Living in the Northern hemisphere, November was one of my least favourite months, only competing with February for the title. In November there was Christmas to look forward to. January had holiday brochures to check, while dreaming about far away tropical places .
November can feel bleak.
February had no such excitement ,just a hard slog until Spring- date unknown. Spring could be early in April or May, or even feel like it was never arriving at all. In the Southern hemisphere November is still Spring, but with unexpected heatwave blasts like summer. Often, its a good time to be indoors under air-conditioning and that was my plan.
In theory I was supposed to be writing .Finishing the two years of hard slog on spent a project very close to my heart, my memoir. Life threw a curve ball into the mix. I reconnected with my daughter, after an absence of many years. To say I was delighted is to understate it. We have been messaging daily, and catching up on What’s App. The memoir is close to my heart, but my daughter is my heart.
I haven’t had the same time for reading or writing, so, it’s a short book list this month.
Annie in Paris by Carmen Reid.
If you love Emily in Paris, you will love this BRAND NEW book in the Annie Valentine series from bestselling author Carmen Reid. Personal shopper Annie Valentine is back! Older and bolder!
Fashion guru Annie is struggling to cope with her hectic life. With the demands of two older children, plus four-year-old twins, her marriage to Ed is in a romance-free rut and she’s clinging by a couture thread to her job as the nation’s favourite fashion fixer.
And where is Svetlana, her multi-millionaire friend, when Annie needs her? Busy with an expensive mid-life crisis, that’s where!
When Ed gets the chance to teach in Paris, Annie thinks time apart could be the answer. Wrong!
In Paris, Ed transforms into a debonair silver fox, attracting the attentions of stylish siren Sylvie.
Annie can’t lose her man or the job she loves, so bundling her bags, her babies and a reluctant Svetlana onto the Eurostar, she sets off to the rescue. But can the City of Love deliver the ooh la la that her marriage, and her fashion series, so desperately needs?
Another brilliant laugh out loud emotional read, perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Ranald!
“Annie Valentine is a wonderful character – I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!” Bestselling author, Jill Manse 338 pages, Kindle Edition Published April 30, 2024
My Review.
When I selected this book, I was unaware it was the seventh in the series. It didn’t really matter much as I was able to catch up on Annie’s story. She leads a frantic life as a fashion stylist, but also as a mum of teens and toddlers. I found the fashion advice added an extra je ne sais quoi to the story. It reminded me a little of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. I’d be happy to go back and start reading the series from book one. A light-hearted bit of fun.
Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin.
Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong? When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.
But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.
She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.
One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.
338 pages Kindle
My Review.
This book ticked so many boxes for me. Paris, Christmas, renovations, books and reading and that is without even mentioning the burgeoning romance. Like curling up with a mug of steaming hot chocolate., warm and comforting. Hits all the seasonal highs while telling a slightly unpredictable storey.
Dealing with Annie by Jill Shalvis
Danger comes to Cooper’s Corner…
Annie Hughes had become the Martha Stewart of cosmetics. But when DEA agent Ethan McCall warned Annie that her company was the target of sabotage—and that she was in danger— she wouldn’t listen. Then Annie disappeared. And only Ethan could rescue her.
Originally published in 2003. 166 pages, Kindle Edition
My Review.
A speedy read, which feels slightly more of an outline for a story than a fully fleshed out story. It was quick to read and had enough to retain my interest .Obviously, if I had read the previous books in the series that might have made things clearer. Reluctant romance.
There are so many conflicting priorities. Finish the memoir, some social obligations, and reading, always a part of my life. Most important is growing my relationship with my daughter. My priorities have shifted. It’s all about reconnecting with my daughter, and of course making up for lost time Life has blessed us with a second chance and they don’t come along very often.
Apologies for the delayed reviews, of course, I will continue reading and reviewing. Books are part of the fabric of my life, enjoyment, entertainment, information, relaxation. I cannot imagine not reading. Could you?
April always makes me think nostalgically of bluebells. A strong childhood memory is of entering a bluebell wood, and feeling I was in the presence of magic. The stillness, the shade with the carpet of blue flowers all around me. The subtle scent of the massed flowers. Of course, I’d pick some, although I knew I wasn’t taking the magic home with me. Clutched in my hot little hand they would wilt almost as soon as we left the wood.
Now here in Australia I can still get nostalgic, remembering my childhood. This month reinforcing my nostalgia, I’ve been reading about London and Ireland
It is easy to believe in magic in a bluebell wood.
