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beate251's reviews
448 reviews
Pieces of Us by Eve Ainsworth
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this ARC.
Sara has a cat called Goose, works in a care home and misses her best friend Lottie who has recently died from cancer. Lottie's Mum Erica, bitter after her divorce and not very friendly towards Sara, gives her a present from Lottie - a Jar of Joy that she made for her designed to remember all the nice times they had together.
In highschool, Lottie, Sara, Jay and Dec all used to hang out together. The relationship between Sara and Jay was complicated - they seemed destined to end up together but their parents hated each other. The true toxicity however in this Romeo and Juliet scenario came from none other than Lottie who did everything to keep those two apart, even forging a letter.
Can you be violently angry towards a tragic young woman who died from cancer when all she wanted was to be loved by people? Yes, when she is selfish and jealous, directly conspiring against the happiness of her apparent best friend. So she had a father who neglected her and a bitter mother, and all her privilege didn't mean anything to her - you know what, I don't care. She did a horrible thing and she didn't make it right before she died.
Ok, some of that can be attributed to Sara's utter inability to communicate with those around her but especially Lottie and Jay. But she is a kind person with a complicated family life and I liked her relationship with old Derek who lives at the care home, and her colleague Jess. She was always a good friend to Lottie and forgave her anything, while the other way round this can't be said. I was so sad for her, thinking bad things about Jay for so long.
This is an emotional story about childhood traumas, toxic friendship, romance, secrets, grief, forgiveness and second chances which I really tried to like, but I got very impatient at the end. It just drags on and on while the reader knows the issue but it takes Sara ages to catch up, do the things from the Joy Jar and read Lottie's diary. There are two POVs, two timelines and a lot of repetition. This book could have been at least 50 pages shorter and half as infuriating. As it stands, this wasn't for me.
Sara has a cat called Goose, works in a care home and misses her best friend Lottie who has recently died from cancer. Lottie's Mum Erica, bitter after her divorce and not very friendly towards Sara, gives her a present from Lottie - a Jar of Joy that she made for her designed to remember all the nice times they had together.
In highschool, Lottie, Sara, Jay and Dec all used to hang out together. The relationship between Sara and Jay was complicated - they seemed destined to end up together but their parents hated each other. The true toxicity however in this Romeo and Juliet scenario came from none other than Lottie who did everything to keep those two apart, even forging a letter.
Can you be violently angry towards a tragic young woman who died from cancer when all she wanted was to be loved by people? Yes, when she is selfish and jealous, directly conspiring against the happiness of her apparent best friend. So she had a father who neglected her and a bitter mother, and all her privilege didn't mean anything to her - you know what, I don't care. She did a horrible thing and she didn't make it right before she died.
Ok, some of that can be attributed to Sara's utter inability to communicate with those around her but especially Lottie and Jay. But she is a kind person with a complicated family life and I liked her relationship with old Derek who lives at the care home, and her colleague Jess. She was always a good friend to Lottie and forgave her anything, while the other way round this can't be said. I was so sad for her, thinking bad things about Jay for so long.
This is an emotional story about childhood traumas, toxic friendship, romance, secrets, grief, forgiveness and second chances which I really tried to like, but I got very impatient at the end. It just drags on and on while the reader knows the issue but it takes Sara ages to catch up, do the things from the Joy Jar and read Lottie's diary. There are two POVs, two timelines and a lot of repetition. This book could have been at least 50 pages shorter and half as infuriating. As it stands, this wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
The Art of Starting Over by Heidi McLaughlin
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Devorah Campbell sits in the nail salon when her life changes forever. Her BFF Ester posts a video about having fallen in love with her best friend's husband. That would be Chad Campbell, and after this public humiliation, Devy packs her bags and daughter Maren, 9, and moves back to hometown Oyster Bay in Rhode Island, to reconnect with brother Colt and father Father Tremaine "Crow" Crowley, who is the local sheriff.
