Best of June 2022

It's Jubilee June but it's also a month of big, much anticipated releases for me from some of my favourite authors - Allie Reynolds, Anna Bell, Lizzy Dent and Jessica Redland. With so many favourites it's been impossible to pick just one #BookOfTheMonth.....

Note to Self by Anna Bell (23 June 2022)

One summer's day seventeen years ago Edie and Joel meet. Their connection is instant and a friendship is born, although Edie can't help but wish for more. But just as she builds up the courage to lay her heart on the line, one night changes everything... Edie's moved on so the last thing she expects to receive on her thirty-fifth birthday is an email from her eighteen-year-old self. As more emails arrive, following her own advice, Edie heads back to the place where it all began, and finds her path unexpectedly crossing with Joel's once more. Could this finally be their chance at love? Or are some things better left in the past?

In my opinion: ★★★★★
This was always going to be a winner for me as I absolutely love Anna Bell's light-hearted writing style and brilliantly funny romcoms. But I particularly loved this concept of writing to your future self with advice and hopes for your life, and enjoyed both the past teenage chapters and current day Edie's story just as much. Another great cast of characters complemented the storyline, and once again littered with spot-on humourous one-liners. For example, Layla who when asked how school sports day was replies: "Brutal. We spend the day watching our kids, who aren't allowed to be seen as winners or losers, and then when they let the parents race, all those rules go out the window and its a fight to the finish line."

The plot does tackle some serious subjects too like grief and alcoholism but in a light-hearted, digestible way. And, some of the advice the friends give each other really resonated with me such as "No's usually the wrong answer", "nothing has to be for the rest of your life" and "the only thing you should ever be scared of in life is not trying." So a not unexpected but totally deserved 5-stars from me.

The Bay by Allie Reynolds (23 June 2022)

Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend. But Mikki and her fiancé Jack are about to head away on a trip, so Kenna finds herself tagging along for the ride. Sorrow Bay is beautiful, wild and dangerous. A remote surfing spot with waves to die for, cut off from the rest of the world. Here Kenna meets the mysterious group of people who will do anything to keep their paradise a secret. As Kenna gets drawn into their world, she sees the extremes they are prepared to go to for the next thrill. And everyone seems to be hiding something. But one thing is rapidly becoming clear about The Bay: nobody ever leaves.

In my opinion: ★★★★★
This was not what I was expecting from having read and loved the author's previous book #Shiver. In that I particularly loved the competitive sport aspect and so was looking forward to more of the same here but with surfing instead of snowboarding. This had more of a cult feeling, with tribe members who live for surfing rather than being professional sportspeople. That's not to say it wasn't competitive though, as the six (seven if you count main character Kenna) dysfunctional, obnoxious, ruthless, adrenaline junkies competed on absolutely everything from holding their breath under water to free rock climbing - these initiation or 'trust' exercises all designed by tribe leader Sky to push the physical and mental boundaries. Despite not particularly liking any of the characters or the cult vibe this was still weirdly addictive with its fast pace, short snappy chapters, high tension and undercurrent of danger. I couldn't put it down.

The Setup by Lizzy Dent (9 June 2022)

Mara Williams reads her horoscope every day - but she wasn't expecting to be in a whole other country when destiny finally found her. Just as a fortune teller reveals that her true love is about to arrive, a gorgeous stranger literally walks into her life. And now Mara is determined to bring them together again . . . Surely even fate needs a nudge in the right direction sometimes? But while Mara is getting ready for 'the one', the universe intervenes. Her new flatmate Ash is funny, and kind, and sexy as hell. There was no predicting this: it's as if her destiny just arrived on her doorstep.

In my opinion: ★★★★★
Another great story and cast of diverse characters from author Lizzy Dent. But it's the dynamics and banter between them, particularly the team at the Lido, that makes them all so real and likeable. Much like #TheSummerJob this was funny with highlights being realising the life drawing model is actually your boss, having an allergic reaction to eyelash extensions and getting mobbed by seagulls. But, I also loved the little life lessons such as "everyone is someone else's heartache" and learning to trust yourself. I loved it!

Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland (28 June 2022)

Samantha has a secret. Returning home from her dream honeymoon, she's ready for the next chapter of her life with Josh. Or is she? Lauren has given up on love. Twenty-six years ago the love of her life, Shaun, left her a note and was never seen again. Two painful divorces later she still can't face opening up to anyone. But little does Lauren know that the closure she's dreamt of for all these years may be closer than she thinks, and perhaps the only way to let new love in is to forgive and forget. Samantha and Lauren will need the love and support from the Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever.

In my opinion: ★★★★★
Fans of this super cute but contemporary series will love this. Once again Jessica Redland got this just right so that even though it was Lauren's story the hedgehogs and rescue centre still featured. I loved getting to know Lauren and her positive attitude to life - as she puts it ""shit happens and its how you deal with it that makes you happy or miserable". But I also loved catching up with all the other characters, especially Chloe who's probably my favourite., and seeing how their stories and lives are continuing. And, if you haven't read any of the previous ones but like feel-good stories about relationships (family, friends and romantic) with a great cast of genuinely nice and likeable characters (including the prickly ones) the I've doubt that you'll also love this. I can't wait for the next and sadly last installment from this brilliant series....

Stranger On Board by Cameron Ward (23 June 2022) 

When ex-marine Sarah French joins a luxury super yacht as on-board security, she's excited to get her life - and career - back on track. As they head into open water, though, tensions between the crew quickly build. And when someone goes missing, Sarah has a terrifying realisation. One of them is a killer. All of them are suspects. To protect the other passengers, Sarah needs to uncover the killer's identity, and return the boat safely to shore. But there's a storm on the horizon - and not all of them will make it out alive...

In my opinion: ★★★★
This was like a 'Die Hard' film only with a badass female lead. It was a totally gripping, fast paced, action thriller but also a bit ridiculous in terms of believability with the fight scenes and Sarah's ability to keep going despite multiple injuries and gun shot wounds. It was also pretty obvious early on who the baddie and their sidekick were but enjoy it for what it is which is a great, over-the-top, fictional, easy read. I liked it a lot!

Sun Damage by Sabine Durrant (2 June 2022)

Nine guests arrive at a remote villa in the south of France. They know each other well. Or think they do. But at least one of them has plenty to hide - and nowhere to run. Under the relentless sun, loyalties will be tested, secrets revealed, and tensions pushed to the point of no return.

In my opinion: ★★★★
From the blurb I thought this was going to be a closed room murder mystery. So, the con aspect was really unexpected, reminding me of the TV series 'Hustle', and Ali's uncoventional life as a professional scammer totally captivated me. However, after such a strong start the plot kind of fizzled out and became more of a domestic drama with the guests all hiding secrets from each other - most of which also didn't really come to much. I was expecting and wanting more to happen, some sort of grand finale, super smart con or big twist. So in the end this was more of a 'like' than 'love'.

Storm by Stephanie Merritt (9 June 2022)

A beautiful French chateau. An unexpected guest. A night that will end in murder.
Jo Lawless is still grieving her husband when his oldest friends invite her to a weekend houseparty in France. She’s always felt like an outsider in the group but she decides to go, hoping their shared loss will bring them closer together. But the weekend is disrupted by the arrival of an unexpected guest, whose presence brings old tensions to the surface. Long-buried secrets begin to emerge, and it’s clear that at least one person is bent on revenge…

In my opinion: ★★★★
This wasn't really what I was expecting. I guess from the description I was expecting a closed room murder mystery but it was more a revenge plot with the murder one of the least significant parts. I found the pace a bit slow especially to start and the characters difficult to understand. For example, by the end I still wasn't sure whether main character Jo loved or loathed her husband. The writing was also a bit hard going with long chapters and dense text (but maybe that was just the formatting on my e-reader) which didn't help. In short it was difficult to get into but enjoyable enough once I did.