Aged to Perfection: A funny and feel-good later-in-life romantic comedy proving that passion has no age limit! By Niloufar Lamakan
‘Dating in your 60s? This is what you need to know.’ The Telegraph
At sixty, Sophia Stone outdoes Bridget Jones in this deliciously daring romcom! Sophia is determined to grow old disgracefully and refuses to be invisible. She craves fiery passion and steamy romance, not targeted ads for funeral plans. After a heart-shattering breakup, she ditches love to date a new man each week for a year. As she flirts, fumbles and sips fizz through an array of encounters, from an opera buff in a cape to an orgasm whisperer, she discovers it’s never too late to rewrite your own love story, even if it’s not the one you expected…
My Review.
As someone who has dipped her toe into the online dating pool, I found this interesting, but a tad unrealistic. But of course, London, England, is totally different from Australia. At first, I thought it was an amusing concept but inevitably it became a bit repetitive. Her goal to meet a new man each week is pretty well unachievable as you get older. So, it’s good for light reading, but don’t take it too seriously!
The Guest House By The Sea by Faith Hogan
People come to the guest house for fresh air and views across the Atlantic. But if they’re lucky, they might just leave with the second chance they didn’t know they needed… Esme has run the guest house for as long as anyone in Ballycove can remember. But in her declining years, her sight is failing, and when she has a fall on the eve of the summer season, she is forced to take a back seat for the first time in her life. From her chair in the entry hall, not much passes Esme by. There’s Cora, the wife visiting indefinitely… without her husband; Niamh, the city professional with a life-changing decision to make; and Phyllie, the grandmother whose family is slipping away from her. Esme’s guests provide the colour that helps her keep her grip on the world. All of them have something they want to escape – or to hold on to. But can Esme help them find their way before the summer is over?
My Review
Reading this it almost felt as if I was staying there with the guests but with the added bonus of being privy to everyone’s thoughts and feelings. Each woman is facing some crisis or personal dilemma. Even Esmee who is incapacitated and forced to direct operations from her chair in the entry hall. Many women will relate to Cora who has finally realised how lack lustre her marriage is. Can it be redeemed or should she start again? Niamh is seeking both emotional distance and clarity. While Phyllie wishes things could just stay the same. As with many Irish writers’ this book is filled with ‘heart and empathy.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
In #1 of series, Jackson Brodie PI follows three 30-years cold, unconnected Cambridge family cases: 1 A little girl disappears in the night. 2 A beautiful young office worker falls to a maniac’s attack. 3 A new mother is overwhelmed by demands from her baby and husband – until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape. Result : Startling connections and discoveries emerge. . . .
389 pages, Paperback First published September 1, 2004
My Review.
In many ways an unsettling book. Events happen seemingly at random, and I kept reading through interest and wanting to discern a pattern. Can events from thirty years ago still resonate? They can, they do. If you want things neatly solved and explained this isn’t the book for you.
The Girl I Used to Know by Faith Hogan
A beautiful, emotive and spell-binding story of two women who find friendship and second chances when they least expect it. Perfect for the fans of Patricia Scanlan.
Amanda King and Tess Cuffe are strangers who share the same Georgian house, but their lives couldn’t be more different.
Amanda seems to have it all, absolute perfection. She projects all the accoutrements of a lady who lunches. Sadly, the reality is a soulless home, an unfaithful husband and a very lonely heart.
By comparison, in the basement flat, unwanted tenant Tess has spent a lifetime hiding and shutting her heart to love.
It takes a bossy doctor, a handsome gardener, a pushy teenager and an abandoned cat to show these two women that sometimes letting go is the first step to moving forward and new friendships can come from the most unlikely situations.
My Review.
For me , it was a more emotional read than the previous Faith Hogan book. I read The Guest House by the Sea. And enjoyed it. Perhaps because there were only two major characters in The Girl I Used to Know , that enabled me to feel more closely connected to them
It was easy to relate to Amanda, gradually aware that the surface perfection of her marriage is a façade.
Tess, alone, a bit bitter and lonely with spiky energy. Long held in hurt can hide in anger, I loved how her heart softened first towards the cat, then young Robyn, and gradually other people. Recommended.
A relaxing break with a good book
I’ve not managed as much reading as I would have liked this April. I was midway through another book which I will post about next month. I have been continuing working on my memoir and the end is in sight. It has taken me about two years and I find it intriguing how one memory can spark another. Some of my memories are painful and it’s given me a deeper understanding and allowed me to let them go.
November was a difficult and stressful month for me. Unusually, I read very little. My cat’s continuing health problems, and my surgeries kept me occupied. I had an eye patch – reading wasn’t a priority, but I missed it.
I won’t make my Good Reads reading target of 100 this year. I will be lucky if I hit 70. But, my cat is in remission from diabetes and he had some dental work done. I had three skin cancers removed and new skin is growing back.
Reading was a mixed bag over these two months, as health appointments and care routines took priority.
The House at Sea’s End By Elly Griffiths
Forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is back, this time investigating a gruesome World War II war crime. Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as “highly atmospheric” (New York Times Book Review), “remarkable” (Richmond Times-Dispatch), and “gripping” (Louise Penny).
