PREVIEW: The Vow by Debbie Howells

I loved the premise of this finding out your fiance has been living a double life with another woman as well as yourself. As such I'm pleased to review the new novel by author Debbie Howells.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Avon Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Expected: 15 October 2020

The blurb 

Everything was perfect. And then her fiance disappeared....

Two weeks before her wedding, a stranger stops Amy in the street and warns her she’s in danger. Then that night, Matt, her fiancé, doesn’t come home. Desperate, Amy calls the police – but when Matt fails to emerge, she’s forced to call off her wedding day.

Then another man is reported missing, by a woman called Fiona – a man meeting Matt’s description, who was about to leave his fiancée for her.  He was supposed to be moving in with her – but instead, he’s vanished.

Amy refuses to believe Fiona’s lover can be her Matt – but photos prove otherwise, and it soon becomes clear that Matt has been leading a double life. As the police dig deeper, two conflicting, yet equally plausible stories emerge from two women who allegedly have never met.

The wedding day never happened. But the funeral might!

The review

I loved the premise of this finding out your fiance has been living a double life with another woman as well as yourself. It is told in alternating perspectives from Amy the fiancee, her daughter Jess, and the other woman Fiona also interspersed with events from 1996 from an as yet unidentified narrator.

There was lots to like but also some areas where it didn't quite fulfil its potential. The story and suspense built steadily throughout, with lots going on with the present day and past flashbacks to keep interest high. It also wasn't obvious the way it was going to pan out or who to suspect. However, that said the second half of the book lost a bit of momentum and I felt slightly let down in the way it turned out. In the end there were a lot of threads that didn't come to anything eg Matt's past love life, Cath and the mystery warning.

Most of the characters were really likable, particularly pragmatic, astute, loyal Jess and unreliable, contradictory Amy who will drive you crazy.  I was disappointed with Fiona though as her character less developed and consequently quite one-dimensional. I would have liked a bit more about what happened to her in the end.

So, overall a bit mixed but definitely worth a read.

The author

Debbie Howells is both a florist and best-selling author. Follow @debbie__howells on Twitter or visit www.debbiehowells.co.ukto find out more.

  

REVIEW: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I didn't realise until afterwards that this was a young adult mystery but I loved it anyway. So, here's my review of the latest novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Expected: 3 September 2020

The blurb 

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

The review

Not that I realised it at the time but The Inheritance Games is actually a Young Adult mystery book - which is kind of embarrassing I'm not sure I really understood it all. However, in my defence the main reveal was glaringly obvious from the off and actually I think certain things were left unresolved for book two as apparently it's the first in a planned series.  It also didn't matter because for me this was all about the game rather than result - and I loved the game.

I also loved getting to know all the characters and like everyone in the book couldn't help being drawn to the Hawthorn boys. Their characterisation was impressive, each with their own unique voice and way of moving, dressing and speaking, which come across clearly but subtly in the narrative. First, there's Nash, who's seemingly uninterested in Avery, not tortured enough for him to rescue. 

Then, there's ambitious, arrogant Grayson who distrusts Avery intensely and sensation-seeker Jameson who could be using using Avery just to win. And, finally geeky young Alexander (Xander) who is actually the smartest of them all. Avery herself was strong, smart and independent - and I was fascinated by them all. Personally I would've liked more of Nan though as she seemed like the canniest of them all.

Overall, a really fun read with characters you want to get to know, puzzles you want to solve, and a billionaires mansion setting that you wish you could live in. I was hooked from the very beginning. 

The author

US author Jennifer Lynn Barnes has written several acclaimed young adult novels. She also has advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science. Follow her @jenlynnbarnes on Twitter or visit www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com to find out more.