My Review for Letters to a Stranger by Sarah Mitchell

I wasn’t sure about this book when I began to read. Cassie and Noah (mother and son) are camped out in a caravan in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, and their reasons for being there become clear as you read. With dual timelines of 2020 and 1940, the entire book is made-up of letters and diary entries (1940) and letters, texts and emails (2020). By the middle of the second part of the book, (there are seven), I was well and truly hooked! 

Dive in and find out for yourselves just how all the characters link up. I can honestly say that it wasn’t until Ruby - a ninety-six-year-old woman - explains the achievements in her life - that I worked out how everything interlinked!

Sarah Mitchell is just so expressive in her writing and she has made me want to find out more about cloud formations and telling the weather from them (wouldn’t you just love to be having a drink with me in a pub)!!!

My favourite quote from the book is an old Maori proverb "Turn your face towards the sun and the shadows fall behind you".

Recommended for anyone who has a love of historical fiction, particularly that which is set in WWII. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review Letters to a Stranger by Sarah Mitchell.

Book Description

England, 1940. Dearest Ruby, you must have heard the news by now. The very worst has happened. Our countries are at war. What can I do? How can I stop this nightmare from happening? One day soon we’ll be together again. I swear. I love you. E. x

Present day. Ruby Summers has lived an extraordinary life. Now, at ninety-six years old and living in a quiet countryside retirement home, Ruby may be an elderly lady, but her memory remains perfect.

She remembers the summer in rural Norfolk eighty years ago when she fell in love with Edmondo, and the stolen moments spent in the orchard dreaming of their future. But tears fill her green eyes when she also remembers the September morning they embraced as they listened to war being declared on the wireless. As her village turned against Edmondo and his Italian family, Ruby knew she would be forced to make an impossible choice – one that would lead to a betrayal her heart never recovered from, and an earth-shattering secret she has never shared…

But when lonely Ruby decides to take part in a letter-writing scheme for the elderly, and single mother Cassie replies, she realises this could be her chance. Her last chance. By revisiting her past, can she finally share the secret that has haunted her for all these years? And will her unexpected connection with Cassie unearth truths even Ruby never knew were hidden – or will it tear both their lives apart?

This totally gripping and irresistible story of wartime love and heartbreak will captivate readers who love Lorna Cook, Fiona Valpy and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Author Bio

Sarah Mitchell grew up in Norfolk and studied law at Cambridge University. She practised as a barrister in London for nearly 20 years before turning to writing. Sarah and her husband now live in beautiful North Norfolk with three almost-grown-up children, an extremely affectionate dog and a horse called Joey. Her debut novel, THE LOST LETTERS, was inspired by her parents' experiences in the Second World War and her desire to explore the heart-breaking impact of the war on women and children. By contrast, THE COUPLE is a dark psychological thriller that twins themes of right and wrong with the age-old complication of an all-consuming past love. Her third novel, THE ENGLISH GIRL is a story inspired by an incredible true love story, a beautiful, sweeping tale of hope, courage and heart-breaking choices. Now, her fourth novel, LETTERS TO A STRANGER, explores themes of love, betrayal and redemption, through the eyes of young Ruby Summers who is forced to make an impossible decision when Italy joins the Second World War and her village turns against the love of her life.

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My Review for A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone, read by Joy Nash & Sebastian York

This was so not what I was expecting. From the title and the cover, I was expecting a cutesy, warm, happy, Christmassy book. What I actually got was fun and laughs and a whole lot of raunchy sex! Not a bad thing, just not warm and cosy!

I listened to A Merry Little Meet Cute as an audiobook, read by Joy Nash & Sebastian York. The story was fun, Bee, a porn star who was trying to diversify into family-friendly movies alongside her co-star, Nolan, who used to be a pop star but is now trying to tame down his image. Of course, they are each other’s fans and of course, they fall in love along the way.

If you want something hilarious to read or listen to, then by all means, grab yourself a copy of A Merry Little Meet Cute, but is it something to buy your Great Aunt Ethel for her birthday? Probably not, unless you know she’s going to like a whole lot of sex, sex and…more sex!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review a copy of A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone.

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My Review for Promise Me by Jill Mansell, read by Katherine Press

Another Jill Mansell belter which had me laughing out loud from the first few pages. I think that as I listened to it as an audiobook with such a great narrator, Katherine Press, made it even more hilarious and if Edgar doesn’t make you laugh from the very beginning, then there is something wrong with you. It’ll definitely cheer you up if you’re having a bad day.

Lou loses her job and her home in Birmingham and begins a new life in the village of Foxwell in the Cotswolds as a carer for grumpy old Edgar. Her mission is to make him enjoy life more…but will she succeed and what shenanigans will they both get up to along the way?

Pick up this latest book by Jill Mansell and have some fun with Edgar, Lou, Remy, Sammy and Jess along the way. It’ll make you laugh and there may be some tears, but overall, you’ll have a great time in Foxwell!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review a copy of Promise Me by Jill Mansell.

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My Review for Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman

This book is number 38 in the Alex Delaware series and it’s only the first one I’ve read, despite me having a copy of a previous book sitting on my shelf! I’ve read it as a standalone and it was absolutely fine. However, I guess if you want more of the backstory to the characters, then you’d need to start at the beginning.

Alex is a psychologist and assists his police detective friend, Milo Sturgis, in solving cases, looking at them from a psychological point of view in order to help solve the crime. I found Unnatural History somewhat slow to begin with, but I guess that’s the case with many police procedurals, as the crime is discovered and the background built up. However, once I was through all of that, the pace picked up and I was fully invested in the characters Kellerman has in his story. I enjoyed reading about the homeless communities of Los Angeles and how their mental health can affect their daily lives. We also discover how someone who was once pretty well off can spiral downwards incredibly quickly and go from one life to another.

Definitely grab yourself a copy of Unnatural History if you enjoy a police procedural, but be warned, if this is your first Alex Delaware book, it probably will not be your last. You’ll have another 37 to buy!

Thank you to Century Publishing for a review copy of Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman.

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My Review for A Mother's Hope for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker

There are four books (so far) in the Cornish Girls series by Betty Walker and I’ve only read two! It absolutely doesn’t matter. You can read it as a standalone or as part of the series. I will definitely go back and read the other two, even if the characters will all be upside down and back to front!

A Mother’s Hope for the Cornish Girls is set during WWII and the story is told primarily by Sonya, Lily and Mary, each living and working in St Ives. Sonya is helping at the orphanage, Lily is now training to be a midwife and Mary is working as a nurse in the convalescent home for wounded soldiers. 

I devoured this book in two days, I just couldn’t put it down and I’ve just discovered there is a new book coming out in August so I can’t wait for that! It is beautifully written, with compassion and empathy. I read the last page and closed the book, feeling that I had just been enveloped in a great big hug!

Thank you to Avon Books for sending me a review copy of A Mother’s Hope for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker.

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My Review for Truly, Madly, Amy by Kerry Wilkinson, narrated by Joe Jameson.

I listened to Truly, Madly, Amy as an audiobook and it blew me away. The story is told from the point of view of Joe, our protagonist, who is now thirty-six, but tells the reader/listener all about his summer as a sixteen-year-old. Very much a coming-of-age book, Joe talks of new experiences in his life, a summer job, a girlfriend, and reading his first ever book for fun! 

Joe has to deal with many things during the six weeks of the summer of 1999, his father’s death, his mother’s depression, his sister moving ahead with her own life, and what he is going to do with his own, once he receives his exam results. He also has to learn how to manage his heightened teenage feelings, both of love and anger, and the consequence of what happens if he can’t control them.

Truly, Madly, Amy sent me straight back to my teenage years, as I reflected on the similarities and differences between my life, and Joe and Amy’s. You learn so much as you grow from childhood into adulthood and I think that what you learn, shapes you as an adult. There are changes I would make if I had my time over again, especially in regard to what I studied. Consequently, this may well have led to making different choices in life, particularly with my career and relationships. I may not have met my best friend or my husband if I had chosen a different career. Who knows!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, coming-of-age and simply a good all-rounder.   Joe Jameson who narrates the audiobook was brilliant and I loved listening to his voice.  I need to find more books that he has done the voiceover for!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review a copy of Truly, Madly, Amy by Kerry Wilkinson.

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My Review for The Last Letter From Paris by Kate Eastham

I really enjoyed this one. Mainly set in Paris during the first two years of WWII, the city has German occupation, but life isn’t yet as difficult as it will become in the later years. The swastika is flying above the Eiffel Tower and German soldiers are drinking in cafes and bars and moving themselves into apartments as though it’s their right.

Cora is an American girl who has recently travelled to Paris to try to find her birth mother and inevitably gets caught up in the midsts of the beginnings of the war. She willingly becomes involved with the resistance movement and we see more of their work as she tries to travel home to America.

I have read nothing before, which is solely set at the beginning of WWII, and it was enlightening to read something different. I loved discovering what small, but such important parts people had as a part of the resistance, as they tried to help others throughout war-torn years.

If you enjoy historical fiction and something set during the conflict, then give this a try. It’s full of intrigue, suspense and, of course, a spot of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Last Letter from Paris by Kate Eastham.

Book Description

June 1940, Paris. For days she’s seen the flashes in the night sky. She’s heard the drone of planes and the thump of marching boots. Doors shut as the German flag billows over the Eiffel Tower. Leaving Cora just one last chance to get her letter out of Paris…

The Nazi occupation has begun, and soldiers stand guard on every corner. The terrifying threat of war hangs in the air, and whispers of an unimaginable death toll roll across Europe. But Cora Mayhew has come to Paris from America to search for her birth mother – a fine silver locket her only clue – and she refuses to give up now.

One winter day, the air thick with fog, Cora is on a train – praying that it will lead her to the mother she never knew. But when the train is struck by bombs, throwing her from her seat as the carriage lurches off the tracks, all she can think about is everything she’s left behind.

Bruised and gasping for air, Cora struggles to her feet, shaking glass from her hair. Surrounded by passengers taking their last breaths and crying out for their loved ones, Cora knows she must find a way to send a heart-wrenching letter she’s been carrying around for weeks and return to her dear adoptive family while she still can.

Staggering from the wreckage, Cora shelters in a nearby ditch. But as the cold sets into her bones and her fighting spirit slips away, a German soldier finds Cora and offers her a chance at escape… With golden-flecked hazel eyes, handsome Max Heller is everything a Nazi shouldn’t be: kind, good-humoured and selfless.

With Max's help, Cora uncovers a devastating secret about her birth mother, which makes her even more determined to get home. The key to Cora’s safe journey lies in the letter she’s been trying desperately to get out of Paris. Now she is faced with a choice: place her trust in the hands of the enemy, or go it alone and risk never making it out alive?

A heart-breaking story of love, belonging, and resilience in Nazi-occupied Paris as one woman searches desperately for the truth in the face of grave danger. The perfect wartime read for fans of The Dressmaker’s Gift, The Lost Girls of Paris and The Nightingale.

Author Bio

A change in circumstance meant Kate Eastham made the shift from a career in nursing to being a carer for her partner. Determined to make the most of this new role ‘working from home’ and inspired by an in-depth study of the origins of nursing, she wrote her first novel at the kitchen table. Miss Nightingale’s Nurses was published by Penguin in 2018, closely followed by three more in the series. With her passion for history, Kate aims to make visible the lives of ordinary yet extraordinary women from the past. Her current historical fiction is set during the World Wars and will be published by Bookouture.

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