Scan barcode
millie_who_loves_books's review
4.0
Really hard to rate that book.
I love the subject, a couple that aren't fertile, but I disliked the characters. I don't rate lower because of unlikable characters, I rate it lower because some links can be made and I don't like them. That book could have been five stars if there were a "likable" couple on the side with similar problem. I feel like "bad peoples are bad and God doesn't want them to have babies", which is not true.
I would love that other people I know could read that book (or only the first chapters about IVF)
I love the subject, a couple that aren't fertile, but I disliked the characters. I don't rate lower because of unlikable characters, I rate it lower because some links can be made and I don't like them. That book could have been five stars if there were a "likable" couple on the side with similar problem. I feel like "bad peoples are bad and God doesn't want them to have babies", which is not true.
I would love that other people I know could read that book (or only the first chapters about IVF)
sarahs_bookish_life's review
4.0
Moondance is an emotional roller coaster of a read following Cat and Dom on their journey of getting pregnant and starting a family.
For Cat and Dom their careers have been very important to them and children is something they decided to leave until later on in their lives. To be honest in a world where women are more career driven than ever, I don’t think it’s unusual for women in their thirties and forties to be trying for their first child like Cat.
Unfortunately for Cat and Dom, falling pregnant is not as simple or as quick as they thought it would be. Within no time it seems to consume Cat especially, taking any enjoyment out of any sexual relations between the two, having it become more of a chore than for enjoyment. After plenty of tests they decide to go down the IVF route.
Having not had to go down this route myself, I don’t think I could fully appreciate what many couples that have to actually go through. Through Cat and Dom we get an upfront and personal account of what it is like and even though they both try to make light of the situation, deep down it affects them both differently.
I think as the story is told more from the point of view of Cat, poor Dom doesn’t get as much empathy as he probably should do from the reader as after all he is very much going through everything Cat is. Cat herself I wouldn’t say is an overly likeable character though I could fully empathise to everything she was going through. I’m not certain as to whether Cat was quite a selfish person but she certainly comes across that way when she has encounters with her family and friends. Personally I don’t think she meant to come across that way, but trying for a family herself makes her realise that she never really showed an interest in the others lives unless it benefited her in someway.
Cat’s IVF journey is without a doubt an emotional one. She really is put through the mill and at times I just wanted to reach out to her and just hold her tight. I felt like I was mentally going through all the highs and lows of IVF with Cat and it made me truly appreciate how lucky I was with my own pregnancies.
Moondance is without a doubt a story that will have you going through a whole array of emotions. We get to see how it affects a marriage as well as the relationship with family and friends. For me it felt like a brutally honest account of what any couple could go through when faced with trying to conceive. A novel that will have a great impact on it’s readers.
Thanks to Blackbird Digital Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
For Cat and Dom their careers have been very important to them and children is something they decided to leave until later on in their lives. To be honest in a world where women are more career driven than ever, I don’t think it’s unusual for women in their thirties and forties to be trying for their first child like Cat.
Unfortunately for Cat and Dom, falling pregnant is not as simple or as quick as they thought it would be. Within no time it seems to consume Cat especially, taking any enjoyment out of any sexual relations between the two, having it become more of a chore than for enjoyment. After plenty of tests they decide to go down the IVF route.
Having not had to go down this route myself, I don’t think I could fully appreciate what many couples that have to actually go through. Through Cat and Dom we get an upfront and personal account of what it is like and even though they both try to make light of the situation, deep down it affects them both differently.
I think as the story is told more from the point of view of Cat, poor Dom doesn’t get as much empathy as he probably should do from the reader as after all he is very much going through everything Cat is. Cat herself I wouldn’t say is an overly likeable character though I could fully empathise to everything she was going through. I’m not certain as to whether Cat was quite a selfish person but she certainly comes across that way when she has encounters with her family and friends. Personally I don’t think she meant to come across that way, but trying for a family herself makes her realise that she never really showed an interest in the others lives unless it benefited her in someway.
Cat’s IVF journey is without a doubt an emotional one. She really is put through the mill and at times I just wanted to reach out to her and just hold her tight. I felt like I was mentally going through all the highs and lows of IVF with Cat and it made me truly appreciate how lucky I was with my own pregnancies.