Now the beloved forensic archaeologist returns, called in to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach.
Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson—the married father of her daughter, Kate—does not help. The bones turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret that the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?
First published July 1, 2011.
My Review
I was looking forward to reading this, but somehow it didn’t engage me as much as the previous books. It could have been the time frame, going back to the war years, or the fact that there were fewer interactions between Ruth and Harry Nelson.
The Art of Memoir by Mary Kerr.
Credited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club spent more than a year at the top of the New York Times list. She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well.
For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning graduate teaching prizes for her highly selective seminar at Syracuse, where she mentored such future hit authors as Cheryl Strayed, Keith Gessen, and Koren Zailckas. In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patient, writer and spiritual seeker, recovered alcoholic and “black belt sinner,” providing a unique window into the mechanics and art of the form that is as irreverent, insightful, and entertaining as her own work in the genre.
Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers’ experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karr’s own process. (Plus all those inside stories about how she dealt with family and friends get told— and the dark spaces in her own skull probed in depth.) As she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir, she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic history, whether writer or reader, will relate. Joining such classics as Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, The Art of Memoir is an elegant and accessible exploration of one of today’s most popular literary forms—a tour de force from an accomplished master pulling back the curtain on her craft. power of reflecting on the past; anybody with an inner life or a complicated one
My Review.
This was suggested reading as I am currently writing a memoir. It comes highly recommended, so I duly read it. Nothing stood out for me, which could well have been my distracted mind, as I was dealing with the health issues both for myself and for my cat. I was scheduled for biopsies and then surgery a bit later in the month. Might give it another try when life is more settled.
The Switch by Beth O’Leary.
Audio Book Read by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar Jones.
Leena is too young to feel stuck. Eileen is too old to start over. Maybe it’s time for The Switch…
Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Newly single and about to turn eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen… So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, and Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire.
But with a rabble of unruly OAPs to contend with, as well as the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – local schoolteacher, Leena learns that switching lives isn’t straightforward. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, and with the online dating scene. But is her perfect match nearer to home than she first thought?
My Review.
I’ve not been a fan of audiobooks, as they often send me to sleep. This time I had one eye covered with a patch after surgery and reading was difficult. An audiobook was the perfect solution. It also helped that there were two distinct voices.
To some extent the story is predictable, but I found it amusing and entertaining.
Warning there are references to cancer and a death that happened before the book began.
Both narrators did an excellent job in conveying their characters.
Richard III: A Ruler and His Reputation by David Horspool.
For many, Richard III is an obsession–the Richard III Society has a huge membership, and Shakespeare’s Histories have contributed to, if not his popularity, certainly his notoriety. Now, with the discovery of Richard III’s bones under a parking lot in Leicester, England, interest in this divisive and enigmatic figure in British history is at an all-time high. It is a compelling story to scholars as well as general readers, who continue to seek out the kind of strong narrative history that David Horspool delivers in this groundbreaking biography of the king.
Richard III dispassionately examines the legend as well as the man to uncover both what we know of the life of Richard, and the way that his reputation has been formed and re-formed over centuries. But beyond simply his reputation, there is no dispute that the last Plantagenet is a pivotal figure in English history–his death signaled the end of the War of the Roses, and, arguably, the end of the medieval period in England–and Horspool’s biography chronicles this tumultuous time with flair.
This narrative-driven and insightful biography lays out a view of Richard that is fair to his historical character and to his background in the medieval world. Above all, it is authoritative in its assessment of a king who came to the throne under extraordinary circumstances.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2015
My Review,
Full disclosure, I was halfway through this when I had eye surgery and there was no way I could continue. From what I read this is a scholarly and well-researched book which examines Richards’s life in its entirety. I intend to go back to it.
It was a joy to be able to go back to reading, but my progress has been slower than I would have liked.
Part of December Reading 2024.
December brought some lighter books that I’d requested from the library as I was in the mood for a little seasonal escapism.
We Solve Murders By Richard Osman.
A brand new series. An iconic new detective duo. And a puzzling new murder to solve…
Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.
My Review.
Easy reading, with some interesting characters, but it didn’t quite gel for me. Maybe I was missing The Thursday Murder Club Gang? Steve could certainly fit in with them. His high-flying daughter-in-law Amy needs Steve’s expertise and takes him far out of his comfort zone. It has the potential to become a fun series.
The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family–and a new love–changes the course of her life.
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….
My Review.
Suspend disbelief and enjoy this magical book. It’s a fairy tale for adults. Mika is a disparaged and neglected witch who has to hide her power and is missing feeling loved or cared for. And what good is power if you can’t use it?
