Thursday, February 20, 2025

My Review for Happy Place by Emily Henry, read by Julia Whelan



How have I not read an Emily Henry book before?! 

This is my first venture into Emily's stories, and it won't be my last. I especially loved listening to the audiobook and was drawn into the friends lives, hook, line and sinker. The story flits between when the friends all first met, the following years, and the present day. It was great to hear how they all got together, and of course what they're all doing now. 

Emily writes about the importance of friendship, but also how people can and do drift apart as life continues for them all in different directions and the difficulties that can occur whilst trying to maintain the relationships. I liked Harriet, but I loved Wyn, he's insecure and constantly putting himself down, together they make a magical couple - if only they could see that. 

I can't relate to meeting up with old friends once a year, because a) I'm not in touch with any friends from my dim and distant past and b) I can't think of anything worse haha! Sociable I'm not!

Thank you to #BookstaBritsBookClub for choosing Happy Place as February's book to read.

About the Book


Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?


About Emily

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Happy Place, Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read. She studied creative writing at Hope College, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Find her on Instagram @EmilyHenryWrites.

 





Monday, February 17, 2025

My Review for Love & Misdirection by Mari Jane Law



Loved it! I've enjoyed all Mari Jane's books, but this one has just become my favourite. If you like a good rom-com then you need to read this series!

Harmony and James are an incredible couple - well, not a couple at the beginning, but you'll soon work out where it's going! There wasn't a thing I didn't enjoy about this book. Tim was adorable, Saskia was hilarious, James was a sweetie and Harmony just didn't want to upset anyone. There was heartbreak and some difficult decisions to be made, but with the love and support from friends (and sometimes family), everything in Love & Misdirection slots nicely into place as the story progresses. Mari Jane Law intertwines several difficult subjects into the storyline, and it works well as we get to know all the new characters, as well as catch up with old friends. I laughed out loud at parts and my heart was breaking in others, but I loved it a lot. 

Each of Mari Jane's books can be read as a standalone, but if you start at the beginning, you'll be introduced to the characters and their lives from the start, rather than then appearing randomly in the middle of the story. 

Thank you to Mari Jane Law and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Love & Misdirection.




About the Book

Two people. Two personal tragedies. Can an outrageous lie bring them together?

Harmony Payne is at breaking point. She’s survived being dumped, losing her musical career and a lifesaving operation that rendered her childless. But when she discovers an abandoned newborn, the door to her agonising past re-opens. Hope and longing for motherhood grow—but can she keep the baby? Being engaged might increase her chances of adopting the foundling, but the only eligible man she knows is her judgemental new neighbour…

James Traffurth is still grieving for his wife and younger child. Moving into a cottage opposite the children’s home where Harmony lives and works, the fresh start he wishes for with his wayward older son becomes complicated. The last thing James needs is a fake engagement. Yet...

Life is never simple with troubled youngsters, a clueless employee and mums with adorable babies. While Harmony’s yearning to build a family, James is valiantly trying to rescue what’s left of his.

Will Harmony ever become a mother—and will she and James find happiness together?



About Mari Jane

Mari Jane Law lives in the UK and loves cats and chocolate – and books, TV series and films that make her laugh, preferably while making an emotional connection.

Her Catholic upbringing inspired some great fictional characters – whether Catholic or not – helping her to write humorous stories with protagonists readers could engage with, root for and follow to a satisfying conclusion. Having read many romances, Mari wanted to write off the beaten track and, if using a trope, develop it very differently from how it has been executed before in her reading, bringing freshness to her writing, surprising and delighting romance lovers.

There is a new romance in each title of the Love & Mishaps Quirky Romantic Comedy Standalone Series, and the world in which the characters live remains the same. As sub-plots run throughout the series, reading the books in order will maximise enjoyment. 

She hopes those who buy or borrow her work have as much fun reading it as she had in writing it.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme and The Society of Authors.





Thursday, February 13, 2025

My Review for Love in the Cupboard by Mari Jane Law


Hope sleeps in a hearse - but this is a romantic comedy though, so don't be alarmed! 

The storyline of a Catholic priest, (who doesn't want to be a Catholic priest any more), and his new life, as a sacramental photographer is hilarious, as he tries to wend his way through life 'on the outside'. His naivety, and the sheltered life he's led, away from the real world, make for an unconventional read. But who wouldn't want to meet the future love of their life in a cupboard?!!! It would be a funny story to tell the grandkids. 