Moondance is without a doubt a story that will have you going through a whole array of emotions. We get to see how it affects a marriage as well as the relationship with family and friends. For me it felt like a brutally honest account of what any couple could go through when faced with trying to conceive. A novel that will have a great impact on it’s readers.
Thanks to Blackbird Digital Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
lorrainewardy's review
5.0
A first for me, reading a Diane Chandler book but I adored her writing style, so will certainly be on the look out for more. This book has you on edge with the ups and downs of Cat and Dom's fertility process and keeps you hooked the whole way through, definitely recommended from me.
clair_82's review
4.0
Moondance is mainly set in London and surrounds the lives of Cat and Dom, a highly successful couple who are career driven and seeing fabulous results. They are the ultimate power-couple; gorgeous, successful and have everything they have wanted….until the ability to conceive eludes them.
Cat and Dom end up going down the route of IVF which challenges them in ways they never realised was possible and demonstrates how emotionally draining going through the process can be. Right from the start it seems to put pressure on their marriage as Cat is bitter than she is having to go through all the gruelling injections and treatment versus, what she sees, is the easy ride that Dom is getting.
Moondance is very emotionally raw, showing the IVF journey warts and all. You can tell that Chandler is drawing on personal experience for this narrative as the emotional rollercoaster is all too real. Alongside the emotional side is also the insight as to the treatment that happens when a couple embark on the IVF journey, it is not as simple and injecting sperm into an egg and then implanting that into the womb – there is so much more preparation for the woman’s body that is needed before this point. I’d like to thank Chandler in educating me in the IVF process and I feel exceptionally fortunate to have conceived naturally.
Alongside the IVF, we also get an insight into today’s working environment whereby Cat is almost scheduling her child into her career and expected that it would just happen to plan – like everything else in her life has. Cat is ruthless in a man’s world (this is clear from the circumstances in which Cat and Dom met!) and having a child, she feels is a gamble to her career and power. Dom doesn’t experience the same challenges so was broaching the subject of children earlier than Cat was ready.
At times Moondance is difficult to read as you almost feel like you are encroaching on someone elses conversation such is the honesty of the narrative through the numerous cycles of IVF and how each failure takes it toll on them both, the guilt they each feel and the bitterness against one another. However it’s not all lows, there are highs in the book as well and also humour thrown in. I liked Cat’s dry sense of humour which compliments the subject of the book and made the characters more lifelike.
Moondance is a wonderful read, truly written from the heart and it must have also been an emotional journey for Chandler as you don’t write a book like this without being 100% emotionally invested in the characters and the subject matter.
Thank you to Stephanie at Blackbird Digital books for my copy of Moondance and inviting me onto the blog tour.
Cat and Dom end up going down the route of IVF which challenges them in ways they never realised was possible and demonstrates how emotionally draining going through the process can be. Right from the start it seems to put pressure on their marriage as Cat is bitter than she is having to go through all the gruelling injections and treatment versus, what she sees, is the easy ride that Dom is getting.
Moondance is very emotionally raw, showing the IVF journey warts and all. You can tell that Chandler is drawing on personal experience for this narrative as the emotional rollercoaster is all too real. Alongside the emotional side is also the insight as to the treatment that happens when a couple embark on the IVF journey, it is not as simple and injecting sperm into an egg and then implanting that into the womb – there is so much more preparation for the woman’s body that is needed before this point. I’d like to thank Chandler in educating me in the IVF process and I feel exceptionally fortunate to have conceived naturally.
Alongside the IVF, we also get an insight into today’s working environment whereby Cat is almost scheduling her child into her career and expected that it would just happen to plan – like everything else in her life has. Cat is ruthless in a man’s world (this is clear from the circumstances in which Cat and Dom met!) and having a child, she feels is a gamble to her career and power. Dom doesn’t experience the same challenges so was broaching the subject of children earlier than Cat was ready.
At times Moondance is difficult to read as you almost feel like you are encroaching on someone elses conversation such is the honesty of the narrative through the numerous cycles of IVF and how each failure takes it toll on them both, the guilt they each feel and the bitterness against one another. However it’s not all lows, there are highs in the book as well and also humour thrown in. I liked Cat’s dry sense of humour which compliments the subject of the book and made the characters more lifelike.
Moondance is a wonderful read, truly written from the heart and it must have also been an emotional journey for Chandler as you don’t write a book like this without being 100% emotionally invested in the characters and the subject matter.
Thank you to Stephanie at Blackbird Digital books for my copy of Moondance and inviting me onto the blog tour.
itsallaboutthebooksuk's review
4.0
Moondance covers a very difficult subject, IVF, and not one you come across very often in books, so I was intrigued to see how I would get on with this book. It’s not my usual type but the synopsis really drew me in.
We follow Cat and Dom’s journey through the process of IVF, both are very successful in their jobs , but it’s now time to start a family. Sadly it’s not quite as simple as that and for Cat who is in control of very much everything this is one thing that can’t be controlled.
Cat and Dom have been together for a long time and although the story takes us through the process of their IVF it also takes us back to when they first met and their journey to where they are now. Cat is the sort of character if she was real I would avoid, some times I really disliked her yet other times I thought nah she’s ok, but I feel Diane Chandler has done a fantastic job of getting her character perfect. She really felt real to me. I think if she’d been the fluffy wife the story just wouldn’t have gelled the same. Dom I liked more but still there was something that irked me about him, something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on but they both made the story seem real and were very believable.
In Moondance we are taken on a journey full of emotions. A very delicate subject that has been written with passion. It’s raw, yet there’s humour and I was drawn in straight away. Some may find this a difficult read due to the subject matter but it’s been written in a way that gives you some understanding for couples who go through this treatment and at times I felt like I was reading someone’s personal story.
A thoroughly enjoyable read that had me hooked from page one and one that I will definitely recommend.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book, thanks to Blackbird Digital.
We follow Cat and Dom’s journey through the process of IVF, both are very successful in their jobs , but it’s now time to start a family. Sadly it’s not quite as simple as that and for Cat who is in control of very much everything this is one thing that can’t be controlled.
Cat and Dom have been together for a long time and although the story takes us through the process of their IVF it also takes us back to when they first met and their journey to where they are now. Cat is the sort of character if she was real I would avoid, some times I really disliked her yet other times I thought nah she’s ok, but I feel Diane Chandler has done a fantastic job of getting her character perfect. She really felt real to me. I think if she’d been the fluffy wife the story just wouldn’t have gelled the same. Dom I liked more but still there was something that irked me about him, something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on but they both made the story seem real and were very believable.
In Moondance we are taken on a journey full of emotions. A very delicate subject that has been written with passion. It’s raw, yet there’s humour and I was drawn in straight away. Some may find this a difficult read due to the subject matter but it’s been written in a way that gives you some understanding for couples who go through this treatment and at times I felt like I was reading someone’s personal story.
A thoroughly enjoyable read that had me hooked from page one and one that I will definitely recommend.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book, thanks to Blackbird Digital.
tashasabs's review
4.0
This review was first posted on ikenatbookworm.tumblr.com
Blogger’s note: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review might contain spoilers; if you’re the type of person who hates spoilers, please proceed with caution.
After successfully getting approved for ARCs (advanced reader copies) from NetGalley, I perused the ebooks’ synopsis on Goodreads and I decided to start on this book. I finished it within twenty-four hours and I promised myself I’d work on a review as soon as I’m able to.
MY. FIRST. EVER. REVIEW. ON. AN. ARC.
I just feel so giddy so just let me get that out of my system (and out of the way) for the second time.
Okay. I’m okay now. *deep breaths*
I’m not so new to being a bookworm. I’ve been reading since I was five or six years old thanks to my mum who got me hooked on books at such a young age. Not so new to blogging either since I’ve already started several blogs before. My Goodreads profile has been active since December 2012 but I’m more of a rate-them-and-get-on-with-it kind of gal. It’s only recently that my interest was piqued on ARCs and that I’ve decided to start a new blog focused solely on book reviews.
Alright. Here we go.
Moondance is Diane Chandler’s second novel published by Blackbird Books. She’s also the winner of The People’s Book Prize for fiction 2016. This book’s scheduled to be available in the shelves by November 2016 in paperback.
A lot of things can compel someone to read a book. It could be the author, the synopsis, the book cover, or simply by word of mouth that’s enough to get them curious. For me, it was the book cover and the synopsis. I’m a visual-reading/writing type of learner (based on the VARK model of different types of learnes) so it’s not surprising that book covers mean so much to me.
