BLOG TOUR: Winter People - Gráinne Murphy

The wild Atlantic coast of Ireland.

Three strangers.

One question: who are we without the people who love us?

Sis Cotter has lived her whole life in a small house by her beloved beach. Here, she grew up, reared her family, and buried her husband. Now her children are far away and, in three days, her house will be taken from her.

Next door, Lydia has withdrawn from her husband, her friends, her life. She watches the sea as her own private penance for a wrong she can never put right.

Peter’s best friend is dying, and his long-time foster mother is slowly forgetting who he is. Adrift without his two anchors, and struggling with the ethics of displacing people for a living, he looks for something to remind him of who he is and who he wants to be.

Winter People is a story of forgiveness, resilience, and the power of the sea to unlock what we are most afraid to say.

 

What did I think?

Winter People is a literary feast for the eyes; it's so beautifully written with calm, gentle and soothing prose that reminded me of small waves lapping the shore.  The cover itself perfectly encapsulates the keen sense of place that is evident throughout the novel and I could look at this gorgeous artwork for hours.

There are three characters: Sis, Lydia and Peter, and three parts to the book: Storm, Sea and Sky.  I loved the layout of the three parts that brought the coastal atmosphere to the front of my mind and the long chapters that allowed me to really get to know the characters.  Each character has their own demon to face and Gráinne Murphy explores this sensitively and exquisitely.

This novel may be described as a slow burn but that's the best way to fully appreciate the sublime writing.  The cover of the novel mentions three days, three strangers, one question but I have to say that I wouldn't have been able to tell you what the question was if it wasn't in the blurb.  I think perhaps it's there if you look for it but I was carried away with the rhythm of the prose and simply enjoyed the beautiful writing.

Beautifully written, Winter People is a wonderful literary novel that should be savoured rather than devoured.  Gráinne Murphy is an author to watch and Winter People has the feel of a classic novel that will be enjoyed for generations.

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

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BLOG TOUR: A Christmas Celebration - Heidi Swain

When Paige turns up unannounced at Wynthorpe Hall, she discovers the place she knew when she was growing up has changed beyond all recognition. She’s only planning to stay for a short time, but is quickly pulled into local life.

 

One night while driving home after delivering library books and shopping to residents she stumbles across an isolated cottage and meets Albert, its elderly and rather grumpy owner. She quickly realises there’s more to Albert than meets the eye and the same can be said for the other man she can’t seem to help running into, handsome but brooding Brodie.

 

All three of them have a secret and a desire to hide away from the world, but with Christmas on the horizon, is that really the best way to celebrate the season?

 

What did I think?

There's something so very special about a Heidi Swain novel so I was super excited to read A Christmas Celebration, and it completely exceeded all of my expectations.  Even though it's only October it made me feel rather festive, but more than that, it warmed my heart and filled me with goodwill.

I totally identified and emphasised with the main character of Paige.  She made a mistake in her job that she is totally beating herself up about and she keeps imagining the worst that could have happened, even though it didn't.  Paige is inflicted with that old 'what if...' that goes round and round inside your head and causes nightmares.

A visit to Paige's godparents is just the tonic that she needs and it seems like Paige has turned up at just the right time - with so much to do in the run up to Christmas, Paige is kept very busy and has little time to dwell on what might have been.  I couldn't help but be infected by some of Angus' enthusiasm for all things festive, especially from Heidi Swain's wonderful, magical descriptions of Wynthorpe Hall and the beautiful village of Wynbridge.

I was completely enthralled by the two men who enter Paige's life.  I could have reached into the book and given a huge hug to octogenarian Albert and reading about his lonely existence brought a tear to my eye.  It was so lovely to see the community spirit in Wynbridge that reaches out to people living alone in isolated homes.  Albert may have started my heart warming but Paige's love interest Brodie had my heart racing.  I mean, who doesn't love a Mr Darcy type character in a novel?  

I love how Heidi Swain's novels are standalone but often reference her earlier novels and I loved the mentions of the Cherry Tree Cafe and Skylark Farm, even though it has been many years since I read about them.  I felt like I was meeting old friends again and seeing how well they were doing added another couple of degrees on my heart temperature scale.

Completely heartwarming and gloriously festive, A Christmas Celebration is simply fabulous.  I really hope I get time to read it again nearer Christmas as it's the perfect book to read during the festive season.  Very highly recommended. 

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

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BLOG TOUR: The Beginner's Guide to Loneliness - Laura Bambrey

 

The perfect feel-good read from an exciting new voice in women’s fiction, for fans of Heidi Swain, Cathy Bramley and Jenny Colgan.

Tori Williamson is alone. After a tragic event left her isolated from her loved ones, she’s been struggling to find her way back to, well – herself. That’s why she set up her blog, The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness, as a way of – anonymously – connecting with the outside world and reaching others who just need a little help sometimes.

 

When she’s offered a free spot on a wellbeing retreat in exchange for a review on her blog, Tori is anxious about opening herself up to new surroundings. But after her three closest friends – who she talks to online but has never actually met – convince her it’ll do her some good, she reluctantly agrees and heads off for three weeks in the wild (well, a farm in Wales).

 

From the moment she arrives, Tori is sceptical and quickly finds herself drawn to fellow sceptic Than, the retreat’s dark and mysterious latecomer. But as the beauty of The Farm slowly comes to light she realizes that opening herself up might not be the worst thing. And sharing a yurt with fellow retreater Bay definitely isn’t.  Will the retreat be able to fix Tori? Or will she finally learn that being lonely doesn’t mean she’s broken . . .

 

Welcome to The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness! Where you can learn to move mountains by picking up the smallest of stones…

What did I think?

I LOVED THIS BOOK!  Yes, I'm shouting but if just one person hears me then it's a job well done.  Laura Bambrey's awesome debut novel should come on prescription as it's not only perfect escapism for our troubled times but it's guaranteed to leave a smile on your face.  

Tori is such a wonderful character and I loved her from the start.  Owner of the blog, The Beginner's Guide to Loneliness, she readily admits that she is lonely but she has built up a following online that reminds her that there are other lonely people out there.  With no family or friends in her life, Tori has a select group of 3 virtual friends she has never met but who she loves dearly.  When she is invited to review a wellbeing retreat for her blog, Tori must step out from behind her screen and meet some real people.

Everyone at the retreat is there for a reason, some to escape the real world and others to work through deep-rooted issues.  I don't think Tori realises how much she fits into the latter category until the magic of the retreat starts to work on her.  The double whammy of events in Tori's past resulted in her pulling down and bolting the shutters but her new friends at the retreat have the key and together they have the strength to overcome any difficulty.

I feel like I went to the retreat with Tori as I found myself looking at my own life, particularly how I think about and talk to myself, and I don't think I have ever used the Kindle highlight function so much.  I loved the completely honest and enlightening excerpts from Tori's blog at the beginning of every chapter and I must have highlighted most of them.  I need to read the book again just to revisit these pearls of wisdom because I absolutely raced through the whole book in my eagerness to get back to The Farm to find out what would happen next.

Beautifully written, The Beginner's Guide to Loneliness is a completely awesome debut.  It's uplifting, heartwarming and surprisingly enlightening.  Perfectly plotted, it's painted like a masterpiece with just the right amount of shade so it's not all sweetness and light.  It's so good that I will be reading it again and if that's not the highest recommendation I can give, I don't know what is.  A stunning debut and an absolute must read.

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

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BLOG TOUR: All the Lonely People - Mike Gayle

Hubert Bird is not alone in being alone.

He just needs to realise it.

In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship and fulfilment.

But Hubert Bird is lying.

The truth is day after day drags by without him seeing a single soul.

Until, that is, he receives some good news - good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on.

Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out.

Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all . . .

Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows will he ever get to live the life he's pretended to have for so long?

From bestselling author Mike Gayle, All the Lonely People is by turns a funny and moving meditation on love, race, old age and friendship that will not only charm and uplift, but also remind you of the power of ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference.

What did I think?

What a lovely story; anyone who doesn't love Hubert Bird must have a heart of stone.  Although I experienced a range of emotions whilst reading All the Lonely People, I read most of it with a smile on my face.  Hubert is a fantastic character and he really doesn't know how special he is; he truly is one in a million.

With his daughter in Australia and his son who knows where, widower Hubert thinks he's quite content being alone.  All he wants is a quiet life with his adopted cat but to stop his daughter Rose from worrying about him he pretends to attend an over 60's group at the local community centre.  Every week when she calls home, Hubert regales Rose with stories of his new found (imaginary) friends when all the time he has never left the house.  It started out as just a little lie with the best intentions but when Rose calls to say she is coming home, Hubert has to find some real friends pretty sharpish.

As we follow Hubert's attempts to make friends, we are also given flashbacks to the 1950's when he was a young man starting a new life in England, leaving his friends and family back home in Jamaica.  The racism is blatant in the 1950's and 60's and it's so sad to read what people had to put up with simply because of the colour of their skin.  On the positive side, it's heartening to see how far we've come in a relatively short space of time, although there's still a long way to go yet.

I loved the community spirit in the book and the knowledge that friends can be any age, colour or sex.  Hubert meeting his new neighbour, young single mother Ashleigh, is the catalyst that starts a chain reaction which ensures that Hubert's life will never be the same again.  As the pair become friends they embark on a campaign to end loneliness in the town of Bromley, but as their fame grows Hubert worries that the lies he has told Rose will be exposed before he has the chance to explain to her face to face.

I laughed and cried, I was shocked and surprised but I loved every minute of All the Lonely People.  It's beautifully heartwarming and exudes charm from every page.  Completely captivating, All the Lonely People is a very special book and one I won't forget in a hurry.  I cannot recommended it highly enough.

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

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