If you enjoy the miscommunication trope, then this is definitely a book for you. I think every relationship in here lacks communication at one point or another, and many a time I wanted to bang their heads together! However, as expected, everything has its 'happy ever after', and I dare you to try not to laugh out loud, at least a few times, as you're reading. 

I found this to be a quirky and fun book in the next in Mari Jane Law's Love and Mishaps series. It can definitely be read as a standalone, but you'll have more of an idea who the characters are if you read Love & Pollination first. I'm thinking that Miranda will be our protagonist in the next in the series??

Thank you to Mari Jane Law and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Love in the Cupboard.


About the Book

A Catholic priest seeks a wife. A betrayed woman needs an honest man. What could possibly go wrong?

When Father Thomas Sheridan encounters Faith in a dark cupboard, he believes he’s found his future wife. But Tom isn’t brave enough to tell her the truth...

When Faith meets Tom in the office kitchenette, she can’t stand him. No matter, she’s fallen for the mysterious man she met in the cupboard and can’t wait to meet him again. Oh, and she’s got a new rule: one lie and he’s out. She’s not getting duped again.

But everyone loves Tom. From Perdita, Faith’s friend, to Hope, her chronically ill sister—who’s on the lookout for a man herself. And neighbours Luke and Gavin—who’ve fallen out over Luke wanting a baby. They urge Faith to give Tom a chance. But how can she have strong feelings for two men? And even worse, how will she react when she discovers that Tom is the man in the cupboard—and, heaven forbid, a Catholic priest?

Love in the Cupboard: A charming, sweet, quirky, farcical, hilarious, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, contemporary romance set in Bristol, UK. It is the second in the series but can be read as a standalone novel.


About Mari Jane

Mari Jane Law lives in the UK and loves cats and chocolate – and books, TV series and films that make her laugh, preferably while making an emotional connection.

Her Catholic upbringing inspired some great fictional characters – whether Catholic or not – helping her to write humorous stories with protagonists readers could engage with, root for and follow to a satisfying conclusion. Having read many romances, Mari wanted to write off the beaten track and, if using a trope, develop it very differently from how it has been executed before in her reading, bringing freshness to her writing, surprising and delighting romance lovers.

There is a new romance in each title of the Love & Mishaps Quirky Romantic Comedy Standalone Series, and the world in which the characters live remains the same. As sub-plots run throughout the series, reading the books in order will maximise enjoyment. 

She hopes those who buy or borrow her work have as much fun reading it as she had in writing it.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme and The Society of Authors.

















Wednesday, February 12, 2025

My Review for The Color Purple by Alice Walker, read by Alice Walker



The Color Purple is one of the most amazing, heart-breaking, and powerful novels I have ever listened to.

Chosen as February's book for our #classiclitbookclub, I did start to read the physical book, but the language was difficult, and I soon opted for the audiobook version, read by the author. This is the way I would 100% recommend anyone who isn't au fait with the African American vernacular English, broach the novel, as it will make a lot more sense and adds to the authenticity of the entire story. 

I especially loved the strength and tenacity of the female characters, as they grew in age, and confidence, eventually standing up to their male counterparts and becoming forces to be reckoned with, in their own right. 

The entire book is written as letters, initially from Celie to God and then from the sisters, Celie to Nettie and vice versa. I cannot express how much I enjoyed listening to this, and I will definitely be revisiting it, and I will probably be giving the physical book another try.

About the Book

The Color Purple is a classic. With over a million copies sold in the UK alone, it is hailed as one of the all-time 'greats' of literature, inspiring generations of readers.

Set in the deep American South between the wars, it is the tale of Celie, a young black girl born into poverty and segregation. Raped repeatedly by the man she calls 'father', she has two children taken away from her, is separated from her beloved sister Nettie and is trapped into an ugly marriage. But then she meets the glamorous Shug Avery, singer and magic-maker - a woman who has taken charge of her own destiny. Gradually, Celie discovers the power and joy of her own spirit, freeing her from her past and reuniting her with those she loves.

About Alice

Alice Walker (born February 9, 1944, Eatonton, Georgia, U.S.) is an American writer whose novels, short stories, and poems are noted for their insightful treatment of African American culture. Her novels, most notably The Color Purple (1982), focus particularly on women.