Hayden McKenna lost his wife Sofia last year in a car accident. He moves back to small-town Oyster Bay with son Connor, also 9, for new beginnings. He used to be in some sort of relationship with Devy when they were teenagers but they never made it official. Now he suddenly stands in front of her again. Can he avoid past mistakes and declare his feelings once and for all?
This is a sweet story about forgiveness, healing and second chances, with blended families and an adorable dog called Cordelia, but it's also predictable, cliché-filled (the men go fishing, the women shopping) and not very memorable. Chad and Ester are caricature villains but everyone else is almost too nice. Still, a nice if not taxing small-town read. The Crafty Cathys were fun.
Hayden McKenna lost his wife Sofia last year in a car accident. He moves back to small-town Oyster Bay with son Connor, also 9, for new beginnings. He used to be in some sort of relationship with Devy when they were teenagers but they never made it official. Now he suddenly stands in front of her again. Can he avoid past mistakes and declare his feelings once and for all?
This is a sweet story about forgiveness, healing and second chances, with blended families and an adorable dog called Cordelia, but it's also predictable, cliché-filled (the men go fishing, the women shopping) and not very memorable. Chad and Ester are caricature villains but everyone else is almost too nice. Still, a nice if not taxing small-town read. The Crafty Cathys were fun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, Cornerstone for this ARC.
Sami Kierce, a former Detective in the NYPD but fired after tampering with evidence, is now making ends meet by being a private detective and teaching a criminology night class to a gaggle of misfits. One day, a woman enters the room, sees him and flees. Sami recognises her immediately - he met Anna backpacking in Málaga, Spain more than two decades ago, and one morning he woke up next to her with a bloody knife in his hand and her in a pool of blood. How can she be alive and here, all these years later?
After tracking her down to the estate of the rich Belmont family, he is hired by them to find out who had kidnapped her. So starts a fairly complicated case about Victoria Belmont/Anna who was last seen on New Year's Eve 1999 but returned to her family 11 years later, not able to tell people what had happened to her. We're also delving into the murder of Sami's former fiancée Nicole Brett after her murderer Tad Grayson is released due to a technicality directly to do with Sami's fall from grace. And why is someone stalking his family?
I found the storyline quite confusing, especially as it took me a while to understand that Spain must have happened in 2003 and not 2000 as the blurb suggests, because the narrative variously talks about events having happened 22 and 25 years ago.
This story is faintly connected to characters and events from a previous book, but we're never given a proper summary as that would be spoilers for that book. I have read Fool Me Once and remembered the bare bones, but I had no recollection anymore of Judith Burkett, who, reading up on her, really should be in prison, not still lording it over her decimated family and poor Caroline.
I love all the twists and turns, connections and secrets and lies in Harlan Coben's books. I also liked Sami's quirky criminology students and how they started sleuthing with him, no questions asked. They are such characters, and it's good that Sami has people around him he can rely on, like wife Molly, lawyer Arthur and former police partner Marty.
This is a fast-paced and well-written semi standalone novel with several strands that come together towards the end. Nothing is as it seems and no one is as innocent as they first look. It reads extremely well and fast - the sentences are short and easy to comprehend in this far-fetched but entertaining and gripping page-turner that speeds up the more we get to the conclusion. I finished the book in a day.
Sami Kierce, a former Detective in the NYPD but fired after tampering with evidence, is now making ends meet by being a private detective and teaching a criminology night class to a gaggle of misfits. One day, a woman enters the room, sees him and flees. Sami recognises her immediately - he met Anna backpacking in Málaga, Spain more than two decades ago, and one morning he woke up next to her with a bloody knife in his hand and her in a pool of blood. How can she be alive and here, all these years later?
