BLOG TOUR: Poisoned - Jennifer Donnelly

 

Beautiful Sophie, with lips as red as blood, skin as pale as snow, and hair as dark as night, is about to come of age and inherit her father's throne. But Sophie's stepmother wants rid of her - beautiful she may be, but too weak and foolish to reign. And Sophie believes her, as she believes all the things that have been said about her - all the poisonous words people use to keep girls like her from becoming too powerful, too strong.

When the huntsman carries out his orders of killing Sophie, she finds a fire burning inside her that will not be extinguished, and sets off to reclaim what was taken from her.

Jennifer Donnelly turns her feminist eye to this most delicious of fairy tales and shows Snow White as she's never been seen before.

What did I think?

In my opinion, you're never too old for fairy tales and I love reading retellings of my favourite stories from childhood.  Before I say anything about the content of the book, I have to mention the amazing cover of Poisoned - the shattered red apple is so striking and of course links in to the story beautifully.

Poisoned is the story of Princess Charlotta-Sidonia Wilhelmina Sophia of the Greenlands, whose name is thankfully shortened to Sophie.  Sophie has always been told that she's too weak and too soft to be queen, which suits her stepmother just fine as it means that she can keep ruling with her iron fist.  Taking advice from her magic mirror, the Queen decides to get rid of Sophie once and for all and after being left for dead in the Darkwood, seven brothers take Sophie into their home.

Anyone familiar with the story of Snow White will recognise many elements of the story that keep it true to the original tale published by The Brothers Grimm in 1812.  Jennifer Donnelly puts her own slant on the story by adding a hefty helping of feminism that allows us to see Sophie evolving from a young naive girl to a strong confident woman.  It's actually rather thought-provoking as I'm sure I'm not alone in listening to that nasty inner voice that tells me I'm not smart, pretty, thin or good enough.  It's about time we took a leaf out of Sophie's book and tell our inner voice to shut the **** up!

I really enjoyed Poisoned; it's an absolutely fabulous version of Snow White for the 21st century.  It may officially be YA but it's definitely a book that can be read and enjoyed by adults, especially those who don't consider themselves too old for fairy tales.  Jennifer Donnelly has taken the magical ingredients originally gathered by The Brothers Grimm and whipped up an absolute feast for the eyes; I greedily devoured every single word and will definitely be back for more.

Wonderfully written and perfectly plotted, Poisoned is a magical and courageous tale with a feminist slant that upgrades a familiar story and brings it into the 21st century.   It leaves the reader with a strong message to believe in yourself and to listen to your heart rather than to other people.  A simply wonderful novel that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Jennifer Donnelly is the author of seven novels and a picture book for children. She grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended the University of Rochester where she majored in English Literature and European History.

Jennifer's first novel, THE TEA ROSE, an epic historical novel set in London and New York in the late 19th century, was called 'exquisite' by Booklist, 'so much fun' by the Washington Post, a 'guilty pleasure' by People and was named a Top Pick by the Romantic Times.

Her second novel, A GATHERING LIGHT, won the Carnegie Medal, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Borders Original Voices Award, and was named a Printz Honor book. Described as 'rich and true' by The New York Times, the book was named on the Best Book lists of The Times (London), The Irish Times, The Financial Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and the School Library Journal.

REVOLUTION was named a Best Book by Amazon, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and the Chicago Public Library, and was nominated for a Carnegie Medal. The audio edition was awarded an Odyssey Honor for Excellence.

In 2014, Jennifer teamed up with Disney to launch the bestselling WATERFIRE saga, an epic series about six mermaids on a quest to rid the world of an ancient evil. The first book in the series, DEEP BLUE, was released in May, 2014; the second book, ROGUE WAVE, launched in January 2015.

Jennifer Donnelly lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.

Follow Jennifer at www.jenniferdonnelly.com or on Twitter: @JenWritesBooks

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BLOG TOUR: The Girl You Forgot - Giselle Green

I was an early reader of The Girl You Forgot by Giselle Green so I was thrilled to get a spot on the blog tour and I was completely over the moon to see my name in the acknowledgements section of the book.  It is my pleasure to publish my review as part the of the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour.

