It may be summer but August's book lineup sees the release of the first festive books. I'm also rounding up the best of the thrillers and non-festive chicklit that I'm excited about this month.
In the most inhospitable environment - cut off from the rest of the world - there's a killer on the loose. A&E doctor Kate North has been knocked out of her orbit by a personal tragedy. So when she's offered the opportunity to be an emergency replacement at the UN research station in Antarctica, she jumps at the chance. The previous doctor, Jean-Luc, died in a tragic accident while out on the ice. But as total darkness descends for the winter, she begins to suspect that Jean-Luc's death wasn't accidental at all. And the more questions she asks, the more dangerous it becomes . . .
In my opinion: ★★★★★
It's no surprise that I loved this book as a thriller set in a snowy environment pretty much guarantees 5-stars from me (shout out to #Shiver and #OneByOne). I was fascinated by the insight into working and living on an Antartic research station - a world I know nothing about but could totally picture through the author's vivid and atmospheric descriptions. I felt the isolation, darkness, danger and tension as if I was there. With the base completely inaccessible for eight months of the year it was also the perfect setting for a true locked room thriller with no escape, no help and only twelve possible suspects. In the end the reveal was pretty meh but I loved the build up so much it didn't matter.
Christmas Wishes at the Chocolate Shop by Jessica Redland (3 Aug 2021)
When Charlee moves to the picturesque seaside town of Whitsborough Bay, she is determined to follow in her grandfather's footsteps and set up a chocolate shop in time for Christmas! With a useless boyfriend, countless DIY disasters, no 'traditional' family support and weighed down by the past , Charlee doesn't know if she'll make it in time. But the Whitsborough Bay community surprise her, and when plumber, Matt, comes to the rescue, it might be that all of Charlee's dreams could come true this Christmas...
In my opinion: ★★★★★
I love the author's Hedgehog Hollow series and I loved this too. It's another feel good story about love in all its forms - romantic, friends and family - and running a small, independent business too (a plot ingredient I adore and that never fails to spark my own imagination). Jessica Redland writes with such charm and ease, and I love the unusually realistic timelines of her stories. Often in chicklit boy meets girl and they become one after mere weeks.....well that kind of did happen in this as when they finally got together they were engaged at once but the story was set over the course of a year and two very different Christmas'. Whilst this is a festive story it's not overly Christmassy. Apparently it's also one in a series (the Whitsborough Bay series) but like me if you're reading it as a standalone and in the summer it really won't matter; it will still be just as good!
Everybody wants to live on Hogarth Street, the pretty, tree-lined avenue with its white houses. The new family, The Wests, are a perfect fit. Katherine and Josh seem so in love and their gorgeous five-year-old twins race screeching around their beautiful emerald-green lawn. But sometimes, the most perfect families are hiding the most terrible secrets and on the hottest day of the year, the truth is about to come out. As a tragedy unfolds behind closed doors, the dawn chorus is split by the wail of sirens.
In my opinion: ★★★★
With the drama unfolding over the course of a day this was fast-paced; and the writing style matched with frequent switches in points of view and short chapters. With the short timescale, limited number of characters and single setting the author created a claustrophobic intensity that was maintained from start to finish. In fact the writing was really clever with the author implying a certain thing with such strength that I never even questioned it until the end. She also somehow manages to seamlessly provide sufficient back stories and understanding of the things that led to the day's events all without leaving the present day story. Because of this many of the characters end up growing on and completely surprising you - particularly delivery driver Logan and neighbour Gladys both of whom I was weirdly rooting for more than Katherine and her children. And, for that reason I loved the decent-sized epilogue and seeing out how things turned out for these two characters. The only thing I didn't like was the link between Logan and Katherine which felt a bit too convenient and forced but a minor thing in a totally gripping, page-turner.
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard (19 Aug 2021)
56 DAYS AGO - Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores. When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. TODAY - Detectives arrive at Oliver's apartment to discover a decomposing body inside. Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?
In my opinion: ★★★★
Whilst some people have said they don't want to read about the pandemic, I was really intrigued by this and weirdly enjoyed reflecting back on those surreal early days. That said whilst it takes place during the first lockdown, it's more about the closed-room opportunity that lockdown creates - forcing two people who barely know each other to move into together with deadly consequences - than the pandemic itself. Both (main) characters were oddly likeable, despite clearly having dark pasts, making it hard to know who to root for. I enjoyed the tension, knowing the outcome up front and then trying work out what had led to that result but the multiple timeline (and POV) was a little confusing at times. I also loved the two detectives and the banter between them - although in the end their inclusion was kind of pointless as they didn't solve the crime and at times a bit too graphic with their description of the decomposing body for example.
Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. An anniversary they’ll never forget.
Adam and Amelia are spending the weekend in the Scottish Highlands. The remote location is perfect for what they have planned. But when their romantic trip takes a dark turn, they both start to wonder – can they trust the one they’re with?
In my opinion: ★★★★
I'm new to this author and so was expecting another police procedural plot like #HisAndHers but this was more domestic thriller with absolutely no police presence. However, in many ways it was still very similar as it too was written in my favourite 'his and hers' style with chapters alternating between husband and wife, Amelia and Adam. There were only a few characters but again none are without flaws and all are totally unreliable narrators bringing several different perspectives to events and meaning that by the end I still didn't know who or what to believe. Or as Adam says: "Not all actresses are on the stage. Some walk among us, masquerading as normal people." Overall another enjoyable and addictive, unpredictable, page-turner from this author.
