Book reviews

Book Review: The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Cafe by Jenny Oliver

Posted on by Libby Price

I have been a big fan of Jenny Oliver’s previous books – and so was excited that she was publishing more – and this time a whole series based on fictional Cherry Pie Island! I have always loved her characters and so have wanted to know what happens after the book finishes (unlike Gone Girl where I didn’t give a toss about any of them!) – and so thought a series would be excellent.

The Grand Reopening

The first one is entitled ‘The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Cafe’ and this is what Amazon says about it:

“Home, Sweet Home….?
There’s nowhere more deliciously welcoming…
When Annie White steps back onto Cherry Pie Island, it’s safe to say her newly inherited Dandelion Café has seen better days! And while her childhood home on the Thames-side island idyll is exactly the same retreat from the urban bustle of London she remembers, Annie’s not convinced that Owner of The Dandelion Cafe is a title she’ll be keeping for long. Not that she can bear the idea of letting her dedicated, if endearingly disorganized staff lose their jobs. Plus café life does also have the added bonus of working a stone’s throw away from millionaire Matt and his disarmingly charming smile!
One (shoestring budget) café makeover, a few delightful additions to the somewhat retro menu and a lot of cherry pie tastings later, The Dandelion Café is ready for its grand reopening! But once she’s brought the dilapidated old café back to life, Annie finds herself wishing her stay on the island was just a bit longer. She always intended to go back to the big city…but could island living finally have lured her back home for good?”

I REALLY enjoyed it. It’s a light, easy read – but funny, warm and you really care about the characters.  As with her other books there are excellent points of reference that really ring true (this time my favourite being a white Dolcis shoe box in a drawstring black Dolcis bag!!).  As with Jenny’s previous books, her descriptions of food are amazing – you can almost taste the cherry pie and its accompaniments!

Annie’s relationships with her family are complex – but you are always in Annie’s corner.

And as I expected – I do want to know what happens to Annie next!

I had read the blurb for book 2 before reading book 1 (book 2 should be winging its way to my Kindle today – yay!) and so could see the seeds being sown for the characters that feature in that.  I am also hoping we continue to keep in touch with the characters from book 1 – but I will report back on that later!

This is not high brow, prize winning fiction (but hey, we don’t want to read The Goldfinch every day – in fact, most normal people don’t want to read The Goldfinch ever!!) – but it’s fun, escapist reading – which sometimes is just what is called for.

I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series as they are published.

And I really fancy some cherry pie………

Book Review: Second Life by S J Watson

Posted on by Libby Price

Second life

Earlier in the year I read ‘Before I Go To Sleep‘ by S J Watson. I liked it – but it had been hyped by friends before I read it – and it wasn’t as amazing as I’d expected. I went into this, SJ Watson’s next book, without any preconceived ideas apart from this fairly vague Amazon blurb:

“She loves her husband. She’s obsessed by a stranger.
She’s a devoted mother. She’s prepared to lose everything.
She knows what she’s doing. She’s out of control.
She’s innocent. She’s guilty as sin.
She’s living two lives. She might lose both . . .”

Again SJ Watson is writing as a woman (he’s a bloke) – this time as Julia.  She obviously has her historic demons (it is revealed fairly early on that she’s an alcoholic – and I felt these parts were described incredibly well, it even made me go properly on the wagon for a bit!!) The story is based about the fact that her sister has been murdered in Paris – and Julia’s attempt to uncover what has happened.

I can’t really say much more without giving away huge chunks of the plot – it twists and turns brilliantly with lots of things interlinking.  Sometimes it is a bit far fetched – but not so much it makes it totally unbelievable.  The use of social media / the internet / apps makes it seem very up to date in setting – and all of this makes some of the coincidences less coincidental.

I have to say there were times when I was shouting at Julia to tell someone else the truth – but to actually be in that situation must be so difficult, and reasonable behaviour may well go out the window.

As with Before I Go To Sleep it picks up pace towards the end and gets more and more exciting – but still the ending is a total shock.  I can’t say any more than that!!

I really enjoyed it – much more than Before I Go To Sleep – and would definitely recommend it.

Book Review: The Doll’s House by M J Arlidge

Posted on by Libby Price

I have loved the previous 2 books by M J Arlidge about DI Helen Grace – so was pleased when this popped up on my Kindle (I’d pre-ordered it when I read the previous book ‘Pop Goes The Weasel‘ last year).