Walker was the eighth child of African American sharecroppers. While growing up she was accidentally blinded in one eye, and her mother gave her a typewriter, allowing her to write instead of doing chores. In an interview with The New York Times in 1983, Walker described her parents as “both storytellers. They always spoke with metaphorical richness.” When she was eight years old, Walker was sent to live with her grandparents for a year in rural Georgia. In a TimesTalk interview in 2015, she remembered them both as “so kind, so giving,” but they had had a turbulent past caused by her grandfather’s alcohol use. Her grandfather eventually recovered from alcoholism and changed his life for the better. (During her TimesTalk interview Walker said that this experience led her to wonder “how could people who were so wonderful, when I knew them, be terrible when I didn’t know them?” Her wondering led her to write The Color Purple, because she “had to show what happened to them and why they were like that,” describing the experience of writing the novel as a form of “reclamation.”).

Walker received a scholarship to attend Spelman College, where she studied for two years before transferring to Sarah Lawrence College. After graduating in 1965, Walker moved to Mississippi and became involved in the civil rights movement. She also began teaching and publishing short stories and essays. She married Melvyn Rosenman Leventhal, a white Jewish civil rights attorney, in New York City in 1967, after which they moved to Mississippi, becoming the state’s first legally married interracialcouple. In her introduction to a collection of her journals, Gathering Blossoms Under Fire (2022), Walker wrote: “There was a long tradition of white men having Black mistresses in the South. That was not going to be my path. So I proposed to Mel, and he happily obliged. Apart from our love, it was important politically for us to be legally married.” They had one daughter, the writer and feminist activist Rebecca Walker, but their life in Mississippi was isolating and lonely, as Walker recorded in her journals. The family was subject to threats from the Ku Klux Klan, and Leventhal was often away working on legal cases involving civil rights throughout the state. The couple divorced in 1976.



Tuesday, February 11, 2025

My Review for Love & Pollination by Mari Jane Law (February 2025)


It isn't very often that I re-read a book, however when the opportunity arose for me to read the next two books which Mari Jane Law has written, I just had to go back and re-read her first book which I remembered absolutely loving!

Love & Pollination is brilliant. The story is funny, the characters are hilarious, Perdita is quirky and adorable, and in her own, neurodivergent way she creates a whole new set of words for human reproduction, including 'pollination' for pregnancy! I'm sorry Mari Jane Law, but the 'uprooting' reference reminded me of the mandrakes in Professor Sprout's greenhouse - probably not the image you were going for!

With a lot of miscommunication, and men who just don't listen, a few busybody villagers and an adorable interfering aunt, if you're in the mood for an uplifting comedy with a massive dose of romance, then I highly recommend this one. I can't wait to start the next book.

Thank you to Mari Jane Law and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Love & Pollination.



About the Book

Perdita Riley is facing the greatest dilemma of her life. 

Why had she taken Violet Freestone's advice on how to make herself look more alluring? It led her into the arms of a womaniser. And now Perdita has to deal with a huge setback. Actually, Setback Number One isn't huge yet, but it won't be long before it is. To cheer herself up, Perdita goes shopping, where an extraordinary encounter deposits her, literally, into the lap of Saul Hadley. She would like to stay there, but Setback Number One is going to get in the way.

Will she find a way to deal with what has happened? Can she manage the complications of her growing attraction to Saul?

This hilarious situational romantic comedy will keep you gripped until the very end.


About Mari Jane

Mari Jane Law lives in the UK and loves cats and chocolate – and books, TV series and films that make her laugh, preferably while making an emotional connection.

Her Catholic upbringing inspired some great fictional characters – whether Catholic or not – helping her to write humorous stories with protagonists readers could engage with, root for and follow to a satisfying conclusion. Having read many romances, Mari wanted to write off the beaten track and, if using a trope, develop it very differently from how it has been executed before in her reading, bringing freshness to her writing, surprising and delighting romance lovers.

There is a new romance in each title of the Love & Mishaps Quirky Romantic Comedy Standalone Series, and the world in which the characters live remains the same. As sub-plots run throughout the series, reading the books in order will maximise enjoyment. 

She hopes those who buy or borrow her work have as much fun reading it as she had in writing it.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme and The Society of Authors.




Friday, February 7, 2025

My Review for The Cul-de-Sac by Christopher Null


I'm so pleased I agreed to read and review a copy of Christopher Null's latest book, The Cul-de-Sac. It only took me a couple of days to read and was a complete page-turner. The story was told from multiple points of view, I think it was primarily six, with the odd contribution from a few others. I know some people find these complicated, but I love them, once I get to know who people are and how they fit into the story. 

The majority of the characters have a backstory, some of them we find out about and others are just as much a mystery at the end, as well as at the beginning. I think this is what made the book so entertaining for me. All the characters are so very, very different, with one common denominator....they all pretty much keep themselves to themselves within their cul-de-sac...to a degree.

