REVIEW: You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

I'm delighted to share my review of the latest novel by best-selling authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen because I loved it! It was unique, smart, addictive, intriguing and most of all entertaining.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Published: 3 March 2020

The blurb 
You probably know someone like Shay Miller. She wants to find love, but it eludes her. She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end. She wants to belong, but her life is becoming increasingly isolated.

You probably don’t know anyone like the Moore sisters. They have an unbreakable circle of friends. They live a life of glamour and perfection. They always get what they desire.

Shay thinks she wants their life. But what they really want is hers.

The Review
I loved this - it was unique, smart, addictive, intriguing and most of all entertaining. It had me hooked right from the start with its all-female cast of super smart, badass women and exciting storyline. 

You can't help but like and slightly identify with main character Shay, who with her geeky personality and analytical brain is smart but also introverted and not people-smart. I mean we've all been there at one time or another wanting to be liked, feeling lonely as friends couple up or settle down, or hoping someone else's luck will rub off on you. It's Shay's loneliness that makes her an easy target for the Moore sisters' vigilante group. And, this story follows the sinister turn her life takes after meeting the sisters. 

Like Shay I couldn't help but be drawn to the sisters, Jane and Cassandra, too. Even via the pages their effortless confidence, glamour and sociability was magnetic. And, while undeniably bad girls you can't help but think of them as modern-day Robin Hoods out there acting like vigilantes to bring justice - initially anyway.

And, that's the thing this is so full of twists and turns, mind games and suspense from start to finish. Chapters alternate between Shay, the sisters and other members of the group to give you varying points of view and a continuous trickle of new information. Each chapter is short, to the point and typically ending with a bit of a cliff-hanger or twist that leaves you wanting more and racing on to the next chapter - like binge watching a box set or TV series. The authors are also masters at using crafty word play, half-truths and missive text to thoroughly deceive. And, as such I really didn't see the big reveal coming despite the fact that it had been hinted at numerous times beforehand.

The fascinating facts, aka entries from Shay's data book, were also an inspired touch. I mean who knew that the average person will walk by sixteen killers during the course of their lifetime? Or that one in seven people trust their gut to make a decision, whilst one in ten never do? 

Whilst Shay's character was developed beautifully, I would've liked stronger development of the other women to get a better feel for their motivation. Perhaps because of this the other members of the group, aside from the sisters, seemed a bit irrelevant and almost unnecessary in the end. 

As with many thrillers, some suspension of disbelief is necessary but enjoy it for what it is - a crazy, edgy, riveting thriller. For pure page-turning entertainment it's a five-stars from me.

The author
Follow @greerkh and @sarahpekkanen or find out more at greerhendricks.com and sarahpekkanen.com

REVIEW: The Secret Seaside Escape by Heidi Swain

I'm delighted to share my review of the latest novel by one of my favourite authors, Heidi Swain. And, she's done it again - another delightful read with charming characters, a perfect setting and heart-warming storyline.

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

Expected: 30 April 2020

The blurb 
Tess Tyler needs a break. Weighed down by her high pressure job and her demanding father, she's left little time to take care of herself. But after a shocking discovery sends her spiralling, she flees to Wynmouth, the seaside town she feel in love with as a child, to escape it all.

As she grows ever closer to local barman Sam, she dares to dream she might never return to her real life. But, when a familiar face returns to town, Tess realises that there are secrets in Wynmouth too, and that her own past may be about to catch up with her....

The Review
Heidi Swain is one of my all-time favourite authors and I've devoured everything she's written so far. So, I was really excited to read this but also nervous because with a much-loved author your expectations are high and so there's always a small risk that the latest offering might not be quite as good you're hoping. I needn't have worried though as this was another hit. 

It has all the usual delights you'd expect from a Heidi Swain novel - charming characters, a perfect setting and heart-warming storyline. This one is set in a new location - the Norfolk seaside village of Wynmouth - but Heidi's trademark effortless writing style and vivid descriptions once again had me falling in love with the place and wanting to up sticks and move there. 

Whilst still a charmingly warm, feel-good read, as per her last book, this one also highlighted a variety of important topical issues - in this case mental health of farmers and environmental beach cleans. Likewise the back stories of the characters were interesting and relevant from the tragic effects of teenage high jinks to hiding your sexual orientation. But, for me the best storylines were still the ones about friendship, community spirit, family and new beginnings. 

My only disappointment was that it ended too soon - I really wanted to know what's next for main character Tess after leaving her stressful PR career. That said hopefully they'll be another in the series and so I've no doubt that we'll get to find out at some point. Personally I also didn't like the surprise twist between Hope and Tess as I thought it was too much of a coincidence and unnecessary in an already plentiful plot. 

Another great book and one I'd totally recommend.

The author
Follow @Heidi_Swain or find out more at www.heidiswain.co.uk.

REVIEW: Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks

Another addictive read from Heidi Perks with an unexpected twist that I really didn't see coming. Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Expected: 30 April 2020

The blurb 
When a body is pulled out of an office fire, three women are first in line for questioning. All of them have reasons for wanting revenge against the company’s CEO.

It could be Laura, who has returned to work to find that her maternity cover isn’t leaving. The CEO insists he’s doing what’s best for the company. Laura isn’t convinced he’s telling the truth.

Or there’s Mia. Brought in as temporary cover for Laura, she has quickly made herself indispensable – and popular with her colleagues. But if people knew why she was so desperate to keep her job, they might not welcome her so freely.

Then there’s Janie, wife to the CEO, who gave up her courtroom career to support her husband and his business. She has her own secret to protect – and will go to any length to keep it safe.

The Review 
Heidi Perk's first book 'Now You See Her' is one of my favourite ever books, so I was really excited to read this - her third book. This was another addictive read with an unexpected twist that I really didn't see coming. 

The narrative is split between pre-fire, with chapters written from the point of view of one of the three 'liars, and post-fire in the form of police interviews with the various members of the company. Unlike their colleagues, all of whom were either team Laura or team Mia, my allegiances and sympathies switched regularly between all three main characters, as regularly perhaps as the narrative revealed different things about each of the women. 

The back stories of these three were also cleverly and unexpectedly woven together. And, I also really enjoyed the sub plot of previously work-obsessed Laura's return to work after maternity leave. Laura's conflict of feeling like she needed to work even harder to prove herself, as Mia had been doing such a great job in her absence, whilst struggling with the guilt of leaving her son and the realisation that perhaps work wasn't her number one priority anymore. 

Sadly, though once the connections were revealed the motives and plotting seemed a bit forced, which was a great shame in an otherwise addictive plot. I'd also say this was well-paced rather than fast-paced and more about the slow build-up to an unpredictable reveal. It was definitely an intriguing and captivating read but for me somewhat lacked the drama and suspense of 'Now You See Her' disappointingly. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this and would totally recommend to anyone. Whilst it might sound like I've been slightly critical of this it's only because I loved 'Now You See Her' sooo much.

The author
Follow @HeidiPerksBooks or find out more at www.heidiperksauthor.co.uk

REVIEW - Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

Here's my review of the latest novel by Irish best-selling writer Liz Nugent, which unfortunately wasn't for me but a great dark humour - if you like that sort of thing.

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

Expected: 26 March 2020

The blurb 
Three brothers are at the funeral. One lies in the coffin.

Will, Brian and Luke grow up competing for their mother's unequal love. As men, the competition continues - for status, money, fame, women... They each betray each other, over and over, until one of them is dead.

But which brother killed him?

The Review
Three brothers are at the funeral but one lies in the coffin. They betray each other, over and over, until one of them is murdered but which one? From that blurb, I was expecting a psychological thriller with lots of twists and trying to work out who had killed who. However, that's not really what this turned out to be. 

It started that way with the funeral, but then it turned into more of a dark family drama following the lives of each brother as they inflicted multiple cruelties on one another through childhood and into adulthood and the present day. The biggest cruelty of all was obviously one of their death's but during the telling the mystery of the murder sadly became almost forgotten - disappointingly there were no clues, suggestions or twists and turns to untangle along the way. 

The book is essentially in four parts; Will's story, Brian's story and Luke's story followed by present day events. However, the stories are not only not chronological but also don't follow any kind of pattern with chapters switching to a different random year in logical order. It's all credit to the skill and talent of author that this actually even works although it is definitely a little confusing initially until you get to grips with it and the story and characters. 

Liz Nugent also has a real gift for character development, creating three extremely complex personalities full of both light and dark. Unfortunately, however, I didn't actually like any of them and therefore even care who got murdered. At first I thought it was the all-male cast but in reality it was the fact that between them the brothers possess pretty much every negative character trait possible from sexism, abusiveness, manipulativeness, meanness, selfishness, and obessiveness. Perhaps it's karma but these truly horrible characters experience a plethora of hard-hitting life situations including rape, addiction and mental ill health which altogether makes for rather depressing, dark and shocking reading. 

So, despite me wanting to read this award-winning author for ages, disappointingly this just really wasn't for me. It really is best enjoyed as a dark humour and not a psychological thriller - which is what I was expecting/hoping for.   

The author
Follow @lizzienugent or find out more at www.liznugent.ie

REVIEW: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

I'm delighted to share my review of the latest novel by bestselling U.S. author Tarryn Fisher. xxx.

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

Expected: 25 June 2020

The blurb 
You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, you see your husband only one day a week. Thursday. But you don’t care, you love him that much. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself…

And then, one day it all changes.

You thought you were fine with this, with only having a fraction of a husband. But you can’t help yourself, you start to dig. Begin tracking them down, the other days… Who is Monday and why does she have bruises on her arms? Is she being abused? By who? Her husband? Your husband?

What else is he keeping from you? And who is he, really?

The Review. 
I was totally captivated by the blurb for this book.....imagine that your husband has two other wives, you've never met the others and don't know anything about them. That is until you find something out by chance that sparks a quest for answers and makes you question whether you even know your husband at all. However, it turned out that this just wasn't for me unfortunately.  

Choosing this book blind, based totally on the blurb, I didn't know anything about best-selling U.S. author, Tarryn Fisher. This was probably a mistake as had I done some research I probably would've realised that I wasn't going to be fan of @darkmarktarryn (as she calls herself on Twitter). As the name suggests her style and language is quite dark, raw, melancholy and explicit. However, whilst not my preferred style I've read and enjoyed many such books, as a brilliant, compelling a story can conquer all. 

Unfortunately, despite promising a brilliant, compelling story and definitely captivating me initially, it quickly became apparent that this wasn't going to pan out like that. It's hard to talk about without giving anything away but the author put forward the idea that the main character was imagining everything. And, then it turned that she was, and in doing so I felt made light and a mockery of mental ill health, particularly as well with the massive and unexpected ending twist. I was hoping for a positive outcome for the deeply conflicted and complex main character but instead got a shocking ending which seemed unnecessarily and deliberately sensationalist. But, again having now read up on the author I realise that this is her style - deliberately different, thought-provoking and sad. 

You can have toxic, unlikable characters but still empathise with them or love to hate them. But, again this wasn't the case. There were so few characters in the story and I didn't like any of them, which also added to the difficulty of this read and my enjoyment. 

So, as I'm sure you can tell this really wasn't for me. However, please don't let that put you off because most readers totally disagree with me and had I known more about the author I probably would've realised that beforehand.

The author
Follow @DarkMarkTarryn or find out more at www.tarrynfisher.com

REVIEW: Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan

In my opinion this was a nice warm-hearted read, realistically portraying the highs and lows of family life as well as love and loss without ever becoming too downhearted or sad.

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

Expected: 2 April 2020

The blurb 
When Flora falls in love with Jack, suddenly she’s not only handling a very cranky teenager, but she’s also living in the shadow of Jack’s perfect, immortalised wife, Becca. Every summer, Becca and Jack would holiday with Becca’s oldest friends and Jack wants to continue the tradition, so now Flora must face a summer trying to live up to Becca’s memory, with not only Jack’s daughter looking on, but with Becca’s best friends judging her every move…

The more Flora tries to impress everyone, the more things go horribly wrong…but as the summer unfolds, Flora begins pushing her own boundaries, and finding herself in a way that she never thought she needed to.

And she soon learns that families come in all shapes and sizes.