The Doll's House

Here is what the Amazon blurb says:

“A young woman wakes up in a cold, dark cellar, with no idea how she got there or who her kidnapper is. So begins her terrible nightmare.
Nearby, the body of another young woman is discovered buried on a remote beach. But the dead girl was never reported missing – her estranged family having received regular texts from her over the years. Someone has been keeping her alive from beyond the grave.
For Detective Inspector Helen Grace it’s chilling evidence that she’s searching for a monster who is not just twisted but also clever and resourceful – a predator who’s killed before.
And as Helen struggles to understand the killer’s motivation, she begins to realize that she’s in a desperate race against time . . .”

You would not need to have read ‘Eeny Meeny’ or ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ (although I would highly recommend that you do!) before you read this – it would stand alone – but I very much enjoyed revisiting DI Helen Grace and some of the other characters. It definitely builds on the prior books so there would be ‘spoilers’ if you tried to read them retrospectively.

I’ve actually got to like Helen more with each book – I guess as we get to know her better and understand her more.

It’s a twisting and turning thriller as usual – and again set in Southampton (my stomping ground for Uni – which I think I must remember with rose tinted glasses, as the area I lived in again is described as rough!!) The stories interlink both in terms of historic crime, current crime and the personal lives of the protagonists both police and villains. Lots is interlinked and only concludes right at the end – but I was pleased the loose ends were all tied up.

I didn’t feel this was quite as gory as the previous books – but maybe I’m just becoming immune to it, as I’m a fairly recent convert to thrillers!

This – along with the other books in the series – would make great TV dramas (unsurprisingly given Mr Arlidge is also a script writer – I was slightly over-excited to spot his writing credit in the last series of Silent Witness on BBC1!)

I was pleased to see that this is no longer a trilogy and I have pre-ordered book number 4 for later this year!

Book Review: Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson

Posted on by Libby Price

I was lent this in a proper, old fashioned book format by a friend – and a number of friends had really enjoyed it. On Facebook it had a bit of a ‘marmite’ response from people – either loved or disappointed (when I posted a photo of it – with my non-alcoholic beer – whilst chaperoning some ten pin bowling 11 year old girls!!)

Beer and book

It’s not a new book (first published in 2011) and has been made into a film (starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman no less – thankfully I had started reading before I knew this, so had already imagined the characters in my head -and they definitely weren’t Colin and Nic!).

This is the Amazon blurb about it:

“Memories define us.
So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?
Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love – all forgotten overnight.
And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.
Welcome to Christine’s life.”

Initially I was really interested in Christine’s life – waking up each morning having forgotten the last 20+ years.  Imagine how horrific it would be to wake up each morning and look in the mirror and see your Mum looking back!?!  Christine then starts to keep a journal so that she can remember things she’s discovered about her past and isn’t starting from a blank page (boom!) each day.

The middle section of the book is supposed to be this journal – and I found this section dull and repetitive and it REALLLLY DRAGGGGGED.  Now I guess that is kind of the point – as it’s exactly what Christine was having to do by re-reading about her life each day – but I didn’t enjoy this bit at all (but I am really impatient!)

The final section picked up again – and was ‘edge of the seat’ exciting (so I read late into the night to finish it!)  I really enjoyed how it all concluded.

So I guess it wasn’t ‘marmite’ for me.  I neither loved it nor loathed it – I just kind of liked it.  Not sure that will ever make the strapline on a book cover….

Having said that – I have downloaded ‘Second Life‘ which is the new book from SJ Watson published a couple of weeks ago (and only £1.88 on Amazon at the moment!).  Partly because I found out that SJ is from the Midlands and we have to support our own!  Oh – and I was surprised Mr Watson is a bloke – I guess because he wrote so well about being a woman.  But then if people write well about murder you wouldn’t expect them to be trained killers………..

Book Review: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

Posted on by Libby Price

Elizabeth is Missing

I had heard a LOT of hype about this book – it has been nominated for many different awards, and a number of friends had raved about it too, so I had high hopes!

This is what the Amazon blurb said:

“Meet Maud.
Maud is forgetful. She makes a cup of tea and doesn’t remember to drink it. She goes to the shops and forgets why she went. Sometimes her home is unrecognizable – or her daughter Helen seems a total stranger.
But there’s one thing Maud is sure of: her friend Elizabeth is missing. The note in her pocket tells her so. And no matter who tells her to stop going on about it, to leave it alone, to shut up, Maud will get to the bottom of it.
Because somewhere in Maud’s damaged mind lies the answer to an unsolved seventy-year-old mystery. One everyone has forgotten about.
Everyone, except Maud . . .”

It is written with Maud as the narrator, and moves between the current day – when Maud is an old lady in her 80s and suffering from some sort of memory loss, back to when she was a young girl in the Second World War – when she was completely lucid, albeit young and naive. Maud is convinced her friend Elizabeth has gone missing in the present day – and is properly obsessed by this – but at the same time she is recalling how her sister Sukey went missing at the end of the war.

