BLOG TOUR: An Academic Affair - Jodi McAlister

 

The Love Hypothesis meets The Hating Game in a new standalone romcom from New York Times acclaimed author and romance academic Jodi McAlister.

From rivals in the classroom. . . to partners in real life? 

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have known each other for fifteen years – and they’ve disliked each other for every one of them. It started with a minor altercation in an undergrad literature class, but as their academic careers developed, so did the intensity of their arguments. By the time they graduate with their doctorates, they’re embroiled in a full-on rivalry.

So when a position comes up that Sadie and Jonah are both perfect for, their ongoing enmity explodes into a red-hot competition. But as Sadie fights to secure her future, she realises there might be a way for both of them to get their dream job. There's just one catch – they'll have to get married first.

When things get personal, though, Sadie will have to keep her eye on the prize. A fake marriage isn't worth jeopardising her real career over, is it?

What did I think?

An Academic Affair is the first Jodi McAlister novel I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I really enjoyed the academia setting and the longstanding rivalry between the two main characters who are clearly meant to be together.

Sadie and Jonah are rivals who can't seem to escape each other.  The hand of fate is working overtime to push them together but their academic brains are refusing to see what is meant to be.  When they both go for the same job, Sadie has an idea that means they could both get what they want and she goes one better than fake dating by coming up with a fake marriage plan.

What Sadie doesn't know is that the reader is privy to Jonah's thoughts (and cute footnotes) and he loves her!  The footnotes do interrupt the reading flow a little but it makes the academia theme more authentic. Whilst Jonah is being honest about his feelings for Sadie (on the page, at least), Sadie is keeping her cards close to her chest.  Of course the fake marriage puts them in such close proximity that they have to accept their feelings for one another, but who will be the first to show their hand?

The author has an academic background which makes the way that Sadie and Jonah are treated in the workplace quite shocking.  Their intellectual property is brazenly stolen and I was absolutely furious on their behalf.  Just as well Jodi McAlister has written such a lovely love story to put out the flames of my fury.

Completely charming and incredibly romantic, An Academic Affair is a delightful novel that had me rooting for the main characters to be honest with each other and to grab hold of their happy ending.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Luminous - Silvia Park

The lonely worlds of three very unusual siblings collide in this breathtaking tale of what it means to be human

Three siblings. Two human, one robot. The spectacular new debut about what it means to be alive.

In a recently reunified Korea, robots have integrated seamlessly into society. They are our teachers, our bus drivers and policemen. They are our lovers. They are even our children.

Eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scrap metal in a Seoul junkyard, searching for anything that might repair her failing body. There amongst the piles of junk she happens across a robot boy: lifelike, strange and unlike anything she's seen before.

Across the city, estranged siblings Jun and Morgan Cho haven't spoken since the abrupt disappearance of their robot brother Yoyo, which shattered their childhoods and left a gaping hole in their lives. But Ruijie's discovery is about to bring the lives of brother and sister hurtling back together, forcing them to confront the reality of Yoyo's true nature, and the dark purpose their father never revealed.

At once a dazzling work of speculative fiction and a poignant family drama, Luminous is a timely, unforgettable story about what it really means to be human.

 

What did I think?

Luminous is an original and imaginative debut novel that is set in a scarily realistic future where robots live among us.  To say it is thought-provoking is an understatement as I can't stop thinking or talking about since I finished reading it.

There are two strands to the story and both are linked by Yoyo, a robot who was once the sibling of Morgan and Jun but is found in a junkyard by Ruijie.  Ruijie's story really got to me as despite all the robotic enhancements to her body, her time on this earth is limited.  At least getting to know Yoyo enhances her life as her previous solitary existence is turned into an adventure.

Morgan and Jun have very different memories of Yoyo and memory is a very thought-provoking theme in the book.  I couldn't help but wonder whether what makes us unique is perhaps our own individual memories but if you could transfer these memories to another being when you die, do they effectively become you?  This is just one of the thoughts that this inventive book has planted in my brain but there are many more to provoke and challenge every reader.

I don't read a lot of speculative fiction so I did get a bit lost in the narrative sometimes, however, I couldn't put the book down as I was completely immersed in the fascinating world created by Silvia Park.  It's a world that is very easy to imagine as its reality is perhaps closer than I might think.

Evocative, thought-provoking and alluring, Luminous is a wonderful debut novel that has stayed with me long after turning the final page.  It's well worth a read if you're looking for something different and a must-read if you're already a fan of speculative fiction.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

SILVIA PARK grew up in Seoul and has spent most of their life in Korea. They received their BA from Columbia and their MFA from NYU, in addition to completing the Clarion Workshop in 2018 on the George R.R. Martin “Sense of Wonder” Fellowship. Their short fiction has been published in Black Warrior Review, Joyland and Tor.com, nominated for a Pushcart and reprinted in the 2019 Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. They teach fiction at the University of Kansas and split their time between Lawrence and Seoul.  LUMINOUS is their first novel and a TV series is under development with Media Res Studio. 

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BLOG TOUR: The Perfect Parents - J. A. Baker

Jackson and Lydia Hemsworth are pillars of the community, feted for having the perfect marriage and three wonderful children – Florence, Jessica and Ezra.

But appearances can be deceptive.

Because behind closed doors Jackson Hemsworth rules his family with cruelty and control. His marriage is a sham; his children for years have cowed in fear.

Until the day that Jackson and Lydia throw themselves off Newport Bridge in a joint suicide pact – the final cruel blow by Jackson to control his wife and torture his adult children.

As the Hemsworth siblings return to their family home, they must try to make sense of their parents’ last act. But there are many dark secrets waiting to be unearthed at Armett House.

Like, why are the townsfolk so suddenly hostile towards them? And who are the strangers who arrive at Armett House unannounced? And why has their mother’s body still not been found?

In the aftermath of their parents’ death, it becomes clear that something terrible is about to be exposed about the Hemsworths’ perfect parents.

A secret they may all wish had stayed hidden…

 

What did I think?

I've read enough J. A. Baker books to know that the parents in a book titled The Perfect Parents are going to be anything but perfect parents.  Just what sort of parents jump off a bridge for a start?

Three siblings return to the family home after the shock of their parents' suicide.  There is only one funeral to arrange though as their mother's body has not been recovered and the children aren't about to shed many tears over the death of their father.  The people in the town aren't upset about Jackson Hemsworth's demise and there is outright hostility at the funeral.  Just what has he done and why did he kill himself?

It does sometimes get a little confusing as to who is who, especially when the secrets start to be spilled and my poor old tired brain tried to understand the links and repercussions. This is probably because I only read my kindle in bed at night, so I'm sure a more alert brain would have no such issues.

This book is chock-a-block full of secrets and I couldn't read fast enough to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Hemsworths and Armett House.  There are lots of shocks and surprises in store for the reader and I had a veritable gasp out loud moment after one such shock.  I absolutely love books filled with secrets so I really enjoyed The Perfect Parents.

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

My rating:

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/perfectparentssocial

About the author:

J. A. Baker is a successful psychological thriller writer of numerous books, previously published by Bloodhound. Born and brought up in Middlesbrough, she still lives in the North East, which inspires the settings for her books. Her first title for Boldwood was published in December 2022.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judith.baker.9

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewriterjude

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jabakerauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JABakerNews

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The Paris Apartment - Lucy Foley

In a beautiful old apartment block, deep in the backstreets of Paris, secrets are stirring behind every resident’s door.

The lonely wife

The party animal

The curtain-twitcher

The secret lover

The watchful caretaker

The unwanted guest

One resident is missing. Only the killer holds the key to the mystery… 

What did I think?

Yowzers! Reviewing this book without giving anything away is going to be tricky so this may be a short review, but it’s no reflection on how completely brilliant the book is.

I love Lucy Foley books and The Paris Apartment is no exception.  I absolutely raced through it and couldn’t put it down, greedily devouring every single word until I had discovered all of the skeletons in its closet.  The residents of these luxury apartments have more skeletons in their closets than Halloween, that's for sure.

Jess is visiting her brother in Paris but when she gets there he has disappeared.  Jess seems to be the only one worried about Ben, despite his friend being one of his neighbours.  Told from various points of view, Jess begins her search for Ben whilst the reader peeks through the keyhole of each apartment.

The characters are drawn brilliantly; I was suspicious of all of them and I thought I had worked out what had happened to Ben (and where he was) but of course it's a Lucy Foley book so I was completely wrong.  I love being wrong like this though and there are so many jawdropping moments in the book that I'm surprised I didn't have jaw ache.

Brilliantly written, The Paris Apartment is a twisty, addictive and entertaining mystery.  It's reminiscent of Agatha Christie and I'd love to see this on the big screen.  C'est magnifique!

I received a gifted paperback for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Un-Family - Linda Huber

For better, for worse

Wildlife vet Holly's life seems blissful: husband Dylan is the man of her dreams, she has a rewarding career and a lovely home. And yet, a tiny niggle is growing daily. Dylan is becoming increasingly remote - but why? Holly is determined to mend the fissure in their relationship. But a shocking discovery changes everything...  

Family ties

Then there's Dylan's family: his wayward twin Seth and their widowed mother Elaine, who is rather fond of a glass or two of sherry. Nothing in Elaine's life is easy, bringing up teenage granddaughter Megan while the family grieves the loss of Megan's mother.

Family lies

A tragic event rocks the foundations of the family, and Holly's life starts to unravel. Dylan drifts ever further away. Megan is left uncertain and alone, while Seth falls deeper into himself.

 

The bonds that once bound the family together are breaking. Can they ever be repaired?

 

What did I think?

It's been a long time since I last read a Linda Huber novel and what a fantastic novel to reintroduce me to this fabulous author.  The Un-Family is a real page-turner; it's like watching a family implode in slow motion and I loved it.  

This is one massively dysfunctional family that might look cosy from the outside but they're practically fizzing with resentment for each other.  Elaine is the matriarch of the family, she's a mother of three and grandmother of one.  I really felt sorry for Elaine, her twin sons came along late in life and then her daughter Bryony died leaving Elaine to bring up her granddaughter, Megan.  It's no wonder she's a little tired and forgetful these days.

The twin brothers are something else - Dylan really doesn't like his twin brother Seth.  In Dylan's eyes, Seth appears to be Elaine's favourite and Dylan can't forgive him for that