The invitation to Nowhere House should be ignored, but how can Mika ignore three isolated young witches? She knows what it’s like to feel alone. Mika finds far more than just the girls, acceptance, companionship, and potentially even love. My favourite read of the month.
A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves.
Heppleburn, once a Northumberland pit village, has always been close-knit, friendly and safe – until the murder of headmaster Harold Medburn. Suddenly, the village seems unfamiliar, uncomfortable.
The school caretaker and his daughter pursue their own route of investigation, which should have made Inspector Ramsay’s job a little easier. But hampered by false leads, powerless to pre-empt the killer’s next move, and overshadowed by the evil atmosphere of All Hallow’s Eve, Ramsay finds his own reputation is on the line…
228 pages, Kindle Edition First published January 1, 1990
My Review,
It’s interesting to read an early Ann Cleeves book. I hadn’t heard of Inspector Ramsay and suspect he has been overtaken by Jimmy Perez and Vera Stanhope. He could be an interesting character. I’ve just checked and there are six books in the series set in Northumberland. Ann Cleeves does a sense of place particularly well and Ramsay comes across as a decent bloke, a bit of a loner. Might try book two.
Christmas at the Chateau by Annabel French.
Life has gone a little bit downhill for Naomi Winters… Ever since her ex-husband Ollie filed for a divorce last Christmas, Naomi is a self-confessed scrooge. She hates her job, has exactly zero hobbies, and on top of that she’s all alone this holiday season. Spurred on by her best-friend Mia – who has invited her to spend Christmas at her snow-kissed Chateau in the Swiss Alps – she decides it’s time for change. But, when she arrives, she’s shocked to see Mia’s big brother Gabriel. It’s been fifteen years since they last saw each other, forcing her to face memories she’d rather forget. As Naomi grapples with getting her life back on track, she throws herself into various festive activities, and she can’t seem to escape Gabriel this time… Will he manage to thaw her icy heart, or is she on a downward slope to disappointment? Escape to the Swiss Alps with this festive, feel-good novel! Full of warmth and romance, it’s perfect for fans of Lucy Coleman, Karen Swan and Katie Fforde.
My Review.
As I was spending Christmas alone, I grabbed a couple of “Christmassy “books, hoping they would help my festive cheer. This had all the ingredients, exotic European location, a recently single woman, her best friend, a chateau and an old flame. A recipe for seasonal delight.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the chateau, the village, the Christmas market, and the townsfolk. The relationship between Naomi and Mia seemed genuine and the brooding Gabriel in the background added a sense of intrigue.
Naomi is adopted and over time her constant reflections about not being wanted, and rejected by her birth parents, were repeated too frequently. I found the story less engaging. I finished the book but as a seasonal pick up, it hadn’t done the job for me.
Photo Pixabay by Jarka Duchakova.
I’m hoping that I will get back to reading for enjoyment and pleasure as well as for information.But my writing is going to have to take priority, I’ve been writing for a full year and need to get this memoir finished!
Healing is going well.
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year, with friends and family and plenty of good books!
Our almost endless summer continued, with day after day of warmer than average temperatures and endless speculations as to when and if the rains would come. In a dry land like Australia, those rains are important to fill the dams.
TV provided few distractions to my reading. In the lead-up to the launch of The Regent’s Menagerie I had some proof reading to do. Lucky I did, as I found a mistake and I hate seeming those in a finalised book. It happens , even in books by well known publishers.
Looking on the bright side!
The Booklovers Retreat by Heidi Swain
One long summer. One perfect setting. Can fiction inspire real life…? Sometimes a book grabs you by the heart and grows to mean everything to you. That’s what Hope Falls is to friends Emily, Rachel and Tori. So, when they get the chance to spend a whole summer at the cottage in Lakeside where the film adaptation was located, they know it is going to be the holiday of a lifetime. Spending six weeks away will give them a chance to re-evaluate their life choices. For Emily to decide which way her career will go – the safe route, or the more risky creative option? And for Rachel to decide whether to move in with her partner Jeremy. Then Tori has to drop out at the last moment, and her space is offered to another Hope Falls afficionado, Alex. But when Alex turns out not to be who they expected, the holiday takes an unforeseen turn. And as the summer develops, so does their friendship. Could this be where they uncover their future selves, find love in all its forms and where their lives will change course forever. First published April 13, 2023
My Review
The book didn’t surprise me there were a couple of scenarios which I saw coming up, but I found it an enjoyable read. The book that inspired them all Hope Falls was made into a film and has achieved cult status. The Holiday Cottage has a waiting list of devoted fans all wanting the Hope Falls experience. Can anything live up to the hype?
Return to Half Moon Farm – Spring Feverby Holly Hepburn.
**PART ONE in the brand new series from Holly Hepburn, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde**
When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm. But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no Wi-Fi. Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid. Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…
81 pages, Kindle Edition Published May 11, 2023
My Review.
I really should look before I leap! I got this from my library’s online book collection without realising it was only part one. To me, this is an annoyingly ridiculous concept. Why would I only want to read part of a book? Having said that it’s a good beginning and I will access the other sections.
Percy’s Bus by Susan Briars
“If you are smiling, you can’t be crying”. That was the motto of Percy Taylor, the father of Susan Briars.
Using a century of journals written by Susan Briars’ father, Percy, and grandfather, Ernest Taylor, this book chronicles the everyday lives of her extraordinary, extended family, as told from her father’s viewpoint, covering the war years and observing the changing society. The narrative begins his life in the austere Edwardian period, going through his time in service and then onto his many years driving buses and coaches. Here we meet a myriad of interesting characters and find out just what real life is like “on the buses”.
My Review.
This was another e-book from the library collection. Anyone who expects to learn a lot about buses may well be disappointed. There are some anecdotes from Percy’s driving career, but much of the book is from a family perspective. A portrait of a bygone era.
The Novel Project by Graeme Simison.
‘Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.’ Variously attributed to Thomas Wolfe, Paul Gallico and Ernest Hemingway, the quote portrays writing as mysterious, romantic and, implicitly, unteachable. This book is about another approach, based on established theories of creativity and design—and on the experience of authors who have adopted a more structured and reliable process.
It’s aimed at those who want to write a book for publication, or at least one that others will want to read. It could have been called What They Don’t Teach You in Writing School, because its focus is on the writing process as a whole: it treats writing a book as a step-by-step project.
Easy to follow, practical and highly entertaining, The Novel Project is the inside scoop from an author who started his writing career at fifty and whose novels have sold millions of copies around the world. It will help you craft the best book you’re capable of—no blood on forehead required.
208 pages, Paperback Published March 1, 2022.
My Review,
A highly logical and practical approach to writing a novel or even a memoir. It will suit those who appreciate such a structured method. Intellectually I know that it makes sense , but it didn’t resonate with me.
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden.
A gripping and atmospheric debut that is at once a chilling gothic mystery and a love letter to Victorian fiction.
Nobody ever goes to Hartwood Hall. Folks say it’s cursed…
It’s 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, attempts to escape the shadows of her past by taking a position as governess to an only child, Louis, at an isolated country house in the west of England.
But Margaret soon starts to feel that something isn’t quite right. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants, and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs. Eversham, Louis’s widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village.
Lonely and unsure whom to trust, Margaret finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But as Margaret’s history threatens to catch up with her, it isn’t long before she learns the truth behind the secrets of Hartwood Hall.
My Review.
I found the first half of the book more engaging than the second. It certainly hit all the tropes for Victorian melodrama. Margaret is a puzzling character at once strong-willed and determined but then put in an invidious position by a servant.
Interesting story line with an unexpected twist.
Love From Scratch by Amy Hutton.
Opposites attract in this laugh-out-loud rom-com about a heart-throb actor, the grumpy woman who minds his beloved dog, and the cat that steals his heart.
Ethan James has a problem: he’s about to start shooting a movie and he needs someone to mind his anxious dog, Harry. This film could make or break Ethan’s career, and he knows he has to give it all his attention, but Harry’s new minder turns out to be more of a hindrance than a help. She’s gorgeous and funny and throws so much shade in his direction that Ethan can’t think straight.
Hazel Conor has a problem: she’s just lost her job as a sous chefat the fancy beachside restaurant she uphauled her life for. And if she doesn’t get another job soon, she won’t be able to afford food—or worse, cat food, and then her grouchy cat Kevin will finally murder her in her sleep. So, when she sees an ad for an easy dog minder job, she goes for it.
Hazel finds everything about Ethan annoying; he’s flashy, flirty, and a total charmer. She probably wouldn’t look at him twice if it wasn’t for her cat. Because Kevin, the cat who hates everyone, is totally smitten with Ethan James.
And with each purr, cheek rub and head bump that Kevin bestows on Ethan, Hazel begins to wonder if there’s something her cat can see that she can’t.
288 pages, Kindle Edition Expected publication June 5, 2024
My Review.
If you are a fan of Grumpy/sunshine, you will adore this book. It’s amusing and heartwarming and you will probably fall just a little in love with Ethan yourself.
Kevin the cat is the archetypal aloof cat, yet he’s kittenish with Ethan. Is Hazel the only one who doesn’t fall for Ethan’s charm? What if two ambitious people want their careers and love? I enjoyed it.
Angelique De Xavier 2
The Sacred Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre
Let us prey … The press tend to talk about bank robberies as being daring, ingenious and audacious. They don’t describe many as Dadaist, even the ones who know what ‘Dadaist’ means. But how else does one explain choreographed dancing gunmen in Buchanan Street, or the surreal methods they use to stay one step ahead of the cops? Angelique de Xavia is no art critic, but she is a connoisseur of crooks, and she’s sure that the heist she got caught up in wasn’t the work of the usual sawn-offs-and-black-tights practitioners indigenous to the parish. She knows she’s dealing with a unique species of thief, and it’s her job to hunt him to extinction – though the fact that it’s not just his m.o. that’s cute might prove a distraction.
This thief, however, has greater concerns than his own safety, and a secret agenda more valuable than anything he might steal. He can afford to play cat and mouse with the female cop who’s on his tail; it might even arguably be necessary. What he can’t afford to do is to let her get too close; he could end up in jail, which holds terrors enough; but even more scary, he could end up in love. Honesty is a virtue. Deceit is a talent. Theft is an art form. The Sacred Art Of Stealing: prepare to be misled. 410 pages, Paperback First published January 1, 2002
My Review.
A friend recommended this book It is the second in a series, the first book is called A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away. You don’t have to have read that, but it would add more context. I hadn’t read book one, but I intend to.
Unlike anything I’ve ever read, clever, cynical, dark and brutally funny. It will either grab you or you will wonder what the hell it’s all about.
Summer Love by Holly Hepburn
**PART TWO in the brand-new series from Holly Hepburn, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde** When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.
But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no Wi-Fi. Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.
Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…
86 pages, Kindle Edition Published July 6, 2023
My Review.
Continues the story and adds more complications, an old mystery surfaces and now two men are on Daisy’s radar. Of course, I will get part 3.
A Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter
Decadent Dukes Society 2
New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter comes the latest sexy tale of three untamable dukes and the women who ignite their decadent desires . . .
HE MAY BE A DEVIL
He’s infamous, debaucherous, and known all over town for his complete disregard for scandal, and positively irresistible seductions. Gabriel St. James, Duke of Langford, is obscenely wealthy, jaw-droppingly handsome, and used to getting exactly what he wants. Until his attention is utterly captured by a woman who refuses to tell him her name, but can’t help surrendering to his touch . . .
BUT SHE’S NO ANGEL EITHER . . .
Amanda Waverly is living two lives—one respectable existence as secretary to an upstanding lady, and one far more dangerous battle of wits—and willpower—with the devilish Duke. Langford may be the most tempting man she’s ever met, but Amanda’s got her hands full trying to escape the world of high-society crime into which she was born. And if he figures out who she really is, their sizzling passion will suddenly boil over into a much higher stakes affair . . .
249 pages, Kindle Edition First published April 24, 2018
My Review.
Initially a bit of a slow start to this one. It has all the elements, but somehow for me ,it dragged in places. Gabriel is an appealing hero and is well-matched with Amanda and the sexual tension sizzles.
Fallen Angel by Christopher Brookmyre.
To new nanny Amanda, the Temple family seem to have it all: the former actress; the famous professor; their three successful grown-up children. But like any family, beneath the smiles and hugs there lurks far darker emotions.
Sixteen years earlier, little Niamh Temple died while they were on holiday in Portugal. Now, as Amanda joins the family for a reunion at their seaside villa, she begins to suspect one of them might be hiding something terrible…
And suspicion is a dangerous thing.
My Review.
A domestic noir with a dual mystery at its heart. Has the past influenced the present? Can an outsider (Amanda) see more than the others? Kept me guessing , while admiring the writer’s versatility.
My Review.
A domestic noir with a dual mystery at its heart. Has the past influenced the present? Can an outsider (Amanda) see more than the others? Kept me guessing , while admiring the writer’s versatility.
Autumn Dreams Return to Half Moon Farm 3
When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.
But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no WIFI.
Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.
Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…
112 pages, e book Published September 14, 2023
My Review.
As the story continues, we learn more about a past romance that may still affect the present .Daisy chooses one of the men, but has she made the right choice?
News
Excitement is mounting for the June 21st release of the dual set of The Regent’s Menagerie. There are both sweet and spicy versions depending on your preference. Or why not indulge yourself and treat yourself( or a pal) to both?
After June 21st the price rises to $4.99 so grab your copy now. Slightly later paperbacks will be available. Based on the page count they will be the size of standard brick!
And now I’m onto my next project, which I will tell you more about next time. Until then Happy reading.
April was a busy month, with lots of writing and reading. I read two Royal books, which are not my usual fare, in preparation for the coronation. I was more social than usual too.
I have the best friends- I got taken out to lunch on three separate occasions. The highlight though was lunch at Perth’s revolving restaurant, Restaurant C . Both the food and the views were exceptional.
My So-Called Scoundrel by Fenna Edgewood,Blakeley Manor 3.
When one finds a bleeding, half-naked, indescribably handsome man in one’s bed, does one… • Scream • Faint • Hit him with a large book • Push him back out the window he climbed in • Bandage his wounds like a sensible bluestocking-in-the-making
The most perfectly imperfect debutante… Marigold Spencer was never supposed to have a London Season. For heaven’s sake, she was never even supposed to become a lady! The former housemaid of a duke, Marigold is thrust into the limelight when her siblings marry far above their stations. Suddenly faced with the marriage mart, her escort and chaperone is not only one of ton’s most notorious scoundrels**,** but the utterly infuriating man still won’t tell her where he got the knife wound that led him to her bed that night.
…can still tempt the deadliest of rogues… Lord Leigh Blakeley’s path took a sharp turn from seductive rake to vengeful assassin long ago. Yet when he finally returns home for a visit, he nearly ruins his new sister-in-law’s reputation for good by falling into her bed after a misadventure. Now Leigh finds himself forced to play chaperone to a debutante… one who unexpectedly enchants his cynical heart. And when Leigh foolishly proposes to teach the innocent young Miss Spencer something of the ways of pleasure, he ignites an inferno of passion that quickly turns unquenchable. When another man presents Miss Spencer with an irresistible proposition, Leigh realizes the desire of his heart is quickly slipping away. Though he’s never intended to wed, Leigh finds himself making an offer Miss Spencer can’t possibly refuse… or can she?
In this tantalizing Regency romance by USA Today bestselling author Fenna Edgewood, desire knows no bounds as the most unlikely of lovers succumb to the flames of their passion and defy society’s expectations.
Published March 30, 2023
My Review. Although this can be read as a stand-alone (as I did) you would probably have more understanding of the characters if you had read the previous books. Having said that, I still enjoyed this book.
Marigold isn’t easily swayed, even by the persuasions of Leigh, Lord Blakely. She may have been forced to have a season, but that doesn’t mean she will meekly submit to a loveless marriage. Untutored in the ways of love she may consider a marriage of convenience if it gives her what she wants. Leigh wants to dissuade her from this and attempts to show her how passion can affect her. The trouble is, he didn’t realise that he would also be affected. How can he let her marry anyone else? And does Marigold have any say in this? Great repartee, with an ongoing attraction plus some steamy scenes.
Battle of Brothers by Robert Lacey
The world has watched Prince William and Prince Harry since they were born. Raised by Princess Diana to be the closest of brothers, how have the boy princes grown into very different, now distanced men? From Royal insider, biographer and historian Robert Lacey, this book reveals the untold details of William and Harry’s closeness and estrangement, asking what happens when two sons are raised for vastly different futures – one burdened with the responsibility of one day becoming king, the other with the knowledge that he will always remain spare.
My Review. I expected more from an ‘insider’ and found it surprising that it was less authoritative and read more like a gossip magazine. Of course, it suffers from missing these last crucial couple of years. The narrative that Harry is ‘spare’ has recently been bandied about. Diana always knew this and raised him to love and support his brother. I imagine her telling him he was lucky not to have all that responsibility. It is sad to see the brothers estranged now
Camilla from Outcast to Queen Consort by Angela Levin
A compelling new biography of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, that reveals how she transformed her role and established herself as one of the key members of the royal family.
For many years, Camilla was portrayed in a poor light, blamed by the public for the break-up of the marriage between Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Initially, the Queen refused to see or speak to her, but, since the death of Prince Philip, the Duchess has become one of the Queen’s closest companions. Her confidence in Camilla and the transformation she has seen in Prince Charles since their wedding resulted in her choosing the first day of her Platinum Jubilee year to tell the world that she wants Camilla to be Queen Consort not the demeaning Princess Consort suggested in 2005
Angela Levin uncovers Camilla’s rocky journey to be accepted by the royal family and how she coped with the brutal portrayal of her in Netflix’s The Crown. The public have witnessed her tremendous contribution to help those in need, especially during Covid. Levin has talked to many of the Duchess’s long-term friends, her staff and executives from the numerous charities of which Camilla is patron. She reveals why the Duchess concentrates on previously taboo subjects, such as domestic violence and rape. Most of all, Levin tells the story of how the Duchess has changed from a fun-loving young woman to one of the senior royals’ hardest workers. She has retained her mischievous sense of humour, becoming a role model for older women and an inspiration for younger ones
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is both an extraordinary love story and a fascinating portrait of an increasingly confident Queen Consort in waiting. It is an essential read for anyone wanting a greater insight into the royal family.
My Review. This a very positive portrayal of Camilla, a woman who has been much reviled for being loved by and loving the wrong man. As Diana famously said, “There were three of us in this marriage.” Those were different more conservative times when Prince Charles was expected to marry a virgin and even then, they were thin on the ground. So, he married for duty although his heart lay elsewhere.
I was always in Diana’s camp, but like many people have come to an acceptance of Camilla. I have admired her steadfastness and her dedication to unpopular causes. King Charles has blossomed with his marriage to her and seems so much happier.
Angela Levin has written a very admiring biography detailing the causes that Camilla supports, battered women, terminally ill children, rape victims and literacy causes. I applaud all these choices but a few lines on page 81 made my blood run cold.
“Camilla was out of step with most of the country over fox hunting. Cubbing, which involves training young foxhounds to chase and kill fox cubs was particularly loathed. She and Charles wanted to carry on in defiance of the Commons vote but gave it up when given a warning by the police.’
Elsewhere in the book, we are told that Camilla loves animals, particularly horses and dogs. This to me seems incompatible with happily watching young fox cubs being ripped to pieces by dogs. An interesting biography, but not I feel the whole story.
Don’t Let’s Go to The Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller.
In Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller remembers her African childhood with candor and sensitivity. Though it is a diary of an unruly life in an often inhospitable place, it is suffused with Fuller’s endearing ability to find laughter, even when there is little to celebrate. Fuller’s debut is unsentimental and unflinching but always captivating. In wry and sometimes hilarious prose, she stares down disaster and looks back with rage and love at the life of an extraordinary family in an extraordinary time.
My Review. This book was recommended to me as a good example of a memoir. It’s bleak, stoic, presumably honest and unbearably sad. The cruelties of life in Africa, the tragedies, and the treatment of animals all are explored.
Welcome to Ferry Lane Market by Nicola May
Although thirty-three year old Kara Moon loves her hometown of Hartmouth in Cornwall, she has always wondered if she should have followed her dream of leaving to study floristry. But she couldn’t bring herself to leave her emotionally delicate single father, and has worked on Ferry Lane Market’s flower stall ever since leaving school.
When her good-for-nothing boyfriend cheats on her and steals her life savings, she finally dumps him and rents out her spare room as an Airbnb. Gossip flies around the town as Kara welcomes a series of foreign guests to her flat overlooking the estuary.
Then an anonymous postcard arrives, along with a plane ticket to New York. And there begins the first of three trips of a lifetime, during which she will learn important lessons about herself, her life and what she wants from it – and perhaps find love along the way.
My Review.
I wanted to read something lighter after a previous book, and this fitted the bill perfectly. Kara is an engaging character, whose main flaw seems to be her empathy and good heart. This has led her to be taken advantage of for too long, by her boyfriend and her boss. The fun really starts when she opens her spare room as an air b and b. This gives her an insight into how other men behave. Then the mysterious postcard arrives, and Kara is finally off on an adventure. It was good to see Kara’s world opening up, but for me, it did feel that the book was a little disjointed as if the two parts came from totally different books. I enjoyed it, it’s nice escapism.
Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham
Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac return in Robotham’s latest page-turning, psychological thriller in this series.
If I could tell you one thing about my brother, it would be this. Two days after his nineteenth birthday, he killed our parents and twin sisters because he heard voices in his head. As defining events go, nothing else comes close for Elias, or for me.
As a boy, Cyrus Haven survived a family massacre and slowly pieced his life back together. Now, after almost twenty years, his brother is applying to be released from a secure psychiatric hospital—and Cyrus is expected to forgive Elias and welcome him home.
Elias is returning to a very different world. Cyrus is now a successful psychologist, working with the police, sharing his house with Evie Cormac, a damaged and gifted teenager who can tell when someone is lying. Evie has gone back to school and is working part-time at an inner-city bar, but she continues to struggle with authority and following rules.
When a man is murdered and his daughter disappears, Cyrus is called in to profile the killer and help piece together Maya Kirk’s last hours. Police believe she was drugged and driven away from the same bar where Evie is working. Soon, a second victim is taken, and Evie is the only person who glimpsed the man behind the wheel.
But there’s a problem. Only two people believe her. One is Cyrus. The other is the killer.
My Review. Taut, tense, engrossing. Cyrus is torn between his high expectations of himself, as of course, he should forgive his brother and his feelings. While intriguing Evie reminds me of Lisbeth Salander from Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. As the book progressed, I got to a point where I could not put it down, I had to finish it.
News
As well as reading I’ve been writing and have just finished my story for The Regency Abduction Club. It’s been a blast and I fell in love with a spontaneous heroine, Sophia and her counterpart Christopher or Kit. This one is a bit steamy and hopefully fun. It’s with the editor now and available for pre-order on Amazon. Due out early July.
Next, I am embarking on a heart project, one which has been simmering away in my imagination for quite some time. It’s different, and will possibly be a challenge to write a memoir about a difficult time in my life.
More about that next month, meanwhile Happy Reading
Sonia Bellhouse- Author. 