Here’s the synopsis of Moondance that I got from Goodreads:
IVF could create a baby but could it also destroy a marriage?
Cat has always been in control of her life. Happily married to Dom, but flying high as a political lobbyist, she dismisses his desire to start a family … until she herself is ready.
But what if it is then too late?
Complex and selfish, intelligent and open, if she is to succeed in having that elusive child, Cat must battle through gruelling fertility treatment and the emotional strain it places on her marriage. By her side, Dom, easygoing and ever the optimist, finds that he too risks being run ragged by their journey.
Both are forced to come to terms with their longing for a baby against the blitz on a relationship tested like never before.
Bittersweet, at times funny, and always emotionally raw, this is by far the most moving and honest novel you’ll ever read about IVF and its impact on a marriage.
Intriguing, right?
I haven’t come across much novels whose plots revolve around IVF or to be much more honest, I wasn’t actively looking for one. I guess my mind’s still stuck to my late teens/early adult phase so when I normally see a synopsis like that, I immediately connect it to something my mum would read. But recently I’m appreciating these kinds of novels.
AM. I. TURNING. INTO. MY. MUM. NOW?
Nah. I’ve know that for years and I got no issues with it lol.
I was expecting a plot that would prolly start hopeful then end up on borderline misery, if not wallowing and drowning in it yet by the end. Or something completely opposite that it might as well be a fairy tale: happy start, happy ending. I got nothing against happy endings but you gotta admit that as you start adulting, you become cynical. Realistic. And you just know life isn’t all about roses and bubbles and all that happy shit.
“Certainly Mrs Wyatt, and how would you like to pay for that?”
“Masturbate.”
“Sorry?”
The pause hung between us, I hadn’t actually said it, had I? “Mastercard, please.”
That was an excerpt from Moondance and boy was I laughing out loud when I read that part. I also shared it with my husband and after giving him a brief background on the plot, I read him this part. He roared with laughter. Jesus, that was such an unexpected surprise. A nice unexpected surprise. Humor when the plot just screams possible doom and misery throughout. (Or maybe that’s just me being cynical, sorry.)
“And what makes you all assume that the problem is with me?”
I actually read that line in my head with all the viciousness I could muster to give justice to the MC’s feelings. I was already so caught up with the story at this point. I’m getting riled up along with the MC. How dare they all make assumptions. How dare they all belittle her. How dare they all subtly reference to her still not having a child like that makes her less of a woman?! How dare they–ASDFGHJKL I’M SO MAD AT THE WORLD
But how can you lose something that was never there? How can you mourn someone who has never existed?
I. CRIED. I FUCKING. CRIED.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m also already a mum or because I’ve experienced grief over losing someone or both but man, I was broken by this. I just feel so broken along with the MC. I can vividly imagine what she was going through by then. All those plot twists and turns that even I did not expect shattered, put back together, mended, healed, and left my heart just a little bit jagged.
Perhaps what I liked most about this was how realistic Chandler made the story flow. Let’s be honest–if this happened in real life, 75% it won’t have a happy ending. Too much is at stake, perhaps emotions weighing the most of them all. And the way she maneuvered it, I just went, wow. Yes, that’s exactly how it might happen in real life. How realistic it is that relationships break under strain and when changes take place, how that roller-coaster ride of emotions is exactly what an individual goes through when he/she couldn’t cope, how one can doubt one’s self in the face of failure, never mind how their track record screams triumph at every other situation.
My first ever ARC and I was not disappointed. It was my first time reading Chandler’s work and I am impressed. I’ll sure be on the lookout for this author.
Blogger’s note: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review might contain spoilers; if you’re the type of person who hates spoilers, please proceed with caution.
After successfully getting approved for ARCs (advanced reader copies) from NetGalley, I perused the ebooks’ synopsis on Goodreads and I decided to start on this book. I finished it within twenty-four hours and I promised myself I’d work on a review as soon as I’m able to.
MY. FIRST. EVER. REVIEW. ON. AN. ARC.
I just feel so giddy so just let me get that out of my system (and out of the way) for the second time.
