The Book Magnet: dual timeline

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Thursday, 7 August 2025

BLOG TOUR: The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge - Rachel Hore

Uncovering secrets that span generations, Rachel Hore delivers intriguing, involving and emotive narrative reading group fiction like few other writers can.

Nancy Foster has harboured a devastating secret that shattered her professional and personal life. On meeting her, journalist Stef Lansdown realizes that she has the power to restore Nancy’s reputation and to heal the wounds, if only Nancy will trust her. But someone else wants to get to the bottom of the story first, someone who doesn’t want it to be told.

Set in the beautiful environs of the Norfolk Broads in 2010, and in London in the '40s and ‘50s, when life for career-driven women was so different, The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is Sunday Times multi-million copy bestselling author Rachel Hore’s utterly compelling new novel, interweaving the past and the present.

What did I think?

This is the first book by Rachel Hore that I have read and I absolutely loved it so I'm already looking to add more of her books to my TBR. The writing is exquisite and it completely captivated me from start to finish.

The story revolves around two women: Nancy and Steph. Steph is writing a book and wants to tell Nancy's story but Nancy and her family are suspicious of Steph's intentions. There is no hidden agenda to Steph; she simply wants to tell Nancy's story and Nancy soon begins to trust Steph and open up to her.

I loved the Norfolk community spirit that weaves its way through the story; although they aren't quite so welcoming to Steph at first, but then she is a journalist. There are a lot of intriguing elements to the plot, both past and present, and I couldn't tear my eyes from the page.

I was halfway through when I felt that it had a distinct ring of truth about it so I wasn't surprised to learn that the author was inspired by a story from her own family. It's just so infuriating to read how women were treated in the not so distant past. I mean things just as simple as referring to a woman who has earned the title of 'Doctor' as 'Miss' - it's so patronising and misogynistic. Nancy definitely needed one of those mugs with "It's Dr, actually" printed on it!

So beautifully written, The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is a powerful, thought-provoking and completely mesmerising novel. I adored it and would highly recommend it.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Thursday, 3 July 2025

BLOG TOUR: Let's Make a Scene - Laura Wood

Their story might be scripted, but the chemistry is real...

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There is only one problem... Cynthie's arrogant and annoyingly handsome co-star Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity – have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds.

Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there's a catch: they must also rekindle their pretend relationship...and this time there's a documentary crew following their every move.

Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they're playing start to feel all too real?

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVED Let's Make a Scene! Although it is linked to Under Your Spell (that I haven't read yet), it is a completely standalone story and it's one that gets your pulse racing, your breath catching and (in my case) the tears falling.

I applaud Laura Wood for writing a dual timeline and dual point of view novel as it is flawlessly written. It is told from the points of view of Cythie and Jack who met 13 years ago on the set of Cynthie's first film. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since and Cynthie's career took off at lightening speed but as the saying goes: "the higher you climb, the harder you fall" and a scandal sees Cynthie returning back to where it all began.

It is clear that Cynthie and Jack have History (with an intentional capital H) and I couldn't read fast enough to discover what went on 13 years ago that drove this clearly meant-to-be couple apart. To save Cynthie's career she agrees to a fake relationship with Jack but the line between real and fake is very blurred. There are so many heartbreaking misunderstandings and guarded feelings as the will they/won't they storyline plays out.

As it's set in the film industry, Laura Wood touches on the #MeToo movement in a sensitive, respectful and powerful way. Friendship is another strong theme as Cynthie has an amazing friend support network. The romance is exquisite though and if you thought The Notebook was a tearjerker, be prepared to reach for the tissues when reading Let's Make a Scene!

Bursting with romance and sizzling with sexual tension, Let's Make a Scene is a compelling page-turner that had me on the edge of my seat as I prayed for a happily ever after for Cynthie and Jack. You'll just have to read the book to find out whether I got my wish or not.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Wednesday, 4 June 2025

BLOG TOUR: Got What Was Coming - Hilly Barmby

Got What Was Coming alternates between past and present.

Three young women, Mali, Star and Abeba, receive an email from the school they’d attended as kids. It is an invitation to the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of ‘The Second Chance Cafe’, which they’d set up to help disenfranchised kids.

