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

REVIEW - She by HC Warner

I'm delighted to share my review of SHE by HC Warner - an incredibly well-written and captivating thriller with great characters. I totally recommend this.

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

Expected: 23 January 2020

The blurb 
She’s everything he dreamed of. Isn’t she? Ben can’t believe his luck when Bella walks into his life, just when he needs her most. Sexy, impulsive and intelligent, Bella is everything he ever wanted. And Bella wants him. All to herself.

In fact, Bella decides that everything is better when it is just the two of them, making it harder for Ben’s friends and family to stay in touch. And then a sudden tragedy triggers a chain of events which throws Ben headlong into a nightmare.

Secrets, lies, vengeance and betrayal are at the heart of this utterly twisted story about a family that is destroyed when SHE becomes part of it…

In my opinion
Ben can’t believe his luck when Bella walks into his life. Sexy, impulsive and intelligent SHE is everything he ever wanted – isn’t SHE? This is the story of Ben and Bella’s relationship and the secrets, lies, vengeance and betrayal that lie at the heart of it.

The book was written in four parts; the build-up written from Ben’s (and his family and friends) point of view, then the build-up again but from Bella’s perspective, and finally the climax and aftermath which were both written from multiple view points. There’s been some criticism of this format, with some feeling that parts one and two are very repetitive, but personally I couldn’t disagree more. Yes the events and dialogue were duplication but with such a different perspective on the same thing it felt completely new and totally fascinating how (as in real life) two people can interpret the same thing in such different ways.

Bella is a dark, manipulative and evil character but seeing events through her (albeit twisted) view I could totally understand the reasoning behind some of her hurtful actions. She really is one of those characters that you love to hate. But, then again, I loved all the characters. They are all totally relatable, likeable and described so well that they are easy to picture. And, the dynamics and relations between them all cleverly constructed from childhood friends Matt and Ben, to Ben’s idolism of his father and the tense mother/daughter-in-law relationship.

In fact, this was brilliantly written throughout. The writing is really emotive, particularly the funeral scenes which really resonated with me, generating strong emotions thinking about my own loved ones and the impact of each of them in my life. The slow spiral of abuse was also carefully crafted, with the author describing everyday mundane activities such as dinner with friends or plans for Christmas over the course of a year to highlight the gradual submission and dominance of the main characters in a non-sensationalist way. That said, and without sensationalism, the author still manages to keep the pace fast and the story moving on towards its explosive ending.

Tension is built right from the start with a letter from an unidentified man to his child and we are left guessing right until the very end as to whether this was written by Ben, his dad or Bella’s dad. However, whilst it’s clear that events and family relations between Bella and her father have had a very big and disturbing impact on her character and actions, disappointingly her back story is something that was only ever mentioned in passing and never really explored. What did Bella’s dad actually do – we’ll never know....


All the way through I was convinced that I’d be giving this 5 stars but unfortunately this was like many of the thrillers I’ve read recently whereby I am completely captivated throughout, enjoying every page but upon conclusion and reflection the expectation was better than the actuality. What let this down for me was the clichéd and predictable motive behind it all – the big mystery of who SHE is was unfortunately all too obvious and slightly unrealistic. I also disliked the fact that by the end everyone knew who SHE was yet they all continued to pretend otherwise to spare each other’s feelings, so in a sense it was a bit anti-climatic as whilst there was an explosive ending there was no big reveal as such. All-in-all though I really enjoyed this and would totally recommend it.

The author
Follow @HCWarnerauthor on Twitter.

REVIEW: Unexpected Lessons in Love by Lucy Dillon

I'm delighted to share my review of the latest novel by Lucy Dillon. A nice easy read with lots of cute dogs, glam wedding dresses, heart-warming friendships and lessons in love.

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

Expected: January 2020

The blurb 
Jeannie always wanted to fall in love, and now she’s finally got the whirlwind romance she dreamed of. Dan’s gorgeous, he’s a successful young vet, and he flew her to New York and proposed on Brooklyn Bridge. Jeannie has to remind herself this is actually her life. It seems too perfect, too magical, to be real. Yet it is.

But now she’s on her way to the wedding she can’t shake off the tight sensation crushing her chest. Is it just nerves . . . or is this all happening a bit too fast? Jeannie has one last chance to shout, ‘Stop!’ But just as she grabs it, a twist of fate throws everything she knows into the air like confetti. What Jeannie learns about Dan, about her own heart, and about the power of love itself, will change her world for ever....