After tracking her down to the estate of the rich Belmont family, he is hired by them to find out who had kidnapped her. So starts a fairly complicated case about Victoria Belmont/Anna who was last seen on New Year's Eve 1999 but returned to her family 11 years later, not able to tell people what had happened to her. We're also delving into the murder of Sami's former fiancée Nicole Brett after her murderer Tad Grayson is released due to a technicality directly to do with Sami's fall from grace. And why is someone stalking his family?
I found the storyline quite confusing, especially as it took me a while to understand that Spain must have happened in 2003 and not 2000 as the blurb suggests, because the narrative variously talks about events having happened 22 and 25 years ago.
This story is faintly connected to characters and events from a previous book, but we're never given a proper summary as that would be spoilers for that book. I have read Fool Me Once and remembered the bare bones, but I had no recollection anymore of Judith Burkett, who, reading up on her, really should be in prison, not still lording it over her decimated family and poor Caroline.
I love all the twists and turns, connections and secrets and lies in Harlan Coben's books. I also liked Sami's quirky criminology students and how they started sleuthing with him, no questions asked. They are such characters, and it's good that Sami has people around him he can rely on, like wife Molly, lawyer Arthur and former police partner Marty.
This is a fast-paced and well-written semi standalone novel with several strands that come together towards the end. Nothing is as it seems and no one is as innocent as they first look. It reads extremely well and fast - the sentences are short and easy to comprehend in this far-fetched but entertaining and gripping page-turner that speeds up the more we get to the conclusion. I finished the book in a day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
From Provence With Love by Alison Roberts
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.
This is book 2 in the One Year in France series. The three Gilchrist sisters Ellie, Laura and Fiona have inherited an old stone house in Provence called La Maisonette from an uncle they never knew, due to their alcoholic father leaving them when they were young. In Falling for Provence, Ellie and Laura travelled to Provence to take a look and start selling the house as neither wanted to live in it. However, something compelled Ellie to stay for the summer and renovate the building for a better sale. Soon she met her grumpy neighbour Julien and his adorable little son Theo.
From Provence with Love is Laura's story and it starts simultaneously to the first book which first confused me because it repeated quite a few things. Ellie is still heavily involved, and we celebrate her wedding to Julien, who has also bought La Maisonette at the end of book 1 / middle of book 2. The fact that she had a child that died at six months old is also still a topic for Laura, who struggles with it in her whirlwind affair with estate agent Noah Dufour.
Ah, Noah, oh la la. He starts out as one of those typical men who relentlessly stalk a woman they like the look of, call her ma chérie and just generally display red flags before they drop their conquests again. We later learn that his beloved sister Elise died from cancer at seven years old, which makes him damaged and not wanting a family, so when Laura discovers she is pregnant, he does not react nicely. This did not endear him to me, pas de tout.
This is a love story that starts out as a holiday romance but never convinced me. It's wishful thinking that we can convert committment phobes into doting family men just by getting pregnant, so I have deducted points for nonsense. I wanted to scream at Laura to at least have her baby in France because with that and a French father it would have a right to a French and therefore EU-wide passport. Did she think about that? You'll have to read it to find out.
Provence with its lavender fields and sunflowers plus the mouth-watering food is described wonderfully, making you want to live there too - if there wasn't that tiny thing called Brexit that romance writers routinely ignore, n'est-ce pas? I found the first book charming but this wasn't for me. It's all about the healing power of love, so if that appeals to you, this might be for you. But if you didn't like me sprinkling my review with French words, you won't like it in the book either.
This is book 2 in the One Year in France series. The three Gilchrist sisters Ellie, Laura and Fiona have inherited an old stone house in Provence called La Maisonette from an uncle they never knew, due to their alcoholic father leaving them when they were young. In Falling for Provence, Ellie and Laura travelled to Provence to take a look and start selling the house as neither wanted to live in it. However, something compelled Ellie to stay for the summer and renovate the building for a better sale. Soon she met her grumpy neighbour Julien and his adorable little son Theo.