Okay. I’m okay now. *deep breaths*
I’m not so new to being a bookworm. I’ve been reading since I was five or six years old thanks to my mum who got me hooked on books at such a young age. Not so new to blogging either since I’ve already started several blogs before. My Goodreads profile has been active since December 2012 but I’m more of a rate-them-and-get-on-with-it kind of gal. It’s only recently that my interest was piqued on ARCs and that I’ve decided to start a new blog focused solely on book reviews.
Alright. Here we go.
Moondance is Diane Chandler’s second novel published by Blackbird Books. She’s also the winner of The People’s Book Prize for fiction 2016. This book’s scheduled to be available in the shelves by November 2016 in paperback.
A lot of things can compel someone to read a book. It could be the author, the synopsis, the book cover, or simply by word of mouth that’s enough to get them curious. For me, it was the book cover and the synopsis. I’m a visual-reading/writing type of learner (based on the VARK model of different types of learnes) so it’s not surprising that book covers mean so much to me.
Here’s the synopsis of Moondance that I got from Goodreads:
IVF could create a baby but could it also destroy a marriage?
Cat has always been in control of her life. Happily married to Dom, but flying high as a political lobbyist, she dismisses his desire to start a family … until she herself is ready.
But what if it is then too late?
Complex and selfish, intelligent and open, if she is to succeed in having that elusive child, Cat must battle through gruelling fertility treatment and the emotional strain it places on her marriage. By her side, Dom, easygoing and ever the optimist, finds that he too risks being run ragged by their journey.
Both are forced to come to terms with their longing for a baby against the blitz on a relationship tested like never before.
Bittersweet, at times funny, and always emotionally raw, this is by far the most moving and honest novel you’ll ever read about IVF and its impact on a marriage.
Intriguing, right?
I haven’t come across much novels whose plots revolve around IVF or to be much more honest, I wasn’t actively looking for one. I guess my mind’s still stuck to my late teens/early adult phase so when I normally see a synopsis like that, I immediately connect it to something my mum would read. But recently I’m appreciating these kinds of novels.
AM. I. TURNING. INTO. MY. MUM. NOW?
I was expecting a plot that would prolly start hopeful then end up on borderline misery, if not wallowing and drowning in it yet by the end. Or something completely opposite that it might as well be a fairy tale: happy start, happy ending. I got nothing against happy endings but you gotta admit that as you start adulting, you become cynical. Realistic. And you just know life isn’t all about roses and bubbles and all that happy shit.
“Certainly Mrs Wyatt, and how would you like to pay for that?”
“Masturbate.”
“Sorry?”
The pause hung between us, I hadn’t actually said it, had I? “Mastercard, please.”
That was an excerpt from Moondance and boy was I laughing out loud when I read that part. I also shared it with my husband and after giving him a brief background on the plot, I read him this part. He roared with laughter. Jesus, that was such an unexpected surprise. A nice unexpected surprise. Humor when the plot just screams possible doom and misery throughout. (Or maybe that’s just me being cynical, sorry.)
“And what makes you all assume that the problem is with me?”
I actually read that line in my head with all the viciousness I could muster to give justice to the MC’s feelings. I was already so caught up with the story at this point. I’m getting riled up along with the MC. How dare they all make assumptions. How dare they all belittle her. How dare they all subtly reference to her still not having a child like that makes her less of a woman?! How dare they–ASDFGHJKL I’M SO MAD AT THE WORLD
But how can you lose something that was never there? How can you mourn someone who has never existed?
I. CRIED. I FUCKING. CRIED.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m also already a mum or because I’ve experienced grief over losing someone or both but man, I was broken by this. I just feel so broken along with the MC. I can vividly imagine what she was going through by then. All those plot twists and turns that even I did not expect shattered, put back together, mended, healed, and left my heart just a little bit jagged.
Perhaps what I liked most about this was how realistic Chandler made the story flow. Let’s be honest–if this happened in real life, 75% it won’t have a happy ending. Too much is at stake, perhaps emotions weighing the most of them all. And the way she maneuvered it, I just went, wow. Yes, that’s exactly how it might happen in real life. How realistic it is that relationships break under strain and when changes take place, how that roller-coaster ride of emotions is exactly what an individual goes through when he/she couldn’t cope, how one can doubt one’s self in the face of failure, never mind how their track record screams triumph at every other situation.
My first ever ARC and I was not disappointed. It was my first time reading Chandler’s work and I am impressed. I’ll sure be on the lookout for this author.
More...