In my opinion
I like the theme of this book - unexpected lessons in love - and totally agree with the learnings which were:

1. Don't mistake falling in love, for love.
2. Love is not how it seems on Instagram - it's unfiltered, unnerving and unedited. 
3. Love has to start with a click.
4. Timing and pure coincidence play a big part in love. 
5. There's many types of love including the love and companionship provided by pets. 

And, being an animal lover, I really enjoyed the dog and animal sanctuary parts of this story. Main character, Jeannie's, landlady and soon-to-be best friend runs an animal sanctuary which is stretched to its limits when it takes in three dog families from a puppy farm. Cue plenty of cute animal antics and heart-seeking bonds, but also lots of entrepreneurial spirit as the friends seek ingenious ways to raise money for their rehabilitation including a wedding dress sale and fashion show. 

However, that was also part of the problem for me in that there was a lot going on. The main story is obviously the love story - that of Jeannie getting cold feet on the day of her wedding, right before a twist of fate intervenes. But, there's also the animal sanctuary and the fund-raising as mentioned, as well as Jeannie's struggle as a singer-songwriter, her falling out with her ex best friend and band mate, family relationships and the secret life of Jeannie's fiance. 

All in all there's a lot going on but weirdly at the same time nothing going on at times. There's a lot of revisiting to the point where it felt like you were just reading the same thing again and the pace is pretty slow with the story(ies) limping sedately along towards a fairly predictable ending. 

That said overall it's enjoyable and definitely a nice easy read. I've never read the author before but have no doubts that fans of Lucy Dillon will love it. For anyone else, in my opinion it's worth a read but just not a must-read. 

The author
Follow @lucy_dillon or find out more at lucydillon.co.uk

REVIEW - A Springtime Affair by Katie Fforde

Having wanted to read this author for ages I'm delighted to share my review of the latest novel by Katie Fforde. There's nothing not to like about this book - it's the sort of book that you can just relax into and enjoy. However, that said it definitely falls into the good read rather than must-read category. 

Many thanks to The Bookbag for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Expected: 20 February 2020

The blurb 
It’s the season of new beginnings for Helena and Gilly. Gilly runs her own B&B business from her much-loved family home, which she doesn’t want to part with – at any price. But that's before she meets handsome estate agent Leo, and soon she begins to wonder whether selling up might not be such a bad idea after all.

Meanwhile Gilly's daughter Helena has a budding romance of her own. A talented weaver, she's becoming very close to her new landlord, Jago, who's offered to help her at an upcoming craft fair. It’s what friends do, and they are just friends. Aren’t they?

With spring in full bloom, Helena and Gilly begin to ask themselves the same question: Might their new loves lead to happily ever after?

The Review
I've wanted to read author Katie Fforde for ages and this was pretty much exactly what I was expecting - a warm, cosy read focused on romance, family and friendships. This provided two romances for the price of one, but it was actually the family element as opposed to the romance that I really enjoyed.

This was a story of new beginnings for the two main characters, mother and daughter, Gilly and Helena. Gilly is a fifty- something woman running a B&B business after a difficult (marriage and) divorce have left her fighting to keep hold of her much- loved family home, much to the disappointment of her son who introduces her to estate agent Leo in a bid to get her to sell up. At the same time, talented weaver Helena, also running her own small business, is embarking on a budding relationship with her new landlord. But, will either of them get their happily ever after?

For me the heroine of the story was Gilly and the romantic perspective of a mature, self-deprecating female as opposed to an optimistic, love-struck twenty-something was really refreshing for me. The author perfectly and sympathetically captured the conflicting emotions and reactions, of both Gilly and her two adult children, to Gilly's first romantic encounter as a mature and single lady. I was also fascinated by her son's selfishness in believing his mother no longer had dreams and a life of her own to live, instead wanting her to devote herself (and her finances) to looking after his own family. As such it was great to see Gilly embracing a new life, post-divorce and children, running a business, dating not one but two handsome gentlemen and taking up new hobbies such as gliding.

In fact, I always love an entrepreneurial subtext to any story, one of strong, independent women doing it for themselves and running their own successful small businesses. And, this didn't disappoint on that front as I particularly enjoyed reading about the day-to-day running of Gilly's B&B and Helena travelling around the country to sell her woven crafts at various fairs.

All-in-all there's nothing not to like about this book - it's the sort of book that you can just relax into and enjoy. However, that said it definitely falls into the good read rather than must-read category. There's enough going on and enough intrigue from a cast of likeable characters to maintain interest and enjoyment throughout but it lacks a little of the extra spark needed for a full five-stars.

The author
Follow @KatieFforde or find out more at www.katiefforde.com