From Provence with Love is Laura's story and it starts simultaneously to the first book which first confused me because it repeated quite a few things. Ellie is still heavily involved, and we celebrate her wedding to Julien, who has also bought La Maisonette at the end of book 1 / middle of book 2. The fact that she had a child that died at six months old is also still a topic for Laura, who struggles with it in her whirlwind affair with estate agent Noah Dufour.
Ah, Noah, oh la la. He starts out as one of those typical men who relentlessly stalk a woman they like the look of, call her ma chérie and just generally display red flags before they drop their conquests again. We later learn that his beloved sister Elise died from cancer at seven years old, which makes him damaged and not wanting a family, so when Laura discovers she is pregnant, he does not react nicely. This did not endear him to me, pas de tout.
This is a love story that starts out as a holiday romance but never convinced me. It's wishful thinking that we can convert committment phobes into doting family men just by getting pregnant, so I have deducted points for nonsense. I wanted to scream at Laura to at least have her baby in France because with that and a French father it would have a right to a French and therefore EU-wide passport. Did she think about that? You'll have to read it to find out.
Provence with its lavender fields and sunflowers plus the mouth-watering food is described wonderfully, making you want to live there too - if there wasn't that tiny thing called Brexit that romance writers routinely ignore, n'est-ce pas? I found the first book charming but this wasn't for me. It's all about the healing power of love, so if that appeals to you, this might be for you. But if you didn't like me sprinkling my review with French words, you won't like it in the book either.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
REVIEW IN PROGRESS
This is my first audiobook in decades. I picked a book I had read before, so thankfully I remembered the plot reasonably well, because I found it hard to concentrate, and sometimes wasn't sure who was supposed to be speaking right now.
The story is about a female serial killer who started at 12 years of age with her Stepdad who was a paedophile. No wonder she is damaged but putting a little dog into danger just to get close to a man she doesn't even plan to kill really didn't endear me to her. The story is a bit convoluted, with her love interest Jon being a true crime podcaster who managed to catch a serial killer and is then kidnapped by another one.
There is lots of dark humour but I felt it was too much about podcaster Jon who seems to be catnip for serial killers and not enough about Saffy getting rid of bad men.
This is my first audiobook in decades. I picked a book I had read before, so thankfully I remembered the plot reasonably well, because I found it hard to concentrate, and sometimes wasn't sure who was supposed to be speaking right now.
The story is about a female serial killer who started at 12 years of age with her Stepdad who was a paedophile. No wonder she is damaged but putting a little dog into danger just to get close to a man she doesn't even plan to kill really didn't endear me to her. The story is a bit convoluted, with her love interest Jon being a true crime podcaster who managed to catch a serial killer and is then kidnapped by another one.
There is lots of dark humour but I felt it was too much about podcaster Jon who seems to be catnip for serial killers and not enough about Saffy getting rid of bad men.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Dreams of the Scottish Highlands by F. L. Everett
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.
Cat Hardwick works in events planning but has just lost her job due to an unrequited crush on boss Oliver. As luck would have it, she has a godfather who is Laird of crumbling Iolair Castle in the remote Scottish Highlands and he timely invites her to stay in exchange for help in marketing the estate as an events venue so the mounting bills can be paid.
Unfortunately, Sir Alastair's grumpy but handsome son Logan McCaskill, who Cat knows from a holiday 15 years ago when they were both teenagers, is completely against anything she suggests. But he also has "eyes the colour of autumn bracken in sunlight" (how delightfully Princess Bride-esque!) so we know where this is going.
I love the Scottish Highlands so every book with them as a scenic setting automatically gains points. We also have tropes galore (enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, one bed only, miscommunication to name the ones I noticed), not one, not two but four cheeky dogs and a great cast of side characters that round the story off nicely. I particularly loved Agatha, who, quite literally, had her fingers in every pie and did great speeches.
