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monkreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
megschaede's review
3.0
Fun and heartwarming book even though I sometimes hated the main character. I think I liked it more than usual just because itβs set in Hampstead and liked reading a story set in familiar (and favorite!) places.
adarossiwrites's review
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sharonleavy's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
When Thorn Marsh, a journalist, is tasked with writing a page of heartwarming inspirational stories, she struggles to find the interest or inspiration, and ends up writing a fake story about "The Angel of the Heath", a man who saved a woman in a local park.
When the story goes viral, Thorn feels awful - least of all due to the fact that she has become close to the man at the centre of it. Can she tell him the truth?
This was so darkly funny, I really liked it. I liked Thorn a lot, I felt like her character was really well written and I understood where she was coming from. The story itself was clever, elements reminded me of the movie While You Were Sleeping (which I also loved).
However, what spoiled it for me was the abrupt ending. I actually checked to make sure that my review copy wasn't missing a chapter. A shame, because I would have happily read another fifty pages.
karenika's review
3.0
3.5 stars
This was such an interesting reading experience for me.
This is the story of Thorn Marsh who is a serious journalist at a paper that is slowly letting go of its morals and she is swiftly let go of her job at the news section and placed into a department to tell "feel good" stories.
She writes up a semi-fictional feel good story while in a drunken stupor and wakes up to find the story go viral. Now she has a conundrum between her morals and her reality and things start unwinding from there.
The beginning of this story was really slow for me but then it started picking up and I found myself following along as the character tangled herself into bigger and bigger messes. Lying is a slippery slope and it's hard to figure out when you've met that moment that you can't turn back from.
I enjoyed the time I spent with this story and read it in one sitting once I was past the beginning section.
with gratitude to Arcadia Books and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was such an interesting reading experience for me.
This is the story of Thorn Marsh who is a serious journalist at a paper that is slowly letting go of its morals and she is swiftly let go of her job at the news section and placed into a department to tell "feel good" stories.
She writes up a semi-fictional feel good story while in a drunken stupor and wakes up to find the story go viral. Now she has a conundrum between her morals and her reality and things start unwinding from there.
The beginning of this story was really slow for me but then it started picking up and I found myself following along as the character tangled herself into bigger and bigger messes. Lying is a slippery slope and it's hard to figure out when you've met that moment that you can't turn back from.
I enjoyed the time I spent with this story and read it in one sitting once I was past the beginning section.
with gratitude to Arcadia Books and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
brewtifulfiction's review
5.0
Certainly a book that will warm your heart.
I have to say it isn't necessarily my usual choice of book but I found myself quite enamoured with Marika's writing style.
Our main protagonist is is Thorn (Rose) Marsh. But this story isn't just hers to tell.
This is because when Thorn fabricates a 'bright side' news story when she is moved to a different section of the newspaper she works for, she unknowingly starts a different sort of journey for the angelic apparition that she has supposedly captured on camera.
Dearest Thorn is a journalist with a conscience so when her lies begin to catch up with her, she wants to reveal her secret but is torn when it becomes clear that the truth won't necessarily set her free.
I adore Thorn. She is a quirky yet loveable character. Miss Marsh is an inspiring person, I particularly enjoyed the relationship that she had with her ex-husband. Refreshing and realistic. I wonder whether the author based her on anyone in particular?
The way her character is presented and how the story unfolds is exceptional. There is a heady mix of light and dark within this tale. Humour mixed in with darker sarcasm. Light-hearted moments combined with more sorrowful times.
Everything together made for a quick yet in-depth read.
Covering subjects such as grief and depression, On Hampstead Heath is a novel that is both entertaining and poignant.
Thought provoking.
Maybe we need a bit more old fashioned journalism back instead of this need for fake news and celebrity based articles.
Also looking at the complexities of work/life balance and posing the question can we really have it all? The dream job, the perfect relationship and family. Does that sort of equilibrium even exist?
A novel that I will happily recommend to others and read again myself.
I have to say it isn't necessarily my usual choice of book but I found myself quite enamoured with Marika's writing style.
Our main protagonist is is Thorn (Rose) Marsh. But this story isn't just hers to tell.
This is because when Thorn fabricates a 'bright side' news story when she is moved to a different section of the newspaper she works for, she unknowingly starts a different sort of journey for the angelic apparition that she has supposedly captured on camera.
Dearest Thorn is a journalist with a conscience so when her lies begin to catch up with her, she wants to reveal her secret but is torn when it becomes clear that the truth won't necessarily set her free.
I adore Thorn. She is a quirky yet loveable character. Miss Marsh is an inspiring person, I particularly enjoyed the relationship that she had with her ex-husband. Refreshing and realistic. I wonder whether the author based her on anyone in particular?
The way her character is presented and how the story unfolds is exceptional. There is a heady mix of light and dark within this tale. Humour mixed in with darker sarcasm. Light-hearted moments combined with more sorrowful times.