I hope to goodness that there is at least one more book to follow and that this cliffhanger ending isn't the last we see of these quirky neighbours and their hidden secrets. 

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review The Cul-de-Sac by Christopher Null.

About the Book

How well do you really know your neighbors?

Veteran serial killer Klaus Fischer is determined that his most recent murder will be his last, but like many retirements, this one isn’t sticking. No one has come close to suspecting he’s buried the victims on his quiet suburban California cul-de-sac property—but he’s feeling the urge to kill again, and this time he’s set his sights on a target dangerously close to home.

Widowed Peg Jurgensen has lived on the cul-de-sac for the past fifteen years, and she’s ready to shed her doldrums and re-enter the world around her. And where better to start than with mothering the curious young teen Eliza van Damal, whose family just moved to the cul-de-sac in order to expose their daughter to a better life.

Eliza, however, prefers to coerce the enigmatic hermit next door, Alex, into helping her pass math. Alex wishes the lot of them would disappear.

The closer these misfits become, the more danger even the most ordinary conversations invite. As the body count rises, can these residents trust anyone hiding behind their doors on this street?


About Christopher

Christopher Null is an award-winning journalist, editor, and novelist. He is best known as the founding editor of Filmcritic.com, which was launched in 1995 and acquired by American Movie Classics in 2009, and the founder and editor of Drinkhacker, which launched in 2007. He was also the founding editor of Mobile PC magazine in 2003, the first ever periodical focused exclusively on mobile technology, before spending 4 1/2 years writing about tech daily for Yahoo! Tech as “The Working Guy.” He was the tech columnist for Executive Travel magazine (published by American Express) from 2008 to 2014.

Today Null runs a media company, Null Media, which provides editorial consulting, strategic direction, and writing services to media and non-media companies alike. He continues to contribute regularly for Wired, PC World, and other outfits online and off. His 2015 Wired article about his unique last name went viral and became the subject of an episode of Radiolab, and featured in segments on Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! and the British quiz show QI. He still regularly answers reporter queries about the “Null” phenomenon.

Null's long-form work includes two novels and two-non-fiction books. His first novel, Half Mast, arrived in bookstores in 2002 and was heralded as “the best of contemporary American fiction” by the New York Resident. His second novel, The Cul-de-sac, arrives in February 2025. Null's 2005 book, Five Stars!, a how-to guide for aspiring film critics, is often used as a textbook for film criticism curriculum at a number of colleges and universities. A second edition was released in 2013.

Chris has been featured in dozens of publications and programs, including Wired magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, ESPN, Folio, and National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. He received a BBA and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin in 1993 and 1996, respectively.



My Review for The Last Letter From Your Lover by JoJo Moyes, read by Julia Franklin



I'm a bit late writing my review for this one, as I listened in October 2024 as a bookclub choice for 
#BookstaBritsBookClub. I always love a time slip novel and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one. We flip between the 1960s and 2003, with Jennifer a young married woman in the 60s and Ellie, a similar age in 2003. 

This was such a beautifully written, nostalgic book and is very poignant when we think that this generation probably won't be writing letters and so there won't be any letters to discover. Texts and emails don't quite have the same mystery!

I loved Ellie's investigative streak as she sought to discover the history behind Jennifer's letters and her husband and lover and how Jennifer's story is similar to her own. 

The Last Letter From Your Lover is a beautifully written book about missed chances and relationship consequences and I'm thankful it was one of our bookclub choices last year.

About the Book

When journalist Ellie looks through her newspaper's archives for a story, she doesn’t think she'll find anything of interest. Instead she discovers a letter from 1960, written by a man asking his lover to leave her husband – and Ellie is caught up in the intrigue of a past love affair. Despite, or perhaps because of her own romantic entanglements with a married man.

In 1960, Jennifer wakes up in hospital after a car accident. She can't remember anything – her husband, her friends, who she used to be. And then, when she returns home, she uncovers a hidden letter, and begins to remember the lover she was willing to risk everything for. Ellie and Jennifer's stories of passion, adultery and loss are wound together in this richly emotive novel – interspersed with real 'last letters'.

About JoJo

Jojo Moyes is a novelist and journalist. Her books include the bestsellers Me Before You, After You and Still Me, The Girl You Left Behind, The One Plus One and her short story collection Paris for One and Other Stories. Her novels have been translated into forty-six languages, have hit the number one spot in twelve countries and have sold over fifty million copies worldwide.

Me Before You has now sold over fourteen million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke.

Jojo’s next book, Someone Else’s Shoes, is out now in hardback, eBook, and audiobook.

Jojo lives in Essex.