Does the heart never really forget?

When Ava’s partner Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, the doctors give Will one chance to survive - an operation which means he will lose his recent memory. Ava begs him to take the chance, sure that she can cope with Will forgetting her. After all, they have something very special to live for.

But they are also keeping a heart-breaking secret, and if Will loses his memory, Ava will have to carry that secret alone.

Can they rebuild their love from scratch or will their secrets and past come between them? Will Ava really be a stranger when Will wakes up – or does the heart never really forget…

Giselle Green returns with a heart-breaking, deeply moving story of love, loss, and what it really means to be alive. Perfect for all fans of Jodi Picoult, Susan Lewis and Diane Chamberlain.

What did I think?

A heart-wrenching moral dilemma lies at the heart of The Girl You Forgot: should we lie to protect those we love, even if they have asked us to?  Giselle Green has written such a powerful, emotive and thought-provoking book with completely relatable characters that you can't help but wonder what you would do in the same circumstances.

Ava has just found out that she's pregnant when Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.  Will has the hardest decision to make: should he have the operation at the risk of losing his memory or enjoy what time he has left?  Will decides to go in for surgery but only after he makes Ava promise to withhold something from him when he wakes up.  Will's surgery is successful but he has lost all of his memories from the last 7 years; understandably confused to wake up with a girlfriend he doesn't recognise by his side, he asks Ava to promise to always tell him the truth.  What a double whammy!  Poor Ava.

My heart really went out to both Will and Ava.  As lovely as it was to see Will fall in love with Ava all over again, it was heartbreaking when he admits that wasn't able to experience the simplest of emotions: happiness.  Ava is torn between keeping her promise to Will before the op and keeping her promise to Will after the op.  I certainly didn't envy her that moral dilemma!  I loved how Ava confides in gardener, Harry, who has memory loss issues of his own.  Harry has some amazing words of wisdom for Ava, which is food for thought for her and the reader.   

The Girl You Forgot is a beautiful story, beautifully written by Giselle Green.  It's full of heart being heartbreaking, heart-wrenching and heartwarming in equal measure.  

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Giselle Green is an award-winning, bestselling contemporary women's fiction author. Mum to six boys (half of whom have flown the nest) and owner of one bright orange-and-cinnamon canary who hopefully never will, Giselle enjoys creating emotionally-gripping storylines about family and relationships.

Social Media Links – 

Twitter Profile: @gisellegreenUK

Website: https://gisellegreen.com/

Facebook Profile: Giselle Green Author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/giselle-green

Newsletter sign up: https://bit.ly/GiselleGreenNewsletter

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BLOG TOUR: One Minute Later - Susan Lewis

You think your life is perfect.

You think your secrets are safe.

You think it’ll always be this way.

But your life can change in a heartbeat.

Brilliantly emotional, suspenseful and page-turning, One Minute Later is the stunning new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author, Susan Lewis.

Susan Lewis – behind every secret lies a story.

The new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author, Susan Lewis.

With a high-flying job, a beautiful apartment and friends whose lives are as happy as her own, Vivienne Shager is living the dream. Then, on the afternoon of Vivi’s twenty-seventh birthday, one catastrophic minute changes everything.

Forced to move back to the small seaside town where she grew up, Vivi remembers the reasons she left. The secrets, lies and questions that now must be answered before it’s too late. But the answers lie in thirty years in the past…

Shelley Raynor’s family home, Deerwood Farm, has always been a special place until darkness strikes at its heart. When Vivi’s and Shelley’s worlds begin to entwine, it only takes a moment for the truth to unravel all of their lives.

What did I think?

I am both ashamed and delighted that this is my first Susan Lewis book; ashamed that this prolific author has written so many books that I have missed and delighted to have found her, better late than never.  I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of One Minute Later that came with instructions to make the origami heart on the front cover and I absolutely loved this thoughtful touch from the publisher, HarperCollins.