Everything together made for a quick yet in-depth read.
Covering subjects such as grief and depression, On Hampstead Heath is a novel that is both entertaining and poignant.
Thought provoking.
Maybe we need a bit more old fashioned journalism back instead of this need for fake news and celebrity based articles.
Also looking at the complexities of work/life balance and posing the question can we really have it all? The dream job, the perfect relationship and family. Does that sort of equilibrium even exist?
A novel that I will happily recommend to others and read again myself.
jbraith's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
bookmarkonthewall's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
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Thorn Marsh is a journalist and has strong morals to tell the truth. She is passionate about her work at The London Journal, even prioritising that over her marriage. A corporate restructuring of the newspaper finds Thorn moved from the news desk to a midweek supplement that nobody really reads. She is tasked to find heart warming and uplifting stories for The Bright Side segment. In desperation to find a story, Thorn finds herself fabricating a good-news story. This centres on βThe Angel on the Heathβ, an angelic apparition in Hampstead Heath, which goes viral.
From here Thorn finds herself on a journey of truth and discovery behind the fabricated news story, but equally grappling with the desire to continue the lies to further her ambitions.
πI immediately took to the writing style and felt invested in the book after reading Ch 1. The chapters are short, the writing is sharp, which adds to the addictive pace of this novel. I also loved the dark humor (which I really took to and couldnβt help but laugh out loud) that comes from Thorn as well as other characters in this novel. Thorn is a great character: scrupulous, witty, smart, in control of her life but also looking for someone who needs and loves her.
As well as being funny, this book is incredibly perceptive and thoughtful. The narrative describing Thornβs relationship with her mother, for example, is laced with underlying emotion and unspoken words and feelings. I think it is this aspect of Cobboldβs writing; the ability to create such an atmosphere and generate emotions between the characters in this novel that really stood out to me and makes this book such a delightful read.
βοΈ Highly recommend. I already want to go back and reread. I felt so sad when it ended!
Thorn Marsh is a journalist and has strong morals to tell the truth. She is passionate about her work at The London Journal, even prioritising that over her marriage. A corporate restructuring of the newspaper finds Thorn moved from the news desk to a midweek supplement that nobody really reads. She is tasked to find heart warming and uplifting stories for The Bright Side segment. In desperation to find a story, Thorn finds herself fabricating a good-news story. This centres on βThe Angel on the Heathβ, an angelic apparition in Hampstead Heath, which goes viral.
From here Thorn finds herself on a journey of truth and discovery behind the fabricated news story, but equally grappling with the desire to continue the lies to further her ambitions.
πI immediately took to the writing style and felt invested in the book after reading Ch 1. The chapters are short, the writing is sharp, which adds to the addictive pace of this novel. I also loved the dark humor (which I really took to and couldnβt help but laugh out loud) that comes from Thorn as well as other characters in this novel. Thorn is a great character: scrupulous, witty, smart, in control of her life but also looking for someone who needs and loves her.
As well as being funny, this book is incredibly perceptive and thoughtful. The narrative describing Thornβs relationship with her mother, for example, is laced with underlying emotion and unspoken words and feelings. I think it is this aspect of Cobboldβs writing; the ability to create such an atmosphere and generate emotions between the characters in this novel that really stood out to me and makes this book such a delightful read.
βοΈ Highly recommend. I already want to go back and reread. I felt so sad when it ended!
john1962's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I have very fond memories of walking on Hampstead Heath during my time living in London and so when I realised Marika Cobbold was releasing her eighth novel On Hampstead Heath (Arcadia Books) I was more than keen to review before publication. And what a fabulous read it really is. My thanks to Georgina Moore at Midas PR for sending me a review copy.
Thorn Marsh is a journalist for the London based newspaper The New London Journal and she has been at the paper for many years and is dedicated to her role as News Editor. But then the paper is now being bought by the Goring Group. The problem is that Marsh does not really agree with their ways of running a newspaper and this causes conflict which means that she now finds herself being somewhat moved out of the job she has loved to a role within the paper covering feel good stories. That is not really a role for our Thorn Marsh.
As this is basically a story of how much we can really believe in the newspaper business and the digital social media world the story now takes on a real twist as Thorn Marsh as she seeks to find a really good story that will make her bosses sit up and take notice except the story is not actually true but just how did she manage to come up with the story in the first place? I just love how Marika Cobbold has created the character of Thorn Marsh. There were real times I was laughing quite loudly and that is not best in the early hours.
But what of our leading character, now the story she has created has gone crazy and viral. But what does Marsh do now? She has spent the best part of thirteen years living and working as a journalist with a real conscience for the truth. And the truth is out there somewhere!
This is just a brilliant novel that I just knew I was going to love, and it is witty. A real joy. A novel to jump and down about, but not in the early hours please!
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