Personally, I think it might have been better to ditch the flashbacks and just tell us from the start what happened 15 years ago, and also tell us how Cat lost her job, because none of it is a huge revelation or twist in the story. It's also best to suspend disbelief in how the castle gets saved, but it's not a spoiler to say we all knew it would get saved somehow, because romance story, thy name is predictability.
This is well-written, warmhearted, cosy and uplifting escapism. There is romantic tension, emotional healing, several pairings, showdowns with exes, a few baddies and scented soaps saviours. Recommended.
Cat Hardwick works in events planning but has just lost her job due to an unrequited crush on boss Oliver. As luck would have it, she has a godfather who is Laird of crumbling Iolair Castle in the remote Scottish Highlands and he timely invites her to stay in exchange for help in marketing the estate as an events venue so the mounting bills can be paid.
Unfortunately, Sir Alastair's grumpy but handsome son Logan McCaskill, who Cat knows from a holiday 15 years ago when they were both teenagers, is completely against anything she suggests. But he also has "eyes the colour of autumn bracken in sunlight" (how delightfully Princess Bride-esque!) so we know where this is going.
I love the Scottish Highlands so every book with them as a scenic setting automatically gains points. We also have tropes galore (enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, one bed only, miscommunication to name the ones I noticed), not one, not two but four cheeky dogs and a great cast of side characters that round the story off nicely. I particularly loved Agatha, who, quite literally, had her fingers in every pie and did great speeches.
Personally, I think it might have been better to ditch the flashbacks and just tell us from the start what happened 15 years ago, and also tell us how Cat lost her job, because none of it is a huge revelation or twist in the story. It's also best to suspend disbelief in how the castle gets saved, but it's not a spoiler to say we all knew it would get saved somehow, because romance story, thy name is predictability.
This is well-written, warmhearted, cosy and uplifting escapism. There is romantic tension, emotional healing, several pairings, showdowns with exes, a few baddies and scented soaps saviours. Recommended.
Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L.M. Chilton
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for this ARC.
Thirty years ago, Peter Doyle killed a handful of teenagers at the annual Crawe Fayre in Crowhurst, a small town in Surrey, then threw himself off the cliffs at Staker Point. It's what Crowhurst is still mostfamous notorious for - that and sausage rolls.
Twelve months ago, a girl called Esme joined the four flatmates Kirby, Dave, Dylan and Seema who were calling themselves The Deadbeats in their WhatsApp group, at their run-down flat in Crowhurst, with the intent of investigating the spree killer via a true crime video site called ShowMe ("Tik Tok is so last year").
In the present day, Kirby and the others seem to have left Crowhurst behind, but suddenly a strange message hits the old group chat. It's from Esme - but Esme died a year ago. Slowly Kirby, the journalist, begins to piece together not only what happened twelve months ago but also 30 years ago. Is Peter Doyle still alive and now coming for the former flatmates? Because someone is killing them off one by one.
Unfortunately, I don't seem to be the target audience for this. I couldn't connect to the young hip characters and their constant need for validation via followers. The humour seems forced and childish and is certainly not laugh-out-loud funny. Also, calling a 42" TV a mega beast felt needlessly melodramatic.
I found the dual timelines confusing and irritating, and the present day killings didn't make sense as there seemed no need for them. Even the explanation we got seemed unhinged. We got some heavy hinting throughout (Fitbit! Broken necklace! Noisy, vibrating printer press!) but none of it pointed to something really important.
I liked the twelve months ago narration but every time I got into it, the timeline changed to the less interesting present day timeline. The whole thing strongly reminded me of slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer so maybe read it if that is your thing.
Thirty years ago, Peter Doyle killed a handful of teenagers at the annual Crawe Fayre in Crowhurst, a small town in Surrey, then threw himself off the cliffs at Staker Point. It's what Crowhurst is still most
Twelve months ago, a girl called Esme joined the four flatmates Kirby, Dave, Dylan and Seema who were calling themselves The Deadbeats in their WhatsApp group, at their run-down flat in Crowhurst, with the intent of investigating the spree killer via a true crime video site called ShowMe ("Tik Tok is so last year").
