

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐  It is 1963 and our protagonist, Alexandra, is in Paris, en route to a Swiss finishing school which she isn’t looking forward to and would really rather stay in Paris. Through a friend of a friend, she finds herself in short-term employment as a Nanny to three French children, although not in Paris, but in sunny Provence, deep in the French countryside. Planning on staying with the family for a few weeks and then continuing onto Switzerland, Alexandra settles down to look after her charges.

As time goes by, Alexandra finds herself indispensable to the children’s father, Antoine. As he is away so often on business, and the children grow fond of her, she agrees to stay a little longer.

A Wedding in Provence is a lovely read, like all of Katie Fforde’s books. I immersed myself in French life and culture and found myself living in Provence with Alexandra, drinking rosé wine, eating pain au chocolat and relaxing in the sunshine. Katie is adept with her descriptive writing and location settings, so even if you’re reading this on a wet and windy winter’s day in the UK, you can close the blinds and pretend you’re somewhere else!

Remember that A Wedding in Provence is set in the 60s and so some things aren’t as developed as they might be now. Homosexuality is still frowned upon and yes, English girls still attend Swiss finishing schools! (Do they still, I’m not quite sure)? However, this is a great read, and I’d recommend it to all Katie Fforde fans and anyone who just wants to get lost for a few hours.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of A Wedding in Provence by Katie Fforde.

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My Review for A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe is based on the horrific disaster which occurred, in the coal mining village of Aberfan, Wales on 21 October 1966. Embalmers were the unsung heroes of Aberfan, with volunteers rushing to the small Welsh village to ensure that the 116 children and 28 adults who perished were cleaned, identified and embalmed to keep them from deteriorating and thus saving their loved ones from further distress.

This book follows the fictitious character of William Lavery, from his young life as a chorister in Cambridge, through to him working for the family business as an embalmer which led him to Aberfan, right after he first qualified. The story jumps from 1966 and Aberfan, back to when William was a child and then forward again as he learns how to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy he witnessed and how it affected his life moving forward.

It has been clear from the book, that Jo Browning Wroe has carried out a great deal of research on the role of the embalmers at Aberfan, and how many suffered from their mental health and the effects such a tragic disaster can have on a person but also on their friends and family surrounding them. 

I related personally to places in the book as, like the author, I grew up in Birmingham and I went on my holidays to South Wales every year, staying just outside Mumbles in a road just off Plunch Lane! 

Sensitively written, I can thoroughly recommend A Terrible Kindness to anyone who is interested in the role the embalmers had in Aberfan but also to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe.

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My Review for The Book of Sand by Theo Clare

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love a dystopian; the world is ending, kind of book and The Book of Sand by Theo Clare didn’t fail to deliver. Written with a parallel timeline, Mckenzie is a teenager, living in the present day in Virginia in the USA. Spider (I couldn’t work out what age Spider was supposed to be), is living in a parallel universe somewhere in a desert, which comprises various countries, states and cities from around the world. He is surrounded by his desert family and they are on a mission to discover the Sarkpont and although they aren’t sure what that is; they know that other families are searching for it too. They also know that if they don’t find it, their quest is over.

We flit back and forth between Mckenzie and the family in the desert, both linked in some way, although it’s a while until we discover how. Seemingly, Mckenzie’s life is just that of a normal teenager’s, although she appears to have some psychotic episodes. So at first, I wondered how this fitted into a fantasy novel and it’s a good chunk of the way through before we discover how the stories merge. 

 

The Book of Sand was fairly lengthy, but it didn’t seem like it. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to find out how everything linked together and how it was going to end. Some people may not like this book because of the length, but I couldn’t wait to pick it up, hour after hour, day after day, until I’d finished it. If you’re into fantasy and sci-fi, then I think you’ll enjoy this. Apparently, it’s the first in a trilogy but as Mo Hayder (Theo Clare) sadly passed away last year, I’m not sure whether we will see any further books in the series. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Book of Sand by Theo Clare.

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My Review for The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Rebound, by Catherine Walsh, is just what you need to get you in the mood for love and romance this Valentine’s Day! It will have you laughing and crying and shouting at the characters! 

Abby has had no choice but to return home to Ireland from New York, where she has been living and working for the past few years. Her entire life was there, her home, her job, her fiance and her friends. Now she is left with nothing. Staying with her sister, who she doesn’t really get on with, and having to face familiar faces in the village who all know why she’s had to come back, Abby sets about rebuilding her life.

Most of the characters in The Rebound are lovable in their own way. Abby and her sister Louise are very different people and have never really got on with each other, but this changes as the story progresses and in their own way, each of them is there for the other, because who can you rely on, if you can’t rely on family. I loved Beth, Abby’s newfound friend, and they often tried to put the world to rights over a glass (or three) of wine! 

The Rebound is just a lovely, happy, flirty, sexy read and will leave you with a warm feeling inside when you’ve finished it. Settle back in front of the fire on a cold winter’s evening and disappear into the Irish countryside with Abby and her friends.

I was lucky enough to be part of Books on Tour for this, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Rebound by Catherine Walsh.

Book Description:

A newly single girl. A tall dark handsome stranger. What could go wrong?

It’s 7 a.m. on a Monday morning and Abby Reynolds isn’t where she wants to be. She wants to be in her beautiful loft apartment in Manhattan, drinking a coffee with her fiancé.

Instead, she’s heading back to the childhood home in rural Ireland she swore she’d never return to, with some big old secrets. Namely that she’s suddenly found herself unemployed, homeless, and absolutely 100% single.

She’s feeling all out of luck. Until the first person she meets after she touches down is an absurdly hot guy called Luke, who offers her a lift home. Gazing deep into his sparkling emerald-green eyes, Abby knows instantly that he’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off everything. The perfect rebound.

It’s a flawless plan. Until the next day, when Abby realizes who he actually is. Not just a stranger. He is, in fact, Luke Bailey, aka the boy next door. Luke Bailey who—so help her God—she’s pretty sure she once shared baths with, back when they were kids. Not that she can allow herself to imagine him in a bath now, not without blushing from head to foot.

And judging by the smirk on his face, the same Luke Bailey who’s known exactly who she was the whole time… And who, like everyone in the village, still thinks she’s a high-flying New Yorker… who’s getting married next year.

Abby is certain getting under Luke will help her get over her ex. But the truth is stopping her. Can she admit to everyone back home that she’s single and has lost everything? Because, if she wants the boy next door, she may just have to…

The perfect feel-good romantic comedy that will make you laugh until you cry and fall completely in love. Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, and Emily Henry won’t be able to put this down!

Author Bio:

Catherine Walsh was born and raised in Ireland. She has a degree in Popular Literature and the only prize she ever won for writing was at the age of 14 in school (but she still cherishes it.)

She lived in London for a few years where she worked in Publishing and the non-profit sector before returning to Dublin where she now lives between the mountains and the sea. When not writing she is trying and failing to not kill her houseplants.

https://twitter.com/CatWalshWriter

https://www.instagram.com/catwalshwriter/

https://catherinewalshbooks.com/

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My Review for Some Kind of Comfort by Gary Clark

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Once again, it was a privilege to be an Advance Reader for Gary Clark’s new book, Some Kind of Comfort. It’s totally different from his Interland books, which are a dystopian fantasy series. This one is real-life, sensitively dealing with issues that many teenagers have suffered or are suffering with. 

Charley is our protagonist. A sixteen-year-old girl with severe anxiety issues and ‘thought tangles’, her anxiety has caused Charley numerous problems as she has been growing up, but right now, they’ve hit what is hopefully the peak and she begins to deal with them. 

Admitted to a psychiatric unit for children and young people, Charley makes friends with a group of people who are on the same wavelength as she is and, slowly, with therapy and the understanding she needs, she begins her road to recovery.

Gary Clark is an awesome author, and he has dealt with the topics in this book brilliantly. He delves into each character and we begin to understand why they have the issues they have and how they can be dealt with, with the correct help and support.

There are poignant moments throughout the story, each described brilliantly, and we also realise how difficult it is to be the person on the outside looking in. Parents, siblings and friends are also affected when their loved ones are suffering from mental health problems.

I rarely include trigger warnings in reviews, but I think in this case; they are warranted. Some Kind of Comfort includes issues of self-harm, severe anxiety, eating disorders, OCD and suicide.

That aside, this book is well worth a read. Aimed at a Young Adult audience, it will just as easily be enjoyed by adults who may appreciate it from a position of parents and carers. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Some Kind of Comfort and I’d like to thank the author for allowing me to be part of his Advance Reader Team.

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My Review for Am I Allergic to Men by Kristen Bailey

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐  The 5th book in Kristen Bailey’s ‘The Callaghan Sisters’, but you don’t need to have read any of the others to enjoy this one. This is the first Kristen Bailey I’ve read and Lucy is our protagonist, happy-go-lucky Lucy, the sister with the wild streak and a devil-may-care attitude. I loved her, her free spirit, her unconditional love for her family, and simply her energy.

Lucy has it tough throughout much of the story. Following a head injury, she has no memory of the last ten years and has to fight hard to recover what she’s lost. She meets up with friends, colleagues and anyone that may be able to help her work out what she has been up to in the years she’s missing. Her sisters are with her every step of the way and for this, Lucy is thankful. 

I loved the easy reading of ‘Am I Allergic to Men’. I could put it down and pick it back up again without having to remember what I’d read before. However, if you pick a day when you’re not doing much else, if it’s wet and windy outside or you’re lucky enough to be lying in the sunshine in the warmer weather, it will be difficult to even think about putting it down! 

I will definitely add the rest of the Callaghan Sisters books to my TBR list and try to fit them all in soon! 

I was lucky enough to be included in the blog tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Am I Allergic to Men by Kristen Bailey.

The fabulous Kristen has created a quiz so that readers can find out which sister they are!  Give it a try and let me know.

🙈 I'm Grace - not sure whether that's a good thing or not 🙈

Which Callaghan sister are you? Click here.

Book Description:

You think you’ve got it bad? I lost my memory, I’m so single I’ve basically got an allergy to men, and my own cat despises me.

‘Lucy! If you can hear me, squeeze my hand!’

That’s the first thing I hear when I wake up in hospital. Then my sister drops a bombshell: I’ve been in a coma.

It gets worse. In my head, it’s 2009 and I’m seventeen. Somehow, I need to remember the last decade…

Plan A: Track down my exes. Highlights include a one-night stand with someone in a Batman costume, and balcony sex that gave the neighbours a nervous breakdown.

Plan B: Get flirty. Lowlights include a fling with someone hairier than a yeti.

Plan C: Figure out why I have more exes than underwear. Am I allergic to men?

As I piece together my past, I find a mysterious note: Oscar, 9th February. Determined to work out what it means, I uncover a secret I’ve been hiding from everyone.

When the truth comes out, will my memory return? Will I get my life back? And will I ever find the cure to my singledom?

You’ll laugh so much your abs ache! The perfect page-turner for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and TV shows like Schitt’s Creek.

Author Bio:

Mother-of-four, gin-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She has had short fiction published in several publications including Mslexia & Riptide. Her first two novels, Souper Mum and Second Helpings were published in 2016. In 2019, she was long-listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and has since joined the Bookouture family. She writes women's fiction and she hopes her novels have fresh and funny things to say about modern life, love and family.

You can find out more about her at her website: www.kristenbaileywrites.com.

https://www.facebook.com/kristenbaileywrites/

https://www.instagram.com/kristenbaileywrites/

https://twitter.com/mrsbaileywrites

Hear a sample here:

https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/am-i-allergic-to-men-by-kiersten-bailey-narrated-by-sarah-durham

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My Review for A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is Stacy Willingham's debut novel! I didn't realise this until I'd finished reading it, and to say I was surprised is an understatement. It feels like she's been writing for years! Full of plot twists and turns, I guarantee it'll leave you reeling and wanting more with each turn of the page.

Chloe is the protagonist in A Flicker in the Dark and has been trying to hide from her past, and her serial killer father for the last twenty years but some things just never go away... Flitting back and forth between the present, and Chloe's memories of the past, we begin to understand why she seems as troubled as she is. 

It now seems that the murders are beginning again, with a similar modus operandi and Chloe feels that somehow she is a link to the killings, setting out to try and find out what is going on. Stacy Willingham's novel certainly keeps you on your toes and I really didn't see the ending coming, not in the way that it did. 

Although I've read a few thrillers, it hasn't been my go-to genre but judging by the last couple I've read, I need to read more. A Flicker in the Dark kept me entertained as nothing has done for a while. If you've never read a psychological thriller before, start off with this one! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham.

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