Vivienne has the world at her feet until her world stops spinning and her heart stops beating on her 27th Birthday.  Faced with an unimaginable prognosis, Vivienne feels completely helpless and exhausted but fate still has some of Vivienne's story to write.  I couldn't help but be totally in awe of Vivienne as she struggled with her condition but tried to keep a smile on her face.  Of course, there's nothing like a new man to put a smile on a woman's face and oh, wow love interest Josh fitted the bill perfectly.  With time running out for Vivienne, the pair made the most of every single second and I found their happiness completely infectious.  It reminded me that each day is precious and we should seize each day with both hands and live it to the best of our abilities.

Vivienne's story is very captivating and emotional, especially for those whose lives have been touched by the dreaded transplant list.  My family has experienced both sides of this story and I fought to hold back my tears as hopes were dashed at the last minute.  I suppose it is the thoughtlessness and laziness of youth (not that I can claim to be youthful anymore) that has caused me not to sign up to the donor register, as well as thinking I may have nothing to offer.  My eyes may be lasered, my heart made of stone and my liver pickled, but it is not for me to decide which of my organs are still viable and could save lives.  So after I finished reading Vivienne's story, I immediately told my family that I wished to donate my organs in the event of my premature death; mission accomplished, Susan Lewis!

I was fascinated by the Save9Lives campaign mentioned in the book, which is supported by Susan Lewis and founded by Jim Lynskey, who is also a character in the book but is very much a real and very inspirational person.  You can find out more about Save9Lives by clicking here and read Jim's story here.

One Minute Later is heartfelt and incredibly emotional with a very powerful and inspirational message at its heart (if you excuse the pun).  It's amazing to think that lives could actually be saved by readers of One Minute Later being inspired to sign up to the donor register and Susan Lewis deserves huge recognition for this.  One Minute Later won't necessarily change your life, but it could definitely change nine other lives.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon


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BLOG TOUR: I Give You My Heart - SarahJane Ford

I am delighted to be taking part in the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for SarahJane Ford's debut novel, I Give You My Heart.  You can read my review and also enter the fabulous giveaway to win a signed and dedicated copy of this amazing book.

A terminal diagnosis.  A life-saving sacrifice.  A love letter written on the walls of her heart.

Alice Richards looked forward to watching the seeds of love she and her husband planted bloom and grow well into their old age. But her plans for the future shrivel up and die when she learns she has an inoperable brain tumour.

Determined that she won’t die in vain, she decides to become an organ donor. With a few precious months left, Alice begins documenting her fairytale romance—from their first meeting to the children they dreamed of having. She’ll pass on every detail to her heart’s next owner… along with careful instructions to send her husband reminders of her undying love. Before her time runs out, Alice must find the perfect candidate to guide her husband through unimaginable grief and hold the memory of their love in her heart.

I Give You My Heart is an emotional romantic fiction novel with an uplifting message. If you like strong-willed women, undying love stories, and honest portrayals of coping with a terminal illness, then you’ll love SarahJane Ford’s heart-warming epic.

An unmissable love story full of warmth, beauty and with a huge, beating heart. Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern’s ‘P.S. I Love You’ and Jojo Moyes’ ‘Me Before You’.

What did I think?

Get your tissues ready, they said.  It's a weepy, they said.  I'm tougher than that, I said, right up until the point that the tears started rolling down my face and the beautiful words on the page blurred into a soggy mess.  I have never read a book filled with so much emotion that it does literally spill out of my eyes.  This is SarahJane Ford's debut, so just imagine what we have to look forward to next; although how she plans to better this one, I don't know but what a wonderful problem for an author to have!

Alice and Alex are the perfect couple, fated to be together from the moment that they met over coffee; coffee that spilled down Alice's shirt.  As their eyes met, Alice's heart skipped a beat and the rest, as they say, is history.  Alas, they will never grow old together as Alice is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.  Alice, being the most generous and selfless woman that she is, decides to donate her organs so that others might live on through her gift of life.  She only has one stipulation: that her heart goes to the most deserving recipient and she tasks her best friend, Ryan, with finding the perfect person to look after her heart.  

As Alice spends her last days with her family, she writes a manual for her heart so that the recipient can remind Alex of some of their favourite memories, those memories that Alice believes lie within her heart but they might just need a little nudge.  As if this wasn't emotional enough, we hurtle towards the inevitable conclusion and we must say goodbye to Alice...or is it just au revoir?  

Oh wow, what an emotional book.  I thought I would be prepared for Alice's inevitable death but I cried like a baby.  There is not a word out of place in this beautiful debut which captured my heart through the stunning writing of SarahJane Ford.  This book reminds us to live every day as if it's our last and also draws attention to organ donation.  We don't want to think about our own demise but it's certainly worth considering leaving behind a parting gift to enable others to live on.

You will not read a more heartbreaking or heartwarming book this year.  I Give You My Heart is THE most emotional book I have EVER read; it's an absolutely stunning debut and one not to miss.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

SarahJane is the debut author of ‘I Give You My Heart’ which is due to be published on September 1st 2018.

SarahJane was born in Scotland but grew up in the Cheshire countryside, which is home to her. After a few years living in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where she went to secondary school, she has now settled back in Cheshire in a quirky flat surrounded by trees, birds and rolling fields.

A marketing professional since finishing her formal education SarahJane is delighted to be following her writing dream. She still works part-time as a Marketing Manager, whilst furiously penning her second novel.

Harbouring an adventurous spirit, SarahJane loves to travel, be surrounded by the wilderness or be riding Cornish waves.

SarahJane loves to read (ideally by the sea!). She was raised on the greatest love stories, which is where her romantic soul comes from. She is in love with love...Mr Darcy's brooding looks in Pride and Prejudice; Julia Roberts and Richard Gere's arresting chemistry in Runaway Bride; the intensely emotional Titanic; going weak at the knees for Danny Zuko in Grease; Cecilia Ahern's heartbreaking P.S. I Love You and Patrick Swayze's mega moves in Dirty Dancing. 

Social Media Links – www.facebook.com/sarahjanefordauthor/

Website: www.sarahjaneford.com

Giveaway

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*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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BLOG TOUR: Days of Wonder - Keith Stuart

In the beautiful, funny and moving second novel by the author of A Boy Made of Blocks, a father and his daughter discover that stories can save lives. 

Tom, single father to Hannah, is the manager of a tiny local theatre. On the same day each year, he and its colourful cast of part-time actors have staged a fantastical production just for his little girl, a moment of magic to make her childhood unforgettable. 

But there is another reason behind these annual shows: the very first production followed Hannah's diagnosis with a heart condition that both of them know will end her life early. And now, with Hannah a funny, tough girl of fifteen on the brink of adulthood, that time is coming.  

With the theatre under threat of closure, Hannah and Tom have more than one fight on their hands to stop the stories ending. But maybe, just maybe, one final day of magic might just save them both. 

What did I think?

Keith Stuart certainly knows the way to my heart and my tear ducts.  I read both A Boy Made of Blocks and Days of Wonder with tears rolling down my face towards the end.  What's so unusual about that, you say?  Well I wasn't crying because I was sad; I was just so unbelievably moved and hadn't realised that Hannah, Tom and the whole theatre gang had set up home in my heart.

Hannah knows that there's an expiry date on her life; she has been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and one day her useless heart will cease to work.  Hannah has the most amazing dad in Tom who will do anything for her - she is his whole world.  Tom has brought Hannah up as a single dad but he hasn't been alone; Hannah has been brought up in Tom's theatre and this cast of colourful characters are her family.

Tom has a lot to contend with in addition to Hannah's illness when the council threaten the theatre with closure.  The Willow Tree isn't just a theatre though, it feels like a home for so many people and it's a place where magic can happen when the curtain rises.  Hannah needs to know that Tom will still have the theatre when she is gone and she is such an amazing young lady that she somehow finds the strength to fight the closure whilst fighting to keep her heart beating.  It just shows you that when something is so important to you, you can find the strength from deep within you to fight for it.

Written from both Tom's and Hannah's perspectives, and interspersed with letters to 'Willow', I just knew that I would be in floods of tears at the end and I wasn't wrong.  What surprised me was that my tears started before the end as the magic of the theatre was performed so beautifully through the words of Keith Stuart.  There was never going to be a happy ending where cardiomyopathy is involved, but the strength and resolve of this young girl was so moving that I can't help but think of Hannah with a smile on my face.

There is definitely a strong sense of family in Keith Stuart's writing; not only parental love but the warmth of an extended family, whether related or not.  The amazing characters all wear their hearts on their sleeves and I was drawn to them like a moth to a flame.  I can't explain it but I felt part of the family myself and I felt every emotion with them from the heartbreak of loss to the explosion of first love.  Such beautiful writing can't help but elicit a myriad of emotions in the reader and I greatly admire Keith Stuart for his ability to do this.

Days of Wonder is tremendously heartwarming and so unbelievably poignant; it reminds us to live for the day and enjoy every second of our precious lives.  Keith Stuart has written such a completely stunning and emotional book that I recommend with all my heart. ❤

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Keith Stuart is an author and journalist. His heartwarming debut novel, A Boy Made of Blocks, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and a major bestseller, and was inspired by Keith's real-life relationship with his autistic son. Keith has written for publications including Empire, Red and Esquire magazine, and is the former games editor of the Guardian. He lives with his wife and two sons in Frome, Somerset. 







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The Gift - Louise Jensen

The perfect daughter is dead. And a secret is eating her family alive...

Jenna is given another shot at life when she receives a donor heart from a girl called Callie. Eternally grateful to Callie and her family, Jenna gets closer to them, but she soon discovers that Callie’s perfect family is hiding some very dark secrets …

Callie’s parents are grieving, yet Jenna knows they’re only telling her half the story. Where is Callie’s sister Sophie? She’s been ‘abroad’ since her sister’s death but something about her absence doesn’t add up. And when Jenna meets Callie’s boyfriend Nathan, she makes a shocking discovery. 

Jenna knows that Callie didn’t die in an accident. But how did she die? Jenna is determined to discover the truth but it could cost her everything; her loved ones, her sanity, even her life. 

What did I think?

Wow!  I thought I'd enjoyed The Sister but The Gift is even better, and I didn't think that would even be possible!  Louise Jensen has exceeded all of my expectations after The Sister and has written a cracker of a book, one that stays with you long after you have turned the last page.

Jenna is grateful to receive a heart transplant and wants to thank the family of the donor in person.  This isn't recommended by the hospital, but Jenna feels so strongly about it that she hires a private investigator to find Callie's family.  Callie's family aren't exactly what she imagined them to be but Jenna feels like she knows them, although she can't explain the depth of her feelings.  When Jenna finds out that Callie had a sister, Sophie, she is determined to find her.  Jenna follows her instinct and takes her lead from strange flashbacks that seem to show Callie's life.  What is Callie trying to tell her?  All Jenna knows is that she must find Sophie.  As she gets closer to the truth, she puts herself in more danger and she ends up in a race against time as it feels like her body is starting to reject Callie's heart.

I'm not sure if Jenna's heart was beating as wildly as mine was throughout this book; I could barely keep hold of my kindle as my palms started to sweat near the end.  I loved the exploration of cellular memory and it's something that I do believe in, especially with a heart transplant.  Is the heart just an organ that keeps us alive or is it so much more than that?  I'd love to think that the heart is more than a vessel, that it contains all our feelings, hopes and fears.  It's so comforting to think that an organ transplanted in another person means that the donor hasn't completely died.  It's quite magical to think that a little piece of the donor lives on and the recipient absorbs a little of their very essence.

The Gift is so much more than a psychological thriller, although it is certainly a fantastic one, but for me it's a thought provoking look at the magic of the human body.  It is also a stark reminder of how fragile we are and how by simply registering on the organ donor register we can save so many lives in the event of our death.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest an unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon