My Review for The Woman in Me by Britney Spears, read by Michelle Williams

I’m not a massive Britney Spears fan. In fact, I can’t say I’m a fan at all, but I was intrigued to listen to her story after hearing so much about it from other readers. I was also a little curious as to why she had cancelled her Las Vegas residency so quickly when it was evident she had a huge amount of fans out there.

Honestly, it was heartbreaking that someone who was so talented and wanted to live the dream they had had as a little girl could be squashed flat and controlled so heartlessly by her family, but predominantly by her father. 

Her conservatorship battle in court goes to show that hopefully, in the majority of cases, right will win and evil will be punished. Yes, Britney is a little bat-shit crazy, but no one deserves to be treated like that. I’m pleased she got the right outcome in the end.

Britney opens the audiobook by stating that she cannot bear to read her story herself without getting upset which is the reason Michelle Williams narrates it. Although her voice did grate on me a little at the beginning, I did get used to it and ultimately it was really interesting listen.

Autobiographies always fascinate and intrigue me, (probably because I’m a nosey so-and-so)! This was no exception, and I’d definitely recommend The Woman in Me if you’re simply interested in famous people and what goes on in their lives.

About the Book

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.

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My Review for A Christmas Gift for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride

This is the third book in the East End Library Girls series and another brilliant book from Patricia McBride. Once again, we are immersed in the lives of the Eastenders of London, during the traumatic and difficult times of the Second World War, but this Christmas, they have the excitement of a visit from the King and Queen of England to look forward to!

Cordelia, Mavis and Jane are back between the pages of our book and honestly, I adore them. They are the stalwarts of the Silvertown library, which is very much the heart of the community, bringing people together for friendship during these hard times. The story and the characters are just so warm and endearing. Despite the setting, you can’t help but be drawn into their camaraderie and love. 

If you like warm, light-hearted, historical fiction, then pour yourself a cup of tea, put your feet up and enjoy Patricia’s latest book about these brilliant east-end girls. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review A Christmas Gift for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride.

About the Book

As the war continues, the library girls face their greatest challenge yet...

With the echoes of war reverberating around London, Cordelia, Mavis, and Jane are delighted to be blessed with some good news: the King and his Queen will be making a visit to the East End.

As excitement builds, so does their apprehension. With each passing day, the threat of destruction from air raids increasingly plagues their worried minds.

But with Christmas on the horizon, their morale is at an all-time high, and the girls are determined to display to their esteemed guests all they have done with the library – and with so little.

For Mavis especially, she is more focused on the library than ever – her beloved Joe is still fighting overseas and she is waiting for news on whether she might adopt young Joyce.

But perhaps the royal visit will not be the only Christmas gift she'll be surprised with this year…?

About Patricia 

Patricia McBride is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books as well as numerous articles. She loves undertaking the research for her books, helped by stories told to her by her Cockney mother and grandparents who lived in the East End. Patricia lives in Cambridge with her husband.

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My Review for A Class Act by Julie Houston

Julie is a new-to-me author, and A Class Act didn’t disappoint in the least. I’m pleased to have discovered Julie at the beginning of this brand-new series. 

The story is full of diversity, family dynamics, romance, disappointments, humour, and prominent characters. Robyn is lovely, I admired her determination in the first half of the book when she tried so, so hard to achieve her dream of becoming a West End star. I love a musical so I was fully invested in Robyn’s dream and loved her walks through the streets of theatreland in the west end of London.

I’m looking forward to reading more about Robyn and her sisters as the series continues in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review A Class Act by Julie Houston.

About the Book

Robyn Allen is finally getting closer to her dream of West End stardom. And along with her role dancing in the latest hot musical, she’s being wined and dined by an equally hot man – the wildly successful and well-connected Fabian Carrington. But one slip up and her dreams are shattered, and Robyn has to hobble back to the Yorkshire village of Beddingfield, and the life she hoped she’d escaped.

Moving back into her mum’s house with her recalcitrant teenage sister Sorrel, next door to her older sister Jess who’s fed up with picking up the slack, is not how Robyn pictured her year. But there’s more to come. Sorrel needs a new school, and the school needs a new drama teacher. Despite having vowed never to teach again, Robyn knows she has to support her sister.

So together Sorrel and Robyn vow to take on St Mede’s – home to jokers, tearaways and trouble-makers, but with a hidden heartbeat ready to be inspired. And who knows, the kids might have something to teach Robyn about life too…

About Julie

Julie lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where her novels are set, and her only claims to fame are that she teaches part-time at ‘Bridget Jones’ author Helen Fielding’s old junior school and her neighbour is ‘Chocolat’ author, Joanne Harris. After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior school teacher. As a newly qualified teacher, broke and paying off her first mortgage, she would spend every long summer holiday working on different Kibbutzim in Israel. After teaching for a few years she decided to go to New Zealand to work and taught in Auckland for a year before coming back to this country. She now teaches just two days a week, and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children. She has been a magistrate for the past nineteen years, and, when not distracted by Ebay, Twitter and Ancestry, spends much of her time writing. Julie is married, has a twenty-four-year-old son and twenty-one-year-old daughter and a ridiculous Cockerpoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she’s been told it’s good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book - preferably with Matthew Mcconaughay in attendance.

She hates skiing, gets sick on boats and wouldn’t go pot-holing or paddy diving if her life depended on it.

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