It is an exciting but ultimately tragic story that covers the complex lives and inter-relationships of four teenage girls and their mothers. The book reaches its climax with the death of another girl and the realisation of the role the others all played in her death and the impact on their lives through to adulthood.

What did I think?

Since I first discovered Hilly Barmby's book, I just can't get enough of them so I was delighted to received an early copy of her new self-published novel, Got What Was Coming and it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's a very intriguing story with three main characters who are are all very different. Mali, Star and Abeba may not have started off as friends at school but they are linked by a tragic event. Via a dual timeline we find out exactly what happened in the past to make them into the women they are today.

With bullying at the heart of the story, it's often difficult to read as events play out and the tragedy is fully revealed. It's very thought-provoking to see that although a particular person may not have been an active bully they are most definitely complicit by either standing by and doing nothing or pushing another person into the bully's sights to draw attention away from themselves.

Incredibly poignant and compelling, Got What Was Coming is an eye-opening and thought-provoking story about human nature and the regrets that shape who we are today. Never has that well-known phrase 'survival of the fittest' held so much meaning and chilled me to the core. A highly recommended read and one that will stay with me for a long time.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Tuesday, 15 April 2025

BLOG TOUR: The Golden Hour - Kate Lord Brown

The Golden Hour is an epic dual timeline story which interweaves glory-seeking desert archaeologists, priceless treasures, Nefertiti’s tomb and the decadent cabarets of WW2 Cairo with restless expat lives in bohemian Beirut.

Archaeologist Lucie Fitzgerald's mother is dying – she's also been lying. As her home, the 'Paris of the East', Beirut, teeters on the brink of war in the ‘70s, Polly Fitzgerald has one last story to tell from her deathbed. It’s the story of her childhood best friend Juno and their life in 30s Cairo. Lucie travels home to be with her dying mother and discovers the truth about her family, Juno's work and their shared search for the greatest undiscovered tomb of all - Nefertiti's.

From the cities to the deserts, this transporting and moving story of a lost generation transformed by war is a study of great love and sacrifice in all its forms, the perfect novel for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.

What did I think?

I love ancient Egyptian history so The Golden Hour was an absolute must-read for me and it completely exceeded my expectations, absolutely blowing me away with its amazing setting and its intriguing storyline.

With a dual timeline set in Egypt 1939 and Lebanon 1975, Kate Lord Brown sweeps the reader away to distant shores and introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters. Juno and Polly have been friends since their childhood in England and the pair are reunited as married women in 1939 in Egypt. Now that Polly is terminally ill, it is time to tell her daughter Lucie about the past and the story is quite emotional and shocking but it is also courageous and empowering.

The characters are so well developed and I adored Juno who refused to take no for an answer as she forced her way into the male-dominated world of archaeology. It is Juno's dream to discover Nefertiti's tomb and I loved the portrayal of Nefertiti as a strong woman in her own right rather than the wife of Akhenaten and stepmother/mother-in-law of Tutankhamun.

I thoroughly enjoyed the archaelogical part of the story but it is Juno and Polly's history that kept me completely riveted to the pages. I was devastated more than once by this moving tale but I also felt uplifted and empowered by the strong female characters.

Poignant and powerful, The Golden Hour is a sweeping story that took my breath away with its exotic setting and rendered me speechless with its stunning plot. It is giving me goose bumps just thinking about it now and I will be recommending it and reading it many many times. Unmissable and unputdownable; an easy five stars.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Wednesday, 8 May 2024

BLOG TOUR: Never Closer - Margot Shepherd

On an ordinary day in 2017, Jo receives a phone call about her 18-year-old daughter, Jessie. It is the call that every parent dreads. In 1940, 17-year-old Alice ties on her facemask and enters a laboratory to harvest a potential new miracle drug called penicillin. The lives of these women become entwined when Jo finds Alice’s diary in a vintage handbag. Past and present overlap and merge as life-changing events resonate for them all across the gulf of time.

This is a story about a diary opening a door on the past, chronicling a young woman’s determination to succeed against all odds, while unknowingly inspiring others to step into a better life. Set against the backdrop of the Second World War, the infancy of antibiotics and a modern medical emergency and its consequences, it not only reminds us how fortunate we are to live now, but also serves as a stark warning about the fragility of life and the dangers of complacency.

