Book reviews

Book Review: Love Story by Lindsey Kelk

Posted on by Libby Price

I have loved previous Lindsey Kelk books – so when I saw that she had new book out called ‘Love Story’, I was delighted to be offered and advance review copy. Here’s the blurb:

“She’s a small-town schoolteacher, he’s a hotshot creative director. Together, it’s hate at first sight.
Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh is the last person she’d tell. He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.
But Sophie desperately needs his help.
Because she’s not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.
When a trip to the countryside means sharing a cottage with only one bed, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself?”

I absolutely LOVED this book! Sophie is a main character you’re rooting for from the start. Whilst most people think she’s ‘just’ a teacher – she’s actually a hugely successful novelist of a bestseller called ‘Butterflies’ – but for a number of reasons (mostly being that it’s a romance book – and her parents and ex are sniffy about such literature that they deem not sufficiently high brow) she’s keeping her other identity under wraps.

Whilst the book is fundamentally a will they / won’t they between Sophie and Joe – there is much more to it. The snobbery about romance / women’s fiction / chick lit is exposed for the utter bullsh*t it is (I particularly loved when Sophie reels off a list of amazing writers of the genre – Mhairi McFarlane, Emily Henry et al – the only mistake being that Lindsey Kelk was missed off the list!) And family relationships are also unpicked really well and true to life (having children of a similar age to Sophie’s younger sister – I can see how well that age group is represented in this book!!)

‘Love Story’ is also ridiculously sexy! In a building up the tension way – not a ‘I’m reading a porno whilst waiting to pick the kids up’ way. But I very much enjoyed this element too.

This – like lots of the books I’ve reviewed recently – is out on Thursday 4 July. There is an amazing range of fabulous options published on that day (even if choices for other things on that day are less exciting!)

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Review: The Summer Party by Kate Gray

Posted on by Libby Price

“It’s the event of the year – the company summer party. Mel can’t wait to let her hair down with her colleagues. Sun, sea, and her sights set on her work crush. One big happy family.
But as the champagne flows and the sun begins to set, cracks in the team start to appear. Secrets, lies, revenge. No one is as innocent as they seem.
But could one of them be guilty of murder? Mel soon realises someone is orchestrating a deadly plan. And she must uncover the truth if she’s going to get out alive . . .”

I was offered an advance review copy of The Summer Party by Kate Gray on Net Galley – and saw that it was recommended for fans of Lucy Foley – so I said ‘yes please!’.

The book is told primarily from the point of view of Mel – who works in HR at a PR company, Flavour. I have to say she reminded me quite a lot of Eleanor Oliphant – the eponymous heroine of a book published in 2017. She is one of the ‘lucky’ VIP members of staff to be picked randomly to stay overnight at an exclusive hotel set on a historic fort in the middle of the Solent. After all of the Flavour staff have finished their summer party – the lucky few will remain over night in the lap of luxury.

The weather is a scorching heat wave – and the oppressive heat as the party starts is written really well and you can really feel it. You know from near the start that something has happened to a previous colleague, Holly, who died after the Flavour Christmas party – and Mel in particular seems to be being reminded of her at every turn – even the bedroom smells of her perfume.

The party goes off reasonably smoothly – although with a drunken speech and lots of alcohol involved – and then most of the staff head back to the mainland. Things then get weird! It’s written really well and is incredibly evocative of the VIPs being totally stranded on an isolated fort with no way of getting off.

There’s murder and intrigue and you’re never quite sure who can and can’t be trusted. It had a great pace and made me want to keep reading to unravel what was happening!

Overall a great read for this summer.

A bit thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC. It’s out on July 4th – busy day for books – and voting!

Book Review: If I Were You by Cesca Major

Posted on by Libby Price

One of my books of 2023 was Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major, and so when I heard she had a new book out, I was delighted to be granted an advance review copy by Net Galley – here’s the blurb:

“How do you know when you’ve found The One?
Amy loves Flynn
Flynn loves Amy
But she can’t read his mind, and he can’t read hers. Heading away to her sister’s wedding weekend, little do they know it’s make or break.
When a bolt of lightning gives them the ultimate change in perspective, they have to get through the weekend walking in each other’s shoes… Literally.
Will this crazy experience split them up – or make them fall in love all over again?”

Early in the book a bolt of lightning cause Flynn and Amy to change bodies. Now, I’ve seen this happen in films – but wondered how it would be dealt with in a book – and I have to say that it was a bit of a headf*ck to start with. I kept having to stop and think ‘so who is this? Is this Flynn in Amy’s body – or Amy in Flynn’s body?’ But I did get into the swing of it.

Whilst Amy’s sister’s wedding is the back drop – lots of history is covered and uncovered in a really clever way for numerous members of the wedding party. It also addresses some fundamental issues and differences that men and women feel – but may not necessarily have considered. For example Flynn feels much more vulnerable when he’s Amy – and Amy is expected to be more aggressive when she’s Flynn.

There are some slight inconsistencies – where skills each of them possess when themselves are sometimes exchanged to the other person – and sometimes most definitely not. But you’re massively suspending your belief because they’ve body swapped – so whether someone can or can not then sing or play tennis is a bit irrelevant I guess!

I was interested to see if they ever swapped back into their own bodies, and if so how that could happen – because lightning doesn’t often strike twice (yes, I went there, yes, I am a d*ck) – and there are no spoilers from me here.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was desperate to keep reading.

It’s out on 4th July – which is a big day for lots of new releases, and I think something else might be happening that day too?!?

A big thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Review: Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood

Posted on by Libby Price

I was lucky enough to be offered another book to read that is going to feature in ‘Don’t Buy Her Flowers’ packages going forward – and so I obviously said yes (having never knowingly refused a free book!) I have to say that real life / autobiographies are not a genre I often read – but sometimes it’s good to try something outside your standard comfort zone. Here is the blurb:

“Aged just seven, Suzanne Heywood set sail with her parents and brother on a three-year voyage around the world. What followed turned instead into a decade-long way of life, through storms, shipwrecks, reefs and isolation, with little formal schooling. No one else knew where they were most of the time and no state showed any interest in what was happening to the children.
Suzanne fought her parents, longing to return to England and to education and stability. This memoir covers her astonishing upbringing, a survival story of a child deprived of safety, friendships, schooling and occasionally drinking water… At seventeen Suzanne earned an interview at Oxford University and returned to the UK.
From the bestselling author of What Does Jeremy Think?, Wavewalker is the incredible true story of how the adventure of a lifetime became one child’s worst nightmare – and how her determination to educate herself enabled her to escape”

The book starts in the 1970s with Suzy and her family in Warwick before her father decides to take them on a 3 year trip around the world sailing in the footsteps (um, that doesn’t quite make sense?!) of Captain Cook’s circumnavigation to celebrate it’s 200th anniversary. The family share a surname with the aforementioned Captain – and Mr Cook is very focussed in his plans for the trip – with his wife and kids (Suzy and her younger brother Jon) being swept along with it whether they want to or not.

The trip doesn’t go exactly as planned – and ends up being extended again and again. The family take on paying crew members to help fund the trip – which adds to the characters in the book. At times I found the storyline quite repetitive – but I guess the whole experience was at times. I also do not enjoy boats (I get motion sickness on a lilo!) and some of the descriptions – especially of ‘the wave’ incident – made me feel physically sick, which shows just how well it was described!

I have to say that I really did not like Mr and Mrs Cook – they appeared to have absolutely no thought or love for their kids at all. (Although I appreciate this book is told from Suzy’s point of view, and she’s now seemingly estranged from them, but I do wonder what they would say about their singlemindedness to complete the trip and be together as a couple – often seemingly to the detriment of their children).

Suzy was clearly incredibly self motivated to try and complete her studies by correspondence school (something that I think is much more common in Australia due to how much of the population lives in far flung outposts – and well before home schooling was a ‘thing’ for lots of us #shudderatthememories) and shows incredible strength of character. Given the incredibly unusual experiences – Suzy appears to be a surprisingly normal person.

Overall it was a really interesting book – and the trip around the world (visiting places I’ve been lucky enough to visit in South Africa and Australia) was great.

A big thank you to Don’t Buy Her Flowers and the publishers for my free review copy.

Book Review: Our Holiday by Louise Candlish

Posted on by Libby Price

Having enjoyed previous books by Louise Candlish, I was delighted to be given an advance review copy of her new book, Our Holiday, which is published early in July 2024. Here’s the blurb:

“Charlotte and Perry long for summers at Cliff View, their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge. And now that city friends Amy and Linus have bought a property nearby, they plan lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda.
But there’s trouble in paradise…
A rising tide of resentment towards second-home owners is heading their way and small acts of criminal damage are escalating into something more menacing. By the end of the summer, families and friendships will be torn apart and Pine Ridge will be known for more than its sun-drenched beaches. It will be known for murder…”

The book has a very similar vibe to Ms Candlish’s previous books – but if you have a format that creates Sunday Times bestsellers – why deviate?! It’s told from various characters points of view – including the DFLs (Down From Londons) and the local NJFA (Not Just For August) activists. There are lots of acronyms! Initially I found this a little bit confusing – as there were so many POVs (yes, I’ve thrown that one in just to be a d*ck!) and the time lines flick between pre and post ‘an awful event’ (no spoilers here, but it does happen very early doors in the book) – but once I settled into the book, the different perspectives actually made it really interesting.

The descriptions of Pine Ridge – and the Dorset coastline – are beautiful, and really evocative of a gorgeous hot summer (please let us have a gorgeous hot summer this year!) – and the claustrophobic weather adds to the claustrophobic feel of the book and the tension between many different parties.

I have to say that again, like previous books by the same author, none of the characters are particularly likeable – but that doesn’t stop you wanting to know what’s going to happen. The relationships between the parents and kids are really well written (although maybe that’s because I have kids of a similar age to the 2 couples?). Similarly the depiction of snobby middle class Daily Mail readers is also perfect!

There are little clues throughout about who the victim of the murder might be, but then the next chapter will throw cold water on your theory as someone else is in the frame as both murderer and murderee (possibly a word I’ve just made up…….)

The twists and turns are unpredictable – and there is not a neat ending all tied up with a bow – but I really enjoyed that.

A big thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for my advance review copy. You can pre order it now for release on 4 July 2024, and let’s face it – we’re all going to need fabulous books to escape to that day!!

Book Review: On The Edge by Sarah Turner

Posted on by Libby Price

I have thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Turner / The Unmumsy Mum’s writing – both on social media and her books – the most recent of which was her wonderful debut novel Stepping Up. When I heard that she had a new book out – I was delighted to bag an advance review copy from Net Galley. Here’s the blurb:

“Sometimes, in order to move forward, you need to go back.
Joni’s always felt like an outsider in her blended family, and as an adult she’s done all she can to avoid them. The only person she’s remained close to is her beloved Nana.
When Nana dies, she leaves behind something unexpected: an itinerary of pre-arranged activities for the whole family to complete over the course of a week. After years of trying but failing to bring Joni back into the fold, this appears to be Nana’s parting shot. After all, nothing says ‘family bonding’ quite like abseiling and ballroom dancing.
With marriage and kids on the horizon, the life Joni’s always dreamed of is finally within touching distance. The last thing she wants to do is revisit the past.
But Joni’s about to discover that a lot can happen in seven days. Nana’s Week of Fun is about to change everything…”

I really liked Joni from the off (although *potentially* this is because there were some similarities between us! I did a maths degree and Joni is a maths teacher. I like to be organised and plan, and I have been known to suck the fun out of things by trying to do them *right*. My kids still haven’t forgiven me for turning various historic art trails around Birmingham into military operations to ensure all exhibits were seen and photographed.) But I digress – back to Joni! Her lovely Nana has passed away, and has left a series of tasks for the family to do in order to release her ashes and will. Joni feels she ‘has’ to join in and do it – even when her waste of space boyfriend of 10 years, Lewis, bails on attending at the last minute. Joni clearly isn’t close to her Dad, step Mum and step siblings – so isn’t looking forward to it at all.

The book follows their week of family bonding – and various twists and turns. I LOVED the WhatsApp group messages. Nana’s friend Sue is fundamental to these – and was brilliant (in my head, she is very similar to Joyce from Richard Osman’s ‘Thursday Murder Club’ series). I also enjoyed the relationship between Joni and her step brother’s adopted son Stan (and his friend Bilbo) – I felt this was fundamental to the whole book.

Whilst there is a potential new love interest for Joni in the hunky instructor Tim – the complex blended family relationships are far more important to the storyline, and you begin to understand how decisions made many years ago have affected everyone’s lives. Whilst the truth is difficult – I was pleased for everyone that it came out (honestly, I sound like they’re my personal friends rather than characters in a book!)

This book had a lot to live up to, as I’d just finished a Mhairi McFarlane book that I’d adored – but I need not have been concerned, Sarah has written a book equally as fantastic. Her eloquence on family life and grief was beautifully portrayed – with clever wit and humour right through it too. Not often I give 5 stars on Net Galley – let alone back to back 5 star reviews for 2 books – how spoilt I feel at the moment!

Thank you to the aforementioned Net Galley, the publishers and, of course, Sarah for a really lovely book.

Book Review: You Belong With Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Posted on by Libby Price

First things first, I am a HUGE Mhairi McFarlane fan. If I’m ever asked for a book recommendation (which actually happens reasonably often, as I overshare my love of books to everyone!) my first question is always ‘have you read everything by Mhairi McFarlane yet?’ – and yes, I do explain to everyone ‘you say her name Vahree’. All of her books are wonderful, funny, clever, emotional, modern, beautifully written – and all round fabulous. However one did leave me begging for a sequel as you can see by my previous review of ‘Who’s That Girl?‘ – and 8 years later, Mhairi has delivered!

Here’s the blurb for her newest book ‘You Belong With Me’:

“She found The One. But when everyone wants him, can she keep him?
When there’s a ring on her doorbell on Christmas Day, there’s only one person Edie Thompson wants it to be. The person who’s still in her heart. The person who just might be The One.
She and Elliot Owen called it quits once before – but aren’t they too good together not to try? And here he is – offering her everything she dreamed of.
But dating Elliot, an actor, is anything but plain sailing. Being an ocean apart and followed by the press is one thing, but when Edie’s friends and Elliot’s family are drawn in, things get messy. Then her boss hires a friendly face in the form of Declan Dunne, who’s there for her when times are tough, and Edie starts to wonder … are she and Elliot a fairytale come true – or a cautionary fable about getting what you wish for?”

So immediately we find out who was at the door – phew! It’s what we all wanted all those years ago – and now we get to find out how the relationship between Edie and Elliot pans out. The fantastic supporting cast of the first book are all back to help – and sometimes hinder – things, along with new characters like Declan – who is thoroughly lovely as well (and an image of him naked will stay with me for a while!!)

I have to say there were certain times when I wanted to give both Edie and Elliott a good shake and tell them to talk to each other properly – but this did not detract from the storyline, I was still desperate to read on.

As it’s a Mhairi McFarlane book you expect twists and turns, and it did not disappoint. I’ve commented before about her use of modern technology and how it thus feels really real and modern – and yet again that’s fundamental to the storyline at times. The dialogue between the characters is, as ever, clever, witty and laugh out loud funny at times.

‘You Belong With Me’ is out in June 2024 – and I would highly recommend pre ordering now as a lovely gift to your future self! If you haven’t read the prequel ‘Who’s That Girl?’ then:

a. Why not?! and
b. I probably would if I were you – but you wouldn’t HAVE to as this would stand alone – but you might miss some of the historic references

Many thanks to Harper Collins, Net Galley – and of course Mhairi – for my advance review copy.

Book Review: The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

Posted on by Libby Price

I have thoroughly enjoyed Lucy Foley’s back catalogue – from her debut historical dramas to more recent large cast ensemble murder mysteries – so when I heard she had a new book out, it was a no brainer to request a copy from Net Galley. Here’s the blurb:

“Midsummer, the Dorset coast
In the shadows of an ancient wood, guests gather for the opening weekend of The Manor: a beautiful new countryside retreat.
But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. And the candles have barely been lit for a solstice supper when the body is found.
It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at…
THE MIDNIGHT FEAST”

The Midnight Feast has a very similar feel to recent Lucy Foley books – told from multiple points of view from different characters and over different timelines. You know that something awful has happened at a new countryside retreat and a dead body has been found on the beach – but you don’t know who the victim is until quite near the end of the book. The storyline jumps between present day – both pre and post the grisly discovery – but also back in time to the early 90s with extracts from one of the character’s teenage journals.

I have to say that what I’ve enjoyed about Lucy Foley’s books before is that they feel well written and ‘literary’ despite being contemporary fiction – but I found that the chapters from the flashbacks felt a bit forced and ‘she said, she did’. I can see that this is because it’s written in the style of a teenager – but I felt it made the book a little disjointed and not up to the usual standard of writing (but fully appreciate this is probably just my taste!)

There is also quite a lot of ‘black magic’ and mystical folklore referred to – specifically ‘the birds’, This is not my vibe at all – and I would actively avoid books with this in – or even TV programmes with such references – but I was happy to give it the benefit of the doubt and push on through because I’ve so enjoyed the author’s previous books! But this does mean I didn’t get references to ‘The Birds’ or ‘Midsommar’ as I’ve not seen or read either.

None of the characters are particularly likeable (apart from Eddie the barman) and all have their own secrets that as a reader you are party to from their chapters, and it’s interesting to see how these unravel and are revealed to other characters.

The descriptions of the countryside retreat are excellent – and you really get a feel for being there, and the suffocating heat – and the venue does sound amazing.

As you’d expect from a Lucy Foley book there are loads of twists and turns, with characters from the ‘flashback’ chapters intertwining with those in the current timeframe. Some I guessed, some with hindsight I should have guessed, and some were a complete shock – a perfect recipe to keep you just smug enough but still shocked and intrigued by the storyline.

Although I’ve been a bit moany, I really enjoyed the book and was desperate to see what happened in the end – and I thought the end very satisfactory in tying up lots of loose ends.

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC – it’s out in early June 2024, so not long to wait – a perfect summer read.

Book Review: The Revenge Club by Kathy Lette

Posted on by Libby Price

Whilst I’ve followed Kathy Lette on social media for years – I don’t think I’ve ever read one of her books before (and I definitely have never reviewed one on here) – but when I saw she had a new book out, I managed to get an advance review copy off Net Galley. Now weirdly on Net Galley it says it’s not out until August 2024 (but I now wonder if that’s a US release date perhaps?) as it appears to already be out on Kindle – and imminently released as a hard back – and Kathy has been having a fabulous time on book tour in her native Australia and has now started on a UK book tour! But at least that means I’m not tempting you loads in advance, and you can order it immediately if you like the sound of it?! So here’s the blurb:

“WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU, IT’S TIME TO GET EVEN.
Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy are all women at the top of their game; so imagine their surprise when they start to be personally overlooked and professionally pushed aside by less-qualified men.
Only they’re not going down without a fight.
Society might think the women have passed their amuse-by dates but the Revenge Club have other plans.
After all, why go to bed angry when you could stay up and plot diabolical retribution? Let the games begin…”

The main character in the book is Matilda – who is an Australian born writer now living in London, with 2 children (one of whom is autistic) and is separated from their father (now, this does sound vaguely familiar when compared to the writer’s own life – but ‘write what you know’ is often said!)

Tilly reunites – after 30+ years – with 3 friends she was in a band with at University (Louche Women is a most excellent band name!) but has lost touch with since. Jo has been in the US working on movies, Penny is a news anchor and Cressy is an actress married to a high flying lawyer with 4 daughters. All 4 women – as they approach their late 50s – have experienced issues with being a woman of a certain age – and so come together – as The Revenge Club – to, as the name suggests, take their revenge!

Whilst the book is silly and funny and frequently made me laugh out loud – it also covers important topics facing women of a certain age, but in a very entertaining way.

The ‘Revenge’ plans twist and turn during the plot of the book and keep you guessing right to the end – but the development of the main characters is great and the relationships between them all. I also really enjoyed how Tilly’s kids came into their own in the book – with kids a similar age I could very much empathise with Tilly’s initial frustrations!

Overall this was a fantastic, escapist and hilarious read – and perfect for those of us 50+

A huge thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Review: You Are Here by David Nicholls

Posted on by Libby Price

Having adored previous books by David Nicholls, (so much so that I can’t watch the new Netflix series of One Day in case it disappoints) I was delighted to be granted a Net Galley advance review copy of his new novel. Here’s the blurb:

“Sometimes you need to get lost to find your way
Marnie is stuck.
Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that often feels like it’s passing her by.
Michael is coming undone.
Reeling from his wife’s departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells.
When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship.
But can they survive the journey?A new love story by beloved bestseller David Nicholls, You Are Here is a novel of first encounters, second chances and finding the way home.“

I have to say from the off that David Nicholls has done it again – ‘You Are Here’ is WONDERFUL.

The chapters are told alternately from Marnie and Michael’s points of view – with the timelines sometimes overlapping slightly so that you get each of their perspectives on the same situation. I really liked both main characters from the start in different ways, and felt like we got to know them well and understand their back stories and how they are the 40 something people they are now over the timeline of the book.

I have to say that the geography of the trip and the coast to coast walk is also described beautifully – and Michael’s geeky geographical knowledge was very well received by me (even if not always by Marnie!)

It is a beautiful, gentle love story – where you’re rooting for the characters throughout. It twists and turns – much like the walk itself – as the tale unfolds, and is not straightforward at all (although the shocks aren’t quite as gobsmacking as in One Day!) but at the same time it feels really ‘real’.

The ‘banter’ between Michael and Marnie feels very genuine – as do their interactions with other characters in the book. It is funny, moving, sad, joyful – all rolled up into one fabulous book.

I loved the ending – and would love it not to be the end, but to be the beginning of a sequel.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy – it’s out on 23 April 2024 so not long to wait if you like the sound of it.