The review
It's very difficult to review something when you don't have a strong opinion either way. And, unfortunately that's exactly where I find myself with this book. There was nothing not to like - it was a well-written, warm-hearted read - but at the same time it didn't quite capture my imagination either.

This was the story of Flora embarking on a relationship with widower Jack, and the emotional challenges that come hand-in-hand with a father of two - it's not just him but the whole family who needs to fall in love with you too. As such it wasn't meant to be a love story but a story of family dynamics.

However, to go from Jack and Flora accidentally meeting, to being introduced to the family and moving in together all within the space of a few chapters seemed way to quick. I wanted the build-up as without it, like Izzy, Jack's teenage daughter, I just couldn't believe in the relationship and see how the two were remotely compatible and understand why Jack would knowingly upset his fragile family dynamic for someone he'd only just met.

That said I did like the fast pace. The book started with the lure of an untold secret about Becca, Jack's dead wife, and so needed to progress quickly through Flora trying to live up to this image of Becca as the perfect, wide, mother, friend and career-woman, to the big reveal that Becca was actually as flawed as the rest of them. Every page and word were relevant - there was definitely no filler.

I also loved the ending and the reveal, which without wanting to give too much away showed great depth and likeability to Jack's character - it was just a shame that we had to wait until the end to see it and understand him or his relationship with Flora. And, this was the other problem in that whilst I really liked Izzy, I didn't warm to either Jack (for the reasons just given) or Flora. Izzy described Flora as someone you don't want to but can't help liking because she's so nice. But, I had no such problem, for me Flora was too nice, too much of a people-pleaser, too vanilla to really champion. 

All-in-all this is a nice story realistically portraying the highs and lows of family life as well as love and loss without ever becoming too downhearted or sad. However, once again its very much a nice read rather than a must-read.

The author
Follow @SarahMorgan_ or find out more at sarahmorgan.com

REVIEW - The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Harper Collins UK for giving me the opportunity to read Lucy Foley's second 'whodunnit' prior to publication. A fun, compulsive read that's all about the tantalisingly slow build-up and unexpected reveal.

Expected: 20 February 2020

The Blurb

On an island off the windswept Irish coast, guests gather for the wedding of the year – the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater. Old friends. All have a secret. All have a motive. One guest won’t leave this wedding alive . . .

The Review
This was not quite what I was expecting, falling somewhere between a classic who-dunnit and a contemporary psychological thriller. My feelings towards it are also somewhat mixed but let's start with the good...

This was cleverly written with brilliant contrasts and parallels. For example, you have the drink and drug fuelled debauchery of a celebrity wedding against the stark setting of an isolated, unforgiving, treacherous island with its deadly cliffs, extreme weather and peat bogs. Similarly, the characters outwardly all appear fun-loving, carefree and beautiful with their designer outfits, wealth and flawless make-up but underneath are actually anxious, angry and unhappy individuals hiding a multitude of guilty secrets and regrets. Likewise the dark, unpredictable, stormy island perfectly mirrors the dark, unpredictable, stormy atmosphere brewing amongst the wedding guests.

The story grips you from the start when a body is found without revealing anything to us at that point as to who it is. Then, flipping between the perspectives of five different characters and two different timelines, the author spends the rest of the time working through the past 48 hours to reveal more about these characters- their lies, secrets, grief, guilt, resentments and jealousies - to establish five possible suspects and motives before the big reveal at the end. Not only could I not work out who'd dunnit, I was also left guessing who'd even been murdered right until the end. 

But, both of these things were also what I disliked about this book. The jumping back and forth of narrative left my head spinning and struggling to keep up at times, especially in the beginning. Many people read this genre of book in one sitting and I imagine that would've actually helped in this case. Likewise the complexly flawed characters were actually spoiled the book for me in that I simply didn't like, relate to or care about any of them.

Similarly, whilst I loved that there were five intertwined motives and suspects to keep you guessing, the coincidences that connected them pushed the boundaries of believability and acceptability just a bit too far.

So, all-in-all a fun, compulsive read that's all about the tantalisingly slow build-up and unexpected reveal.

The author
Follow @lucyfoleytweets