What did I think?

Oh wow! What a debut from Margot Shepherd! I had to actually double check that Never Closer was a debut as it is so beautifully written. I don't think I can even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed Never Closer and no review I write could really do it justice, but I'll try my best.

The dual timelines in the story are both riveting and I love that the past storyline is told via an old diary that Jo finds in her friend's vintage shop. Jo didn't realise how linked her life would be to Alice's until her daughter battles for her life against a deadly infection. An infection that would have claimed many more lives if it wasn't for Alice's work harvesting penicillin in 1940.

I loved the story of penicillin and it's so sad that Alexander Fleming's name is the only one that springs to mind when you think of this life saving drug. Yes, Fleming discovered it but he did nothing with it and it's only thanks to the work of Professor Howard Florey and the ‘penicillin girls’ that we have access to penicillin today. If only Fleming had taken a few more steps to further his discovery into development, so many more lives could have been saved especially during World War II.

Captivating, immersive and thought-provoking, Never Closer is an unforgettable book that I will be recommending for a long time to come. Blending historical fact with enthralling fiction, Margot Shepherd is an exciting new voice in historical fiction and definitely one to place on my watch list. Very highly recommended - don't miss this book, historical fiction fans!

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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About the author:

Margot Shepherd is a British author who was born in Yorkshire where she spent her childhood. She now lives in rural Sussex with her husband and Springer Spaniel, Genni. When she’s not writing she works in medical research at the University of Surrey. She writes about family relationships with a particular emphasis on women and science from a female point of view.

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Wednesday, 10 May 2023

Homecoming - Kate Morton

Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959. At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of a grand and mysterious mansion, a local delivery man makes a terrible discovery. A police investigation is called and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most shocking and perplexing murder cases in the history of South Australia.

Sixty years later, Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for almost twenty years, she now finds herself laid off from her full-time job and struggling to make ends meet. A phone call out of nowhere summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother, Nora, who raised Jess when her mother could not, has suffered a fall and been raced to the hospital.

At a loose end in Nora's house, Jess does some digging into her past. In Nora's bedroom, she discovers a true crime book, chronicling the police investigation into a long-buried tragedy: the Turner Family Tragedy of Christmas Eve, 1959. It is only when Jess skims through the book that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this once-infamous crime – a crime that has never been truly solved. And for a journalist without a story, a cold case might be the best distraction she can find . . .

An epic novel that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, and how we protect the lies we tell. It explores the power of motherhood, the corrosive effects of tightly held secrets, and the healing nature of truth.

What did I think?

At 628 pages long, you can see why Homecoming is described as an epic novel and although it might be weighty to hold, it is easy to read. With a dual timeline set in 1959 and 2018, this is the story of the Turner family and the devastating event in their family history that Nora Turner-Bridges has done her utmost to protect her granddaughter Jess from.

In 1959, the residents of the small town of Tambilla in Australia are preparing for Christmas but this is a Christmas Eve that they will never forget. Nobody knows what happened to the Turner family that day and it is a mystery that gripped the nation. Fast forward to 2018 and Jess had no idea that this happened to her ancestors until she found a book about the tragedy. Through reading excerpts from the book, we, along with Jess, relive that fateful Christmas Eve in 1959.

This really is an epic novel and I think it's absolute genius to have a book within a book to relive the timeline in the past. I love family secrets so I very quickly found myself immersed in the story and the only reason I had to put the book down was from my arms aching. I loved the theme of 'home' running throughout the novel, it really made me think about what 'home' means to me.

Beautifully written with a very intriguing mystery at its heart, Homecoming is a compelling novel that swept me away to Australia and I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual visit. I thought I had it all worked out but this is a multi-faceted mystery with so much to be uncovered.

I received a beautiful hardback copy for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Friday, 7 April 2023

The Seven Sisters (Seven Sisters Book 1) - Lucinda Riley

The Seven Sisters is a sweeping epic tale of love and loss by the international number one bestseller Lucinda Riley.