It is very cleverly written – and the way the author deals with Maud’s memory loss is brilliant.  For example when she can’t remember the word for a specific item then she will describe what it’s used for. Both this and the obsessive behaviours Maud portrays, the ‘interesting’ clothing choices and the way her daughter Helen has to pick up the pieces reminded me very much of a friend whose mother had vascular dementia and she blogged about it.

The modern day story line and wartime story line both conclude well within the book – and the language is beautifully used.

But….

I’m not sure what I expected, but I wasn’t totally wowed. As I was reading it I didn’t think ‘just one more chapter’ which I often do with books. It was good – but didn’t blow my mind as I had thought it would. Didn’t quite live up to the hype in my book.

Book Review: As good as it gets? by Fiona Gibson

Posted on by Libby Price

As Good As It Gets

Just a few chapters in I knew I was going to enjoy this book as the reference points were bang on for me! I too have had a shopping fail due to the light being too dark in certain trendy stores (in the book Charlotte mistakes a navy sweatshirt for black, in my case I bought my 11 year old daughter a top with swearing on it!!) and I also concur that Forever 21 stores are enormous and you need to have a map to escape (I actually had to ask for help to find my way out of one last year!!)

This is what Amazon had to say about it:

“A warm, funny read for fans of Outnumbered and the novels of Fern Britton, Fiona writes about life as it really is.

“Midlife crisis? WHAT midlife crisis?!”

Charlotte Bristow is worried about her husband Will. With her 16-year-old daughter Rosie newly signed to a top modelling agency, and Will recently out of a job, things are changing in their household.

As Will dusts down his old leather trousers and starts partying with their new, fun neighbours, Charlotte begins to wonder what on earth is going on.

So when Fraser, Charlotte’s ex – and father of Rosie – suddenly arrives back on the scene, she starts to imagine what might have been…”

I did enjoy this a lot. It’s not intellectually challenging, nor emotionally draining – but it’s an easy read with some great ‘laugh out loud’ moments (in fact I was told off by my 3 year old for making her bed rock with my LOLing when she was trying to go to sleep!!)

I will definitely be investigating Fiona Gibson’s other books – and this is out in paperback next week if you’re a traditional reader!

Book Review: The Book of You by Claire Kendal

Posted on by Libby Price

I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of ‘The Book of You’ to review by the guys at Mumsnet.

The Book of You

And here’s what Amazon has to say:

“A terrifying psychological thriller about obsession and power, perfect for fans of Gone Girl and Before I Go to Sleep.

Clarissa is becoming more and more frightened of her colleague, Rafe. He won’t leave her alone, and he refuses to take no for an answer. He is always there.

Being selected for jury service is a relief. The courtroom is a safe haven, a place where Rafe can’t be. But as a violent tale of kidnap and abuse unfolds, Clarissa begins to see parallels between her own situation and that of the young woman on the witness stand.

Realizing that she bears the burden of proof, Clarissa unravels the twisted, macabre fairytale that Rafe has spun around them – and discovers that the ending he envisions is more terrifying than she could have imagined.”

From the outset I really enjoyed this – way more than Gone Girl – and mostly because you actually care about Clarissa and what is going to happen to her.  The book has some chapters written in the first person, almost as diary entries – and others in the third person.  I’m not sure it particularly adds anything to the book – but equally doesn’t distract.

It is very clever writing about Clarissa being stalked, but weaving in the plots of other women having similar issues.  It makes you realise how difficult it can be for stalking victims to be believed.

Some of it is set in court where Clarissa is on jury service – and I enjoyed this having been through court proceedings myself a couple of years ago (thankfully no one was harmed before our trial apart from some sticklebacks – although they did prove to be very expensive sticklebacks for us – but that’s a whole other story!)

At times I did just want to shout at Clarissa ‘for goodness sake, please tell someone what’s going on’ – but you can understand how she wanted to gain enough evidence to be believed.

It really is a ‘just one more chapter, suddenly it’s 1am’ kind of book!

The book also cross references a number of fairy tales – I didn’t realise how dark some were – frightening.  Think I’ll stick to the mainstream ones with my kids.

The ending is not what I expected at all – but I really respect Claire Kendal for that.  I can’t say any more without giving it away – you’ll just have to read it yourself – and I would thoroughly recommend that you do!

Book Review – Look Behind You by Sibel Hodge

Posted on by Libby Price

I love a bargain – and this book was free with ‘Kindleunlimited’ through my Amazon Prime account (a 21st century library – without the germs my Nan always reckoned you got from books you borrowed!!) I hadn’t read any reviews – but it sounded my cup of tea so I downloaded it.

Look Behind You

This is what Amazon has to say:

“Chloe Benson wakes up kidnapped and bound in an underground tomb with no memory of how she got there.
She manages to escape but no one believes her story—not the police, not the doctors, and especially not her husband, Liam.
When she suspects Liam is lying to her, Chloe is forced to retrace her past, following in her own footsteps to find the truth and stay alive. But who is following Chloe?
Look behind you. You never know who’s out there.”

I really, really enjoyed it – and not just because it was a freebie! I read it quite quickly because it was very exciting and full of suspense. I liked Chloe and wanted her to find out what had happened to her – although was nervous for her of whom she could and couldn’t trust along the way.

My only one negative is that the ending is quite abrupt. With just 5% left to go (that would have been ‘a few pages’ in the olden days!!) I was concerned how it was all going to get concluded – and it was all a bit swift – but at least the loose ends were pretty much tied up.

It was really well written – and I will definitely be looking for other books by Ms Hodge. Now what freebie to chose next………..

Book Review – The State We’re In by Adele Parks

Posted on by Libby Price

I am always partial to a bargain – and Amazon offered me a free book (can’t remember why, think I agreed that a delivery could be outside my usual Prime terms) – and ‘The State We’re In’ was one on the shortlist. It appeared to have been on best seller lists, and it involved a flight to Chicago, where I’d been last month, so I opted for it.

The State We're In

The Amazon blurb is fairly vague:

“THE STATE WE’RE IN is the unforgettable, emotionally powerful novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks.
What are the odds that the stranger sitting next to you on a plane is destined to change your life? Especially when they appear to be your opposite in every way.
She’s a life-long optimist, looking for her soul mate in every man she meets; he’s a resolute cynic – cruel experience has taught him never to put his faith in anyone.
People can surprise you. In the time it takes to fly from London to Chicago, each finds something in the other that they didn’t even realise they needed.
Their pasts are such that they can never make one another happy and it’s when they get off the plane that their true journey begins…”

When I started reading this I got really confused. There were chapters headed up with the names of different characters, and they seemed completely disparate – and I thought I was going to find it hard work. But I’m not one to give up on a book (hey, I waded through the Goldfinch!!) so I persevered – and I am sooooo glad I did.

I can’t really give you too much of the back story without giving away fundamental twists and turns of the plot – but I couldn’t put it down – and was desperate to know what was going to happen next. There’s emotion / love / lust / travel / family secrets / rude bits / shopping in Chicago – and, as is my usual style, sobbing at the end.

I am a bit gutted that I finished it this evening to be honest. I know I like most books I read and review on here (generally by being sensible in what I chose to read in the first place) but I really liked this one!

Book Review – Fractured by Dani Atkins

Posted on by Libby Price

I read ‘The Story of Us‘ by Dani Atkins over the Christmas break, and loved it – and immediately downloaded ‘Fractured’ which was one of her back catalogue.

Fractured

 

Here is what Amazon has to say about it:

“What would you do if life gave you a second chance?

The night of the accident changed everything…
Now, five years on, Rachel’s life is crumbling. She lives alone in a tiny flat, working in a dead-end job, desperate with guilt over her best friend’s death. She would give anything to turn back the clock. But life doesn’t work like that… Does it?

The night of the accident was a lucky escape…
Now, five years on, Rachel’s life is perfect. She has a wonderful fiancé, loving family and friends around her, and the career she always wanted. But why can’t Rachel shake the memory of a very different life?

Gripping, romantic and heartbreaking, Fractured is a magical love story that asks: can two different stories lead to the same happy ending?”

It started off – in a similar vein to ‘The Story of Us’  – with a car crash, and I have to say my initial thoughts were ‘Hmm, this is all a bit the same’ – but that didn’t last long and I was soon hooked into Rachel’s story.

There is then a ‘Sliding Doors’ moment (90’s Gwyneth Paltrow film reference for those wondering what I’m on about!) and the story pans out a different way – as the blurb above suggests.

Throughout I was desperate to know which was the ‘real’ story – and it very cleverly kept me entertained.  (The last few nights I’ve willingly been the one to lie with the toddler who won’t go to bed on her own, so I could finish  it off!!)  I really liked Rachel, and her friends and family, and was rooting for her to do the right thing throughout.

The ending is lovely – and obviously I wept loads – as is my way.

Dani Atkins definitely has a ‘style’ – but it is one that I really like!