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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I found this story super boring, it was a book I was given and actually read it just to get it off my shelf. I didn't find anything in this story very eventful, there was no substance to it really. Nothing gripped me, I found the conversations pointless and boring, nothing about this writing pulled me in, just a very boring read and a story that has been done many times over.
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book I read it in one sitting. It was witty and funny and very thought provoking. I will definitely recommend it.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review.
I will be very honest, when I saw the email promoting this novel I was initially intrigued as it is set fairly local to me and I do quite like reading novels that are set in areas I am familiar with.
I feel like this has a lot of potential, I would have liked to have seen the letter left for Frankie as it essentially throws us in at Frankie on her way up to York.
I do normally enjoy books with multiple character POV's but I found it hard keeping track of who's POV I was reading from- especially when it would switch mid chapter without warning.
Paula may have been my favourite member of the Mortimer clan, I can't say I enjoyed her POV- as I mentioned it was a little difficult to note when the POV had switched.
As for secondary characters, I found myself very interested in Robyn and her mother.
I think one main theme throughout this novel is finding yourself, each character is facing their own problems yet they all manage to come out having learned something about themselves.
I did like the ending- it had almost come full circle from where we first met the Mortimers- the only thing I didn't like was the random time skip months ahead without letting the reader know that some time had passed.
This was definitely an interesting read- I liked the concept, but as I said at the beginning, the main thing that puts me off is the random POV switching.
I think this is the kind of novel you could read on a plane journey or lounging by the pool.
I will be very honest, when I saw the email promoting this novel I was initially intrigued as it is set fairly local to me and I do quite like reading novels that are set in areas I am familiar with.
I feel like this has a lot of potential, I would have liked to have seen the letter left for Frankie as it essentially throws us in at Frankie on her way up to York.
I do normally enjoy books with multiple character POV's but I found it hard keeping track of who's POV I was reading from- especially when it would switch mid chapter without warning.
Paula may have been my favourite member of the Mortimer clan, I can't say I enjoyed her POV- as I mentioned it was a little difficult to note when the POV had switched.
As for secondary characters, I found myself very interested in Robyn and her mother.
I think one main theme throughout this novel is finding yourself, each character is facing their own problems yet they all manage to come out having learned something about themselves.
I did like the ending- it had almost come full circle from where we first met the Mortimers- the only thing I didn't like was the random time skip months ahead without letting the reader know that some time had passed.
This was definitely an interesting read- I liked the concept, but as I said at the beginning, the main thing that puts me off is the random POV switching.
I think this is the kind of novel you could read on a plane journey or lounging by the pool.
I do love Lucy Diamond novels and this one was such a gorgeous read! Frankie’s mum recently died and she left behind a letter for her daughter. On reading it Frankie discovers the truth about her birth and who her father is. She decides to go and see him and walks right into the middle of a Mortimer family gathering. From there we follow Frankie as she tries to make a connection with her father and other family members. We also hear from other Mortimers and see how their lives are and how they feel about Frankie. Things aren’t always plain-sailing and there are some real heart-rending moments in this book but on the whole it’s a feel-good read and I very much enjoyed it!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
"It struck her that the really crucial thing was to make the most of what you had while it was still there - and not to allow bad feeling to fester between loved ones".
After the death of Frankie's mother she stumbles upon an unopened letter addressed to her; Frankie is delighted to receive a last message from her mother, however this message was not what she expected, and will change her life. Contained within this letter is the details of Frankie's father; Frankie discovers that she is the result of an affair with a married man, Harry Mortimer. Frankie travels to York to meet with her father, however ends up sending shockwaves throughout the family. It turns out Frankie has three older brothers, and an older sister, all of whom have their own dramas and upheavals to get through. Secrets begin to spread throughout the family, and with these secrets, loyalties become tested. Can they move forward together as a family? And what role with Frankie have in this family?
Oh god, this is such a hard review for me to write. I absolutely love Lucy Diamond as an author after discovering her through On A Beautiful Day and fell in love with her writing style, and the way she weaves stories together. So when I saw this book was available on NetGalley I knew I needed to read it, but having read it now, I can't help feeling really disappointed with this story. Going into this story I was under the impression that the main story would be in relation to Frankie discovering this whole new family, and the repercussions of this. As with all Lucy Diamond books there are always side-stories about the other characters, however with this book the amount of side-plots are honestly so extensive, so much so that I felt I needed to count them;
1. Frankie discovering her father
2. Jeanie going abroad following the revelation - and almost having an affair
3. John's affair with a student
4. John losing his job because of said affair
5. John leaving Robyn and moving to Edinburgh with his new student squeeze
6. Robyn re-inventing her life following the seperation
7. Robyn's mother, Alison, struggling with her grief and trying to get back into the dating scene
8. Bunny's hidden past from her partner
9. Bunny's life as a weight-watch guru, and the subsequent downfall of this
10. Bunny's accident, and subsequent engagement to Dave
11. Random bits about Paula's life
12. Frankie and Craig's dilemma with Fergus's biological mother turning back up
I recognise that some of these are related, however they are all focuses of the story at some point; I also understand that within a story there needs to be side plots, but there was just far too many in this story to actually really care about any of them enough. Further to that, it felt that the main plot of Frankie finding her father was completely swept under the carpet after their initial meeting. It's not until 80% through the book do we actually get any progress on this storyline with Paula trying to track Frankie down. I just felt that there was far too many characters to invest in at all; we have the five siblings, their partners, and respective children, Harry, Jeanie, and Alison - it was just far too much, and i'd find myself trying to remember whether Bunny was the woman who stabbed her abusive partner, or the woman who'd been left for a student. It was even harder with the men because they weren't really a focus of the story and I didn't feel that we were meant to invest in them; I did find myself feeling sorry for poor Stephen and his partner Eddie who had absolutely nothing to do in this story. The only side story that was actually impacted by this revelation of Frankie was that of Jeanie going abroad and almost having an affair - every other side story would have carried on in the same vein if they had never met Frankie, and so it didn't feel that Frankie had any real impact on the story. It felt like completely separate stories placed into one book.
The book does get a bit better in the middle with Robyn shadowing her husband to find out what he was actually up to, and the subsequent destruction of their marriage, and Bunny's wrenching past that she just can't escape, however the fact that none of these stories really inter-linked made it hard to invest in them. I was also really disappointed by the ending; after the big reveal at the start of the book which I felt was done well, we're suddenly met with Chapter 31 where there's a family party and we're told all about how Frankie has met up with Paula and Harry, but we don't actually get to experience any of that for ourselves as readers, which for me was disappointing. After being led into this book thinking the focus would be exploring the impact of this revelation on everyone, we get almost no exploration of that, and we barely get to see Harry's view of the situation; just that he wants his wife and his new daughter. All of the stories were neatly wrapped up in the rushed last chapter.
This has been such a difficult review, and i've really struggled to what to rate it - going in this was a clear five stars, but I feel that overall I have to rate it two stars, because I did just not enjoy the story. I do still love Lucy Diamond as an author, and will still continue to explore all her books, but it just wasn't I expected from her on this one.
After the death of Frankie's mother she stumbles upon an unopened letter addressed to her; Frankie is delighted to receive a last message from her mother, however this message was not what she expected, and will change her life. Contained within this letter is the details of Frankie's father; Frankie discovers that she is the result of an affair with a married man, Harry Mortimer. Frankie travels to York to meet with her father, however ends up sending shockwaves throughout the family. It turns out Frankie has three older brothers, and an older sister, all of whom have their own dramas and upheavals to get through. Secrets begin to spread throughout the family, and with these secrets, loyalties become tested. Can they move forward together as a family? And what role with Frankie have in this family?
Oh god, this is such a hard review for me to write. I absolutely love Lucy Diamond as an author after discovering her through On A Beautiful Day and fell in love with her writing style, and the way she weaves stories together. So when I saw this book was available on NetGalley I knew I needed to read it, but having read it now, I can't help feeling really disappointed with this story. Going into this story I was under the impression that the main story would be in relation to Frankie discovering this whole new family, and the repercussions of this. As with all Lucy Diamond books there are always side-stories about the other characters, however with this book the amount of side-plots are honestly so extensive, so much so that I felt I needed to count them;
1. Frankie discovering her father
2. Jeanie going abroad following the revelation - and almost having an affair
3. John's affair with a student
4. John losing his job because of said affair
5. John leaving Robyn and moving to Edinburgh with his new student squeeze
6. Robyn re-inventing her life following the seperation
7. Robyn's mother, Alison, struggling with her grief and trying to get back into the dating scene
8. Bunny's hidden past from her partner
9. Bunny's life as a weight-watch guru, and the subsequent downfall of this
10. Bunny's accident, and subsequent engagement to Dave
11. Random bits about Paula's life
12. Frankie and Craig's dilemma with Fergus's biological mother turning back up
I recognise that some of these are related, however they are all focuses of the story at some point; I also understand that within a story there needs to be side plots, but there was just far too many in this story to actually really care about any of them enough. Further to that, it felt that the main plot of Frankie finding her father was completely swept under the carpet after their initial meeting. It's not until 80% through the book do we actually get any progress on this storyline with Paula trying to track Frankie down. I just felt that there was far too many characters to invest in at all; we have the five siblings, their partners, and respective children, Harry, Jeanie, and Alison - it was just far too much, and i'd find myself trying to remember whether Bunny was the woman who stabbed her abusive partner, or the woman who'd been left for a student. It was even harder with the men because they weren't really a focus of the story and I didn't feel that we were meant to invest in them; I did find myself feeling sorry for poor Stephen and his partner Eddie who had absolutely nothing to do in this story. The only side story that was actually impacted by this revelation of Frankie was that of Jeanie going abroad and almost having an affair - every other side story would have carried on in the same vein if they had never met Frankie, and so it didn't feel that Frankie had any real impact on the story. It felt like completely separate stories placed into one book.
The book does get a bit better in the middle with Robyn shadowing her husband to find out what he was actually up to, and the subsequent destruction of their marriage, and Bunny's wrenching past that she just can't escape, however the fact that none of these stories really inter-linked made it hard to invest in them. I was also really disappointed by the ending; after the big reveal at the start of the book which I felt was done well, we're suddenly met with Chapter 31 where there's a family party and we're told all about how Frankie has met up with Paula and Harry, but we don't actually get to experience any of that for ourselves as readers, which for me was disappointing. After being led into this book thinking the focus would be exploring the impact of this revelation on everyone, we get almost no exploration of that, and we barely get to see Harry's view of the situation; just that he wants his wife and his new daughter. All of the stories were neatly wrapped up in the rushed last chapter.
This has been such a difficult review, and i've really struggled to what to rate it - going in this was a clear five stars, but I feel that overall I have to rate it two stars, because I did just not enjoy the story. I do still love Lucy Diamond as an author, and will still continue to explore all her books, but it just wasn't I expected from her on this one.
It was sweet and funny and easy. Well told and good plot twists. Nothing complex or challenging. Summer chair reading
A very good and heartwarming book about families and secrets.
It's the first book I read written by this author and won't surely be the last.
It was an engaging and entertaining read, full of interesting characters and well written.
I look forward to reading other books by Lucy Diamond.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for this ARC
It's the first book I read written by this author and won't surely be the last.
It was an engaging and entertaining read, full of interesting characters and well written.
I look forward to reading other books by Lucy Diamond.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for this ARC
If you like novels about families and the trials and tribulations of life, told from multiple points of view then you’ll enjoy this.
Lucy Diamond has weaved a complex story without bombarding you with character development and intricate details.
I liked the characters and the scene setting, although I didn’t get a real feel for the locations as much as I would have liked, but the relationships were really rich.
If you enjoy books by the likes of Giovanna Fletcher, Paige Toon And Jojo Moyes then you’ll enjoy this!
Lucy Diamond has weaved a complex story without bombarding you with character development and intricate details.
I liked the characters and the scene setting, although I didn’t get a real feel for the locations as much as I would have liked, but the relationships were really rich.
If you enjoy books by the likes of Giovanna Fletcher, Paige Toon And Jojo Moyes then you’ll enjoy this!
Something to tell you follows the Mortimer family as they navigate their way through some pretty tricky times which threaten the well established family dynamic.
The story begins with Frankie stumbling in to a golden wedding celebration in search of her father. This revelation sends shockwaves through the tight knit family.
The story focuses on the women and their experiences, exploring themes of family, loneliness, reinvention and relationships.
I am a long time Lucy Diamond fan and this book did not disappoint. I find Lucy’s books entertaining and easy to read while still having some good thinking points.
Having read all of Lucy’s books to date I did find myself predicting some of the storylines but this did not distract from my enjoyment or the feeling of escapism while losing myself in the intricate family dramas.
Thanks net galley for this advanced copy!
The story begins with Frankie stumbling in to a golden wedding celebration in search of her father. This revelation sends shockwaves through the tight knit family.
The story focuses on the women and their experiences, exploring themes of family, loneliness, reinvention and relationships.
I am a long time Lucy Diamond fan and this book did not disappoint. I find Lucy’s books entertaining and easy to read while still having some good thinking points.
Having read all of Lucy’s books to date I did find myself predicting some of the storylines but this did not distract from my enjoyment or the feeling of escapism while losing myself in the intricate family dramas.
Thanks net galley for this advanced copy!