Maia D’Aplièse and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home – a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva – having been told that their beloved adoptive father, the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt, has died.

Each of them is handed a tantalising clue to their true heritage – a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil . . .

Eighty years earlier, in the Belle Époque of Rio, 1927, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into aristocracy. But Izabela longs for adventure, and convinces him to allow her to accompany the family of a renowned architect on a trip to Paris. In the heady, vibrant streets of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.

The Seven Sisters is the first book in the spellbinding Seven Sisters series, inspired by the mythology of the famous star constellation. It is followed by The Storm Sister.

What did I think?

I have wanted to read The Seven Sisters for a while but with so many books, so little time I didn't know how I would ever fit in a 622 page novel, but I am SO glad that I made time for it. It is breathtaking!

The Seven Sisters is inspired by Greek mythology and Pa Salt (Atlas) names his six adopted daughters after the daughters of Atlas and Pleione: Maia, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Taygete and Electra. On Pa Salt's death, he leaves his daughters a letter with clues to their birth, should they wish to discover where they are from. This book is Maia's story.

I fell in love with this book the moment I picked it up; the writing is so beautiful and the story so compelling that I couldn't put it down. It has a dual timeline with the story alternating between Maia in 2007 and her great-grandmother Izabela eighty years earlier in 1927. Location plays a big part in The Seven Sisters and Geneva, Rio and Paris are painted so beautifully that I felt as if I was there.

The way that Lucinda Riley weaves historical facts with a captivating fictional story is absolutely breathtaking and I absolutely devoured every single beautifully written word, gathering interesting historical facts along the way. I love how The Seven Sisters has the contained storyline of one sister but it's part of a much bigger picture and I can't wait to read more of the series.

Captivating, breathtaking and epic, The Seven Sisters is a very highly recommended read - it's well worth making time to read this stunning novel.

I received a paperback to read and review for a Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Wednesday, 11 January 2023

BLOG TOUR: The Hiking Trip - Jenny Blackhurst

Don’t trust everyone you meet here…

A young British backpacker goes missing on the West Coast Trail.

No one is sure whether she died or simply disappeared.

Apart from Laura.

Twenty years later, a body has been found.

And there’s only one person who could reveal the secret that Laura’s been hiding all this time.

But she knows that two can keep a secret.

IF ONE OF THEM IS DEAD.

A tense and suspenseful thriller perfect for fans of M.J. Ford and Susi Holliday.

What did I think?

You're always guaranteed a good read with a Jenny Blackhurst novel and The Hiking Trip is no exception. I really enjoyed it, even though I did manage to work out one of the twists (but then it was a 50/50 chance, so I'm really not that clever).

It's a dual timeline novel set in 1999 and 2024. In 1999 we follow Maisie as she sets off on adventure to go hiking in Canada. She was let down by her friend so she's on her own but she soon befriends fellow hikers Sera and Ric. 25 years later, Laura's world is rocked when bones are discovered in Canada...

Well, I just couldn't read fast enough to discover all the secrets of The Hiking Trip. Both Maisie's and Laura's stories had me gripped like a vice and I had to constantly stop my eyes from skipping ahead on the page. It's non-stop entertainment with lashings of mystery, intrigue and danger woven throughout both storylines.

Fast-paced, gripping and highly addictive, The Hiking Trip is another great read from Jenny Blackhurst; she is a fantastic author and I absolutely love reading her books.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the Instagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Friday, 18 November 2022

BLOG TOUR: The Shadows of Rutherford House - CE Rose

Darkness lies at the heart of this family…

In 1959 Milly starts her new life as a housemaid at Rutherford House, working for the aristocratic Rutherford-Percy clan. Entranced by her new mistress, Vivienne, she becomes deeply embroiled in the household and the keeper of dark secrets the family conceals beneath the mansion’s grand exterior.

In the present day, Christie is working as a psychiatric nurse when she meets troubled patient Lillian Percy, Vivienne’s granddaughter and heiress to Rutherford House. They soon bond over the loss of their mothers – Lillian’s died when she was a child; Christie’s mysteriously disappeared over twenty years ago – and Christie finds herself increasingly fascinated by Lillian’s family and their imposing ancestral home.

As Christie learns more about the Rutherford-Percys, she finds a shocking clue that could help her uncover what happened to her own mother. Desperate for answers, Christie puts her job, her family and even her very life on the line. But how much of the truth does she really want to know?

A twisty, chilling and unputdownable page-turner about family secrets, perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Louise Douglas and Harriet Evans.

What did I think?

With two intriguing and compelling dual timelines, The Shadows of Rutherford House is a gripping page turner that's impossible to put down. It's filled with dark family secrets and has an eerie, gothic setting in the grand ancestral home of the Rutherford-Percys.

The present day storyline centres around the friendship between nurse Christie and her patient Lillian. Christie is haunted by the disappearance of her mother and she is constantly looking for clues as to what happened to her. Lillian may have lived a life of privilege as a Percy heiress but she also lost her mother at a young age. Christie and Lillian have a lovely friendship but the dark cloud of Rutherford House is looming over them.

Buried in the past storyline is an absolute bucketload of secrets and tragic events. The key to unlocking the secrets of the past is in the present and the story flicks seamlessly back and forth between them as I greedily devoured every single word.

How the storylines intermingle is nothing short of genius and just when you think you have uncovered all of the secrets, there's more! I absolutely loved it and I was shocked and surprised at every twist in the tale.

Dark, twisty and gripping, The Shadows of Rutherford House is an outstanding gothic thriller that is full of secrets and suspense. Very highly recommended.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Tuesday, 16 March 2021

The Paris Library - Janet Skeslien Charles

IN THE DARKNESS OF WAR, THE LIGHT OF BOOKS - HOW LIBRARIANS DEFIED THE NAZIS

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

PARIS, 1939

Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris - with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers - is a dream come true. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. But then the Nazis invade Paris, and everything changes.

In Occupied Paris, choices as black and white as the words on a page become a murky shade of grey - choices that will put many on the wrong side of history, and the consequences of which will echo for decades to come.

MONTANA, 1983

Lily is a lonely teenager desperate to escape small-town Montana. She grows close to her neighbour Odile, discovering they share the same love of language, the same longings. But as Lily uncovers more about Odile's mysterious past, she discovers a dark secret, closely guarded and long hidden.

Based on the true Second World War story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable novel of romance, friendship, family, and of heroism found in the quietest of places.

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, this book is simply perfect. Aside from the wonderful story, this is definitely a book for booklovers and if I could fall in love with a book, The Paris Library would be the one to win my heart. It's like a love letter to books and libraries and Janet Skeslien Charles' beautiful writing has provided me with so many amazing phrases about books that I'll never forget. I suggest you keep a notepad beside you while you're reading as there are so many literary gems (and book recommendations) that you will want to write down. It's the first time I have ordered a book mentioned in a book I have been reading, while I was still reading it!

Set in the American Library in Paris in 1939 with the threat of Nazi invasion hanging over the city, Odile and her co-workers try to keep the library open as a sanctuary for all of their patrons. With a growing sense of suspicion and unease, emotions are heightened and friendships are put to the test. Although they try to keep things as normal as possible, nothing will ever be the same again.

The dual timeline sees us catching up with Odile over 40 years later when she is living in Montana and she becomes friendly with her teenage neighbour, Lily. The pair share a love of all things books, particularly the Dewey Decimal Classification that can be applied to almost every part of life. There really is a book for everything! Lily is another wonderful character, she is a bookworm so everyone reading the book is guaranteed to love her.

Running alongside the story of Odile and Lily is the true story of Occupied Paris and I'm getting goosebumps just typing this now. The description of a deserted Paris is so far removed from the lively, vivacious city we know it to be that it caused me to hold my breath in fear of making a sound to disturb the silence. It's heartbreaking to see the effect of war; people turning against their friends and neighbours causes just as much devastation as bombs being dropped from the sky.

So beautifully written and completely enthralling from beginning to end, The Paris Library is haunting, heartbreaking, captivating and so very highly recommended. It's a perfect piece of historical and contemporary fiction and a simply wonderful novel. I could write so much more about it but you really need to stop reading my review and start reading this stunning book for yourself.

I received a beautiful hardback edition as part of a Tandem Collective readalong; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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