In the present day, Kirby and the others seem to have left Crowhurst behind, but suddenly a strange message hits the old group chat. It's from Esme - but Esme died a year ago. Slowly Kirby, the journalist, begins to piece together not only what happened twelve months ago but also 30 years ago. Is Peter Doyle still alive and now coming for the former flatmates? Because someone is killing them off one by one.
Unfortunately, I don't seem to be the target audience for this. I couldn't connect to the young hip characters and their constant need for validation via followers. The humour seems forced and childish and is certainly not laugh-out-loud funny. Also, calling a 42" TV a mega beast felt needlessly melodramatic.
I found the dual timelines confusing and irritating, and the present day killings didn't make sense as there seemed no need for them. Even the explanation we got seemed unhinged. We got some heavy hinting throughout (Fitbit! Broken necklace! Noisy, vibrating printer press!) but none of it pointed to something really important.
I liked the twelve months ago narration but every time I got into it, the timeline changed to the less interesting present day timeline. The whole thing strongly reminded me of slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer so maybe read it if that is your thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
We All Live Here: A Novel by Jojo Moyes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC.
The Kennedys are a complex modern family: Mother Lila, 42, is an author who wrote a book about how to successfully keep a marriage alive, shortly before ex Dan left her for a new woman, with a baby on the way. Daughters Celie, 16, and Violet, 9, try to get used to the new dynamics in the house - grieving Grandad Bill, who is Lila's Stepdad, has moved in after the death of his wife, cooking ultra-healthy food that no one wants, and continuously barking dog Truant has cost them many a wine bottle to appease the neighbours. I think good noise-cancelling headphones might have been cheaper!
The cauldron comes to a boil when one day Lila's estranged Dad Gene turns up like nothing had happened, after having ignored the family for decades, upsetting not just Bill. He is a larger than life American actor who still talks about the one role that made him, is relentlessly cheerful and promptly gets bitten by grumpy Truant.
Lila is asked by her agent to write a second book, this time about her escapades being happily single. Between "fighting old men and emotionally volatile teenagers", Lila tries to keep a modicum of sanity and to actually go dating, but is smooth single Dad Gabriel the better option or kind gardener Jensen? A seasoned romance reader like myself could sniff out the better prospect immediately.
This is a well-written, pleasant read that draws you into a family with relatable topics like how to navigate angsty teenagers, daggers at dawn pensioners and your ex's new family but it loses points for being just a tad too long. I thought it was a random choice to include a few chapters in Celie's POV but I liked the inclusion of difficult topics in a light-hearted way, with Gene usually providing the comic relief. This is a tale about redemption and forgiveness that tugs at your heartstrings without being overly sweet.
The Kennedys are a complex modern family: Mother Lila, 42, is an author who wrote a book about how to successfully keep a marriage alive, shortly before ex Dan left her for a new woman, with a baby on the way. Daughters Celie, 16, and Violet, 9, try to get used to the new dynamics in the house - grieving Grandad Bill, who is Lila's Stepdad, has moved in after the death of his wife, cooking ultra-healthy food that no one wants, and continuously barking dog Truant has cost them many a wine bottle to appease the neighbours. I think good noise-cancelling headphones might have been cheaper!
The cauldron comes to a boil when one day Lila's estranged Dad Gene turns up like nothing had happened, after having ignored the family for decades, upsetting not just Bill. He is a larger than life American actor who still talks about the one role that made him, is relentlessly cheerful and promptly gets bitten by grumpy Truant.
Lila is asked by her agent to write a second book, this time about her escapades being happily single. Between "fighting old men and emotionally volatile teenagers", Lila tries to keep a modicum of sanity and to actually go dating, but is smooth single Dad Gabriel the better option or kind gardener Jensen? A seasoned romance reader like myself could sniff out the better prospect immediately.
This is a well-written, pleasant read that draws you into a family with relatable topics like how to navigate angsty teenagers, daggers at dawn pensioners and your ex's new family but it loses points for being just a tad too long. I thought it was a random choice to include a few chapters in Celie's POV but I liked the inclusion of difficult topics in a light-hearted way, with Gene usually providing the comic relief. This is a tale about redemption and forgiveness that tugs at your heartstrings without being overly sweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
The Woman with All the Answers by Linda Green
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.
Meet the Banks family. Michelle is a stressed out 52 year old district nurse, her husband Marc is a copywriter for a compost company and is addicted to buying old dolls on ebay, her 18 year old daughter Liv suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia, her 16 year old son Graham has just sent a dick pic to his underage girlfriend, her mother is dying, her father is constantly at risk of getting scammed and doesn't understand the digital world anymore, and her MIL needs more and more help after a fall. Oh, and she's in perimenopause and the guinea pigs keep dying.
Now picture a world in which the Alexa voices actually belong to real women Iike 65 year old Pauline from Halifax, shortly to be retired, who hides her broad Yorkshire accent when adding things to the Banks' shopping list or playing Liv's sad songs list for the umpteenth time. Pauline has been looking after the family's needs for six years and never once broken cover - but now she feels Michelle needs her, being crushed from so many sides at once. The story is told in dual POV between Michelle and Alexa Pauline.
Now, let's get out the way how bonkers and a legal nightmare this would be, because if Pauline from Halifax could have a good gander at my bank accounts, I'm not sure how happy I would be about that. Then again, it shows how blindly we trust a disembodied voice that can keep us under surveillance via several technical gadgets like webcams and Ring doorbells.
Let's also discuss how triggering the Yorkshire accent is in writing for a grammar obsessed person without the definitive article "the" - speaking it in Happy Valley is not the same thing! Also, you can't actually use an LPA until the donor has lost their mental capacity so Michelle needs the normal power of attorney.
Having got all this out the way, oh my God, how good is this book? Where on earth has Linda Green been? I've last read In Little Stars several years ago and I am stoked there is a new one with one of my favourite publishers.
There is so much going on and then Pauline from Halifax swoops in like a literal Mary Poppins to the Banks family, with her "friends in high places", her "Amazonian Queens" Facebook group and great tips for sorting out the mess that is Michelle's life. We also get an insight into Pauline's lonely life, which makes the ending particularly happy.
There is social commentary about modern technology but also heartwarming family support and forgiveness. This is the epitome of a funny, relatable, inspiring, hopeful and uplifting story and one I can wholeheartedly recommend, especially if you like strong, feisty, middle-aged women, Menopause talk, black Labrador emotional support dogs called Basil and you're also a fan of Fiona Gibson's books.
Meet the Banks family. Michelle is a stressed out 52 year old district nurse, her husband Marc is a copywriter for a compost company and is addicted to buying old dolls on ebay, her 18 year old daughter Liv suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia, her 16 year old son Graham has just sent a dick pic to his underage girlfriend, her mother is dying, her father is constantly at risk of getting scammed and doesn't understand the digital world anymore, and her MIL needs more and more help after a fall. Oh, and she's in perimenopause and the guinea pigs keep dying.
Now picture a world in which the Alexa voices actually belong to real women Iike 65 year old Pauline from Halifax, shortly to be retired, who hides her broad Yorkshire accent when adding things to the Banks' shopping list or playing Liv's sad songs list for the umpteenth time. Pauline has been looking after the family's needs for six years and never once broken cover - but now she feels Michelle needs her, being crushed from so many sides at once. The story is told in dual POV between Michelle and Alexa Pauline.
Now, let's get out the way how bonkers and a legal nightmare this would be, because if Pauline from Halifax could have a good gander at my bank accounts, I'm not sure how happy I would be about that. Then again, it shows how blindly we trust a disembodied voice that can keep us under surveillance via several technical gadgets like webcams and Ring doorbells.
Let's also discuss how triggering the Yorkshire accent is in writing for a grammar obsessed person without the definitive article "the" - speaking it in Happy Valley is not the same thing! Also, you can't actually use an LPA until the donor has lost their mental capacity so Michelle needs the normal power of attorney.
Having got all this out the way, oh my God, how good is this book? Where on earth has Linda Green been? I've last read In Little Stars several years ago and I am stoked there is a new one with one of my favourite publishers.
There is so much going on and then Pauline from Halifax swoops in like a literal Mary Poppins to the Banks family, with her "friends in high places", her "Amazonian Queens" Facebook group and great tips for sorting out the mess that is Michelle's life. We also get an insight into Pauline's lonely life, which makes the ending particularly happy.
There is social commentary about modern technology but also heartwarming family support and forgiveness. This is the epitome of a funny, relatable, inspiring, hopeful and uplifting story and one I can wholeheartedly recommend, especially if you like strong, feisty, middle-aged women, Menopause talk, black Labrador emotional support dogs called Basil and you're also a fan of Fiona Gibson's books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Dr Briana Ortiz, best friend of Alexis from Part of Your World, is in the sole running for chief of Royaume Northwestern Hospital, until Dr Jacob Maddox arrives and instantly gets her hackles up. She's already stressed with the kidney disease of brother Benny, she really doesn't need a shy but attractive doctor with a dog called Lieutenant Dan to start writing her the nicest letters, while everyone around her tells her how great he is. Then he does something jaw-droppingly wonderful, and all he asks is for her to accompany him to his brother's wedding as his date because the bride used to be his girlfriend.
There are plenty of tropes in this one: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, one bed only, miscommunication, though the last one goes on way too long. It really isn't my favourite trope and it goes on and on. So frustrating.
Abby Jimenez' books seem to have many similarities to each other. They all deal with difficult topics, there is always a cute animal or two with a ridiculous name, a bearded man, the desire to have children, big feelings that border on obsession, and a couple of mentions of Nadia Cakes, the author's own business.
I went through so many emotions when I read this book, just like the characters in the story. To see how a serious illness impacts not only on the ill person but also on their loved ones, to see the trauma that comes from abandonment - it all felt so raw. But then, just when we needed it, one of the many side characters from either family would be quirky and hilarious. I was almost annoyed at Briana at times, when she seemed to throw away everything good, and quite frankly, I am not a fan of the third-act break-up. Plus a grown man in his thirties journaling every day and managing to sound like a lovesick teenager is, to say it mildly, unusual.
But I loved how Briana handled Jacob's anxiety and how he handled her trust issues. He really is an excellent human being. Jacob is the perfect book boyfriend so basically unrealistically great but who cares, sometimes we just need someone to swoon over.
There are plenty of tropes in this one: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, one bed only, miscommunication, though the last one goes on way too long. It really isn't my favourite trope and it goes on and on. So frustrating.
Abby Jimenez' books seem to have many similarities to each other. They all deal with difficult topics, there is always a cute animal or two with a ridiculous name, a bearded man, the desire to have children, big feelings that border on obsession, and a couple of mentions of Nadia Cakes, the author's own business.
I went through so many emotions when I read this book, just like the characters in the story. To see how a serious illness impacts not only on the ill person but also on their loved ones, to see the trauma that comes from abandonment - it all felt so raw. But then, just when we needed it, one of the many side characters from either family would be quirky and hilarious. I was almost annoyed at Briana at times, when she seemed to throw away everything good, and quite frankly, I am not a fan of the third-act break-up. Plus a grown man in his thirties journaling every day and managing to sound like a lovesick teenager is, to say it mildly, unusual.
But I loved how Briana handled Jacob's anxiety and how he handled her trust issues. He really is an excellent human being. Jacob is the perfect book boyfriend so basically unrealistically great but who cares, sometimes we just need someone to swoon over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy