Thursday, June 8, 2023

My Review for Lovestruck by Laura Jane Williams


I loved this so much! An easy and fun read for summer days (or any day really)! I grew up in Birmingham and the book is set in Kings Heath, a suburb just a few miles from the city centre, so as the author writes about places in and around Birmingham I felt I was back there for a few days, it was warm and comforting.

The book is set in two parallel timelines, one where Becca replies to a text from her ex and the other where she blocks and deletes his number. Each takes its own path and we find out just what happens in separate dimensions.

I loved all of the characters, but Becca and Carlos were my favourites. The story was funny, warm, romantic and cosy and it made me feel warm inside from beginning to end. 

If you want something fun and uplifting to read, then I recommend a copy of Lovestruck to take on your holidays with you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to read and review Lovestruck by Laura Jane Williams.

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Tuesday, May 30, 2023

My Review for Her Last Promise by Catherine Hokin

Her Last Promise is the fourth book in the Hanni Winter series and it’s now 1963. Hanni and Freddy are in the middle of a divorce. Renny, Freddy’s wild sister, wants to change the world and Leo - Hanni and Freddy’s son thinks he knows best!

Throughout the book, I was rooting for Hanni and I was with her every step of the way as she searched for a way to bring her evil father to justice. She was full of grit and determination and, despite the many obstacles in her way, she kept the end goal in sight.

WWII novels are often harrowing, but I found it difficult to read about Hadamar, the Nazi killing facility that the SS operated during the war. How another human being can even have thought about such a facility is beyond me, but as is true of many novels set in this era, it is educational and definitely something we should all be aware of.

Her Last Promise is a must-read if you have read the other three books in the series but even if you haven’t and you start with this one, I’ll almost guarantee that you’ll want to go back and catch up with Hanni from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review Her Last Promise by Catherine Hokin.



Book Description

‘Too many have suffered at my father’s hands. I won’t let it continue. I’ll stop him, I’ll build a world where we can finally be free, I swear it…’

Berlin, 1938.When Hanni’s beloved sister suddenly vanishes in the middle of the night, Hanni knows her high-ranking Nazi father, Reiner, is not telling her the whole truth and may hold the key to her disappearance.

Years later, after finally learning how to live with her troubled past, Hanni dedicates herself to raising her teenage son, Leo, but her sister is never far from her mind. But when Leo begins to share Reiner’s pro-Nazi views and runs away from home to meet his grandfather, Hanni’s world collapses in an instant. She is determined not to lose her son to her father’s cruelty, like she lost her darling sister all those years ago…

Hanni has tried to stop her father before and nearly lost her life. Now she is fighting for Leo too and the stakes are higher than ever. She can’t lose him to the Nazis. She won’t let her father take her son away from her. Hanni knows this is her last chance to bring her father to justice. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Hanni knows this will be her toughest battle yet. But with Reiner’s popularity stronger than ever, will she succeed?

A heartbreaking and gripping historical novel about courage, redemption and the endurance of the human spirit. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will be inspired by this heart-wrenching story about the choices we make to honour the lives of those we lose.

Author Bio

I seem to have followed a rather meandering career, including marketing and teaching and politics (don't try and join the dots), to get where I have always wanted to be, which is writing historical fiction. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest. Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books.

I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. Both my children have left home (one to London and one to Berlin) which may explain why I am finally writing. If I'm not at my desk you'll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.



Thursday, May 25, 2023

US Road Trip - May 2023 - Summary

Summary 

Thank you if you've managed to read this far and I hope you found at least some of it helpful and interesting.

As a quick summary, we booked Hilton hotels (primarily Hampton Inn & Suites) throughout all the time on the actual road, apart from Yellowstone where we chose an independent hotel. We were more than happy with Hilton; choosing the same hotel means you know what you're getting. We had a budget of £150 per night (apart from Yellowstone) so that should give you some idea of what we were getting for our money.

Food has always been expensive in Vegas but it seems to have increased, even in the last twelve months. To put this into perspective, we had a Subway in Vegas and for two, foot-long subs it was $46. We had the same in Rexburg and it was $19.  That was just one example, it's easy to spend $50-$70 on breakfast/lunch in a restaurant and upwards of $100 for dinner. We went to Prime at Bellagio on our last night and there wasn't much change from $400.

We love Vegas and have been at least once a year, for the last fifteen years or so and therefore I am hesitant to say this, but I think we are done with Vegas...at least for a few years. The road trip throughout the different states and towns we visited has opened our eyes to how much more America has to offer us and I think that when we next take a trip, it won't include Vegas. I think we will definitely include a casino resort or two but somewhere different.

The cruise was a great way to relax but personally, Navigator of the Seas was too small for us so I will look at a larger ship if we were to cruise in the future.

We were both amazed at just how different each state was and how fast the scenery changed, from mountains to grassland, rocky outlooks and desert.  Utah was my favourite, just for the scenery but I loved each state we visited and it has only given me the appetite to want to see more.

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions or comments about any part of our trip and thank you for travelling along with us.  See you next time.

US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 22 - Travel Day

Day 22

Today is the day we fly back home and a four-hour trip to Denver International Airport. The only benefit to living out of a suitcase for three weeks is not having to pack it all up when you’re ready to come home!


We left fairly early (that’s what having eleven hours of sleep does for you)! We stopped off for a spot of breakfast in Cheyenne but didn’t stay too long, as we wanted to be sure we didn’t get stuck in traffic closer to Denver. However, we still made a good time, so we had an hour’s stop in Boulder, about 45 minutes from the airport. We went to Pearl Street Mall, which is the downtown district and full of little boutique shops and restaurants. I would definitely like to spend longer here if we are ever passing in the future.


We dropped our car back at the Avis rental park and checked in for our flight around 3.30 pm. Flying Club World has its benefits, and we spent some time in the Admiral’s Club Lounge before our flight.

The flight was uneventful, and we landed safely back at Heathrow at 11.50 am. We were literally the first through immigration and beat our bags to the carousel! Then followed a two-hour journey to Stratford-upon-Avon to collect our dog from my parents and then a three-hour trip back to South Norfolk. We finally arrived home at 7.30 pm and now I’m ready to tackle the four suitcases of laundry!








Wednesday, May 24, 2023

US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 21

Day 21


This morning we drove from Riverton to Casper for our last night in the US. It was only about a two-hour journey so we had decided to make a day of it in Casper and set about searching for things to do. It didn’t take long and first off we made a quick stop at Hell’s Half Acre which is known for its geologic oddity, composed of deep ravines, caves, rock formations and hard-packed eroded earth and apparently Native American tribes used the ravines to drive bison to their deaths during their hunts.






Our next stop was Fort Casper Museum and my first real understanding of the four trails which led across America from east to west. These comprised The Oregon Trail, The Mormon Trail, The Californian Trail and The Pony Express. 





The next stop was the National Historic Trails Interpretative Center, which was a lot more in-depth and fascinating. If you’re interested in anything like this and you’re visiting anywhere near Casper, then I would definitely recommend a visit. I love reading historical fiction that is based on fact but have really only read about WWII up until now - that is about to change.






We decided that our last night in America would include a trip to a proper US diner, so we called in at Johnny J’s Diner in Casper for burgers and fries (what else)! All this history had worn us out, so after a drink at the bar in the hotel we headed to our room and after a quick shower, we were in bed by 7 pm!!!


Tuesday, May 23, 2023

US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 20

Day 20


We set an alarm for 5 am and checked out of Wagon Wheel Hotel just after 5.30 am - all in the name of looking for bears! We had decided to drive through the park and head out of the South Entrance and yes; we saw a bear - albeit from over half a mile away! We saw the bear spotters from miles away and although we didn’t see a bear with the naked eye, a kindly man with a spotter scope let us look through his and we saw a grizzly and her two cubs! From the South Entrance of Yellowstone, we drove on into Grand Teton National Park and guess what? We saw another bear! There was no time to take pictures. She was on the move too quickly, but it was good to see her.

Our route to Riverton took us through some beautiful countryside and we saw a lot of deer along the way - and a lot of snow!  It amazes me all the time how you can drive for a hundred miles and not see a sign of a house or anything!

We were able to check into the hotel pretty early before we decided to spend the afternoon at Wind River Casino. It seems like that’s where Vegas sends all its old machines to spend their final days. There were a few new ones, but a lot of old favourites too. We had a fun afternoon and didn’t spend very much, which is always good in a casino.

That was it for Riverton really, not much else there, but we had a Subway and hit the sack about 9 pm.

US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 19

Day 19


Our last full day in the park and another long and busy day, but so worth it. I’ve loved travelling around Yellowstone and seeing all the scenery and wildlife. Today we went across to Canyon Village and down to West Thumb. Just down from Canyon Village are the Upper and Lower Falls. I have no idea how far down we walked to view the falls, but it was a very, very long way back up! It was spectacular though and retrospectively, I’m pleased we did it!




As we travelled back down towards Old Faithful, it was evident the snow hadn’t melted and there was easily 5 feet at the sides of the road! We watched Old Faithful erupt again and this time the wind wasn’t in the wrong direction, so we could actually see it. A few bison and their calves came to view it with us and definitely got themselves in on the act!

We wandered into West Yellowstone again for dinner and ate at Hank’s Chop Shop. There definitely isn’t a shortage of decent restaurants and bars in this town. We decided that we would get up early the next day and drive through the park and out of the South Entrance before continuing our journey towards Denver.