Since she inherited The Starfish Café, Hollie has poured her heart into the business, but behind closed doors Hollie is searching for true happiness as she grieves the tragic loss of her family. Jake lives by two rules: don’t let anyone get close and don’t talk about what happened. Little does he know that a chance meeting at The Starfish Café, facilitated by a fluffy lost dog, is about to turn his world upside down. Can Hollie and Jake break down the barriers that have been holding them back from finding love and happiness, before Christmas comes around?
In my opinion: ★★★★
I love Jessica Redland and I enjoyed this but it wasn't one of favourites. As is usual for the author this had all the key elements for a good contemporary romance - likeable characters, adorable dog, will-they-won't-they romance, community spirit, small business, family and friendship. And, it was written in her usual charming and light-hearted way. But, the difference with this was that with main characters Hollie and Jake both struggling with loss, grief and family tragedies there was a continuous undercurrent of sadness and heartbreak - I guess I prefer a more upbeat tale.
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing (19 Aug 2021)
Teddy Crutcher won Teacher of the Year at Belmont Academy. Everyone thinks he's brilliant. They all smile when he tells us his wife couldn't be more proud. But no-one has seen her in a while. They're impressed when the tragic death of a school parent doesn't distract him. Even when rumours start to say it was murder. You're sure Teddy is hiding something about what happened that day. You're sure you can prove it. But you didn't stop to think that when it comes to catching a killer, there's no place more dangerous than just one step behind . . .
In my opinion: ★★★★
Samantha Downing is an author I've wanted to read for ages. This took a while to get into, possibly because there's many points of views, but once I did, I enjoyed it! It was an easy, satirical, fun read with a bunch of oddball characters who all truly believe their crazy actions are "for your own good"! The only thing I didn't like was that there was no real suspense as nothing was really kept from the reader.
The Wedding Party by Tammy Cohen (19 Aug 2021)
Lucy has dreamt of her wedding day for as long as she can remember. And now the day is almost here. Her nearest and dearest are gathered on an idyllic Greek island and she just knows it's going to be perfect. But even the best-laid plans can go horribly wrong. Why are her parents behaving so strangely? Why won't the rather odd lady from the airport stop hanging around? Who is the silent stranger her sister brought as a plus-1? And then they find the body. It's going to be a day to remember.
In my opinion: ★★★★
I was really looking forward to this especially as it had been praised by some of my favourite authors. However, sadly it just didn't really do it for me. I enjoyed the writing and style of the book; the mixing of narrators, with police interviews and diary entries really broke the plot up and the short and snappy chapters made for an easy read. But, despite being incredibly busy with so many characters, points of view and secrets it was also a bit of a slow burn with more a general background rumble of unease than anything concrete until late to the book. With so many characters and points of view it also meant you didn't really get to know or understand anyone sufficiently well to get that invested in their fate. I enjoyed the read during but once all was the revealed it was a bit underwhelming and some bits, like Cora's story, were quickly and unsatisfactorily pushed aside.
Ruby Oldbridge needs to learn to take her own advice. A brilliant counsellor at work in York, she is however floundering in her own life. Happy-go-lucky, Mr Positivity, Zac Drewe also loves his job – the trouble is, it’s the same as Ruby’s, and there’s only room for one of them. Set against one another, they are unlikely friends. But perhaps, if they could take the time to understand each other, they might discover that rather than rivals, they could be the best thing that ever happened to one another…
In my opinion: ★★★
This started well and there were some really entertaining moments along the way such as Ruby having to squeeze herself into a work colleague's tight fitting outfit for an impromptu presentation. I also liked the spot-on and satirical observations about the workplace and corporate stereotypes such as team building which everyone complains about because it typically involves "getting cold or wet, being outside or....having to touch another person." But, sadly overall this was quite a slow and bland read with lengthy chapters, continuous reinforcement of the same things, and dull characters. I loved supporting character Priya but main characters, Ruby and Zac, were near carbon copies of each other, seeming older than they were purported to be and totally unremarkable other than their mental health concerns. This was a big problem because for a romance there was zero chemistry between them. Disappointing but not a total miss either.
No Such Thing As Perfect by Emma Hughes (5 Aug 2021)
No one's life is as perfect as it looks. Least of all Laura Morrison's. (Although she's not sure how perfect hanging onto your job by a thread and sleeping on an air mattress at your sister's looks, in all honesty.) When Laura gets the chance to trial Cupid - a high-tech new dating service which will draw on everything she's ever done online to find her perfect match - she figures it's got to be worth a try. She can't believe her luck when good-looking, kind considerate Adam turns up for their first date. On paper he's...well...perfect. But when Laura develops feelings for the person who led her to Adam in the first place, familiar doubt creeps in.
In my opinion: ★★★
This sounded fun - a witty romcom about online dating. And, it was fun but it is was more mildly amusing than laugh-out-loud funny. It was an easy read but the main premise (the dating) largely took a back seat to all the other things going such as parents separating, sibling tension, redundancies and changing friendships. These side stories did add to the story but less is more and some just felt a bit unnecessary and under-done. I loved the ending, however, which refreshingly for chicklit wasn't a happy-ever-after but a more realistic self discovery and hint of future happiness. Sadly the real reason I didn't love this as much as I'd hoped was main character Laura who I found quite annoying, particularly her incessant (and largely unjustified) moaning about her sister and ex-housemates.
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