Most of the books I read this month were downloaded on my Kindle. I appreciate the benefits of the Kindle but also find it can be frustrating if I want to leaf back over a book.
The Cottage at Hope Cove by Hannah Ellis.
The summer that changed everything…
Lizzie Beaumont has it all: a great career, a wealthy fiancé, and the wedding of her dreams just months away. But when her fiancé puts work before her again, she sets off for a week in the picturesque town of Hope Cove. She’s hoping for time away from the chaos to find herself.
Instead, she finds Max.
When the gorgeous guy next door asks her for decorating help, Lizzie finds herself all too eager to please. The week she expected to drag suddenly flies by, and before she knows it, she has to return to her other life. The life with the impending marriage and the fiancé she loves.
Or does she?
One week with Max has left her questioning her life choices. Is her fiancé the man of her dreams, or just the man who asked? Now Lizzie must decide what her life will be. Will she go for the safe and predictable route, or take a chance on a man she hardly knows? No matter what she does, someone’s heart is going to break. She just doesn’t want it to be hers.
My review: What if your perfect life began to feel less than perfect?
What if your partner spent more time at the office than with you?
What would it take for you to wake up and question everything?
Has Lizzie been sleepwalking through her life?
Could one week at a Cornish cottage be enough to crack her eyes wide open?
I enjoyed this engaging story and related to the heroine’s dilemma.Should she give up all she knows, for an illusion, or is her previous life the illusion?
After finishing the book I realised it was the beginning of a series and I would be happy to read more.
The Women’s Pages by Victoria Purman
From the bestselling author of The Land Girls comes a beautifully realised novel that speaks to the true history and real experiences of post-war Australian women.
Sydney 1945 The war is over, the fight begins.
The war is over and so are the jobs (and freedoms) of tens of thousands of Australian women. The armaments factories are making washing machines instead of bullets and war correspondent Tilly Galloway has hung up her uniform and been forced to work on the women’s pages of her newspaper – the only job available to her – where she struggles to write advice on fashion and make-up. As Sydney swells with returning servicemen and the city bustles back to post-war
My Review: This book was such are a revelation and an eye-opener to what the older generation went through. Not the elites we so often are told about, but the working class, those at the bottom of the ladder- most people. I was absorbed and immersed in another time and place. Infuriated over the derogatory remarks and dismissive attitude to women. Seething at the unfair treatment of women in general and war widows and their children. It’s a very readable book, one that you feel you want to read just one more chapter.
I received a free copy through a promotion with Book Stack but was under no obligation to review it.
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.
In Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending
Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.
Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession’s ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person’s last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.
My Review :Have you ever thought about death and dying? Unless someone close to you has died you probably haven’t. There is so much focus on ‘living well’ but what about ‘dying well?’ Not in a one-upmanship kind of way, but one that allows the person the right of choice as to what they want as their time approaches. Medical intervention at all costs? What if that results in less quality of life? Prioritize the quality of life, over living? To die at home or in the hospital? What are the things the patient doesn’t want to compromise on? Can hospice care be right for some people? It asks how much autonomy do we want to delegate to some else? A very thought-provoking book.
The Wash by Lisa Wolstenholme.
Clara wants to be a writer a passion she shares with her older brother, Jake. But when Jake is found dead in the wash on Scarborough beach, it shakes her to the core and she’s desperate to understand why he took his life.
While studying Psychology at uni, she finds herself assisting with a rehab program in a low-security prison. There she meets Michael, an alcoholic and petty criminal with an irresistible pull. He reminds her so much of Jake and constantly challenges her, testing her resolve to stay true to her partner, Dan.
As time moves on, Clara sets up her own practice but cracks are forming in her work and relationship with Dan, not helped by Michael weaving his way in and out of her life. She’s treading water and still plagued by Jake’s death.
Can she overcome her loss and save Michael before it’s too late?
A collision of loss and love.
My Review:The Wash is a short novella, but a thought-provoking read, asking can we save people, or do they need to save themselves? Do we meet people by chance or is there some purpose to our meeting? Lisa’s insights into the lures of alcohol drugs and sexual attraction make compelling reading. A perfect cameo of a book.
The Little Cottage on the Hill by Emma Davies.
There’s blossom in the trees and daffodils as far as the eye can see. Maddie is looking forward to a fresh start in the countryside, but there’s just one little problem…
Following a scandal at her high-flying PR agency, twenty-six-year-old Maddie flees London to help promote what she thinks is going to be a luxurious holiday retreat in the countryside. Everything is riding on her making a success of this new job…
Yet when she arrives, Maddie is horrified to find a rundown old farm in a terrible state. The brooding and secretive owner, Seth, spent all his money on leasing the land when he fell in love with the beautiful, dishevelled farm cottages and the very romantic story behind them.
When Maddie discovers an old painting by the original owner’s wife, she unlocks the secret of the farm’s history and quickly realises she must start getting her hands dirty if this very special place is going to have any chance of survival. As she and Seth begin working together, the stunning view from the top of the hill is not the only thing that’s leaving her breathless…
After weeks of hard work the dream looks like it might become a reality, until a secret from Maddie’s past threatens to snatch it all away again.
Can Maddie find a way to save the business and herself? Will she finally find a place to keep her heart within the crumbling walls of the little cottage on the hill?
Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Debbie Johnson who are looking to escape to the countryside and fall in love watching the seasons change.
My review:Such a pleasure to read a book that easily transports you out of your mundane world and leaves you absorbed in the story.For an expat Brit such as myself there is a sense of nostalgia too. A relaxing read that celebrates friendship, finding your place in the world, and following you heart. Perfect escapism.
Aconite & Accusations by Ruby Loren.
Book Five of the Witches of Wormwood series.
On Midsummer’s Eve, a town will vanish.
A witch, a devil, a detective, and a talking cat are the only ones who can stop it from happening.
That makes the sudden appearance of a mystery body even more inconvenient than usual.
Who is the unidentified man in the river, and why does the invisible barrier around town seem to keep letting in the worst kind of people?
…Like the three annoying ghost hunters who roll into Wormwood with about as much supernatural ability between them as a cheese sandwich.
…And the definitely evil Amber Leroux who arrives intent on digging her claws into DCI Admiral.
Wormwood has always been weird, but things are about to get even more strange.
My review:The series just keeps getting better. As usual, things appear bad in Wormwood and they are about to get worse. The barrier that keeps the town isolated is disintegrating. The town’s Mayor is actively working toward attracting tourists. They will unwittingly aid in the town’s destruction.
Hazel’s business is booming as quickly her worries are multiplying. Her magical abilities are better. She fears she won’t be able to stop the destruction of the town she now calls home. Following her instincts, she is drawn towards the river, where she finds a body. The river usually keeps strangers out of Wormwood, but now they are flooding in. D.C.I .Admiral has had to arrive on foot to investigate. He was unable to gain access any other way. As usual, the coven Hazel leads, and which is supposed to have her back, is divided. There is a new witch in town Amber Leroux. And she isn’t friendly. Then there’s the Witch Council, and the mystery of Hazels father’s disappearance. Jesse is back and appears to be being helpful. Hemlock is the most unhelpful familiar. He tries not to get involved and now has a protégé of his own to teach his unhelpful ways.
I was sad to see the series end and I have since heard that book six is on its way, so looking forward to it.
Studying Her Vikings by Skye Mackinnon
Travel back in Time. Bring a Viking into the present so he can help save the world. Easy, right? Before she can travel back in time, she needs to go back to school to learn Old Norse, decipher runes and try not to fall for the sexy Runology professor who’s hiding a dark secret…
Lainie had given up hope on ever getting out of the slums of New London. Applying to the prestigious Time Travel Academy seemed like a waste of time, but when she’s accepted and assigned Vikings, her life changes forever.
A time travel reverse harem full of action, intrigue and hot Vikings. Part of the Time Travel Academy world.
My review. The Viking and time travel and angles appealed to me and I downloaded it- without realising that it was a series..Of course, I ended up downloading the rest and in parts it’s a steamy read. Three gorgeous men and Lainie ,getting up to all sorts of sexy stuff. Apart from that, its intriguing story and I was sorry to learn that there are no more TTA Vikings books planned
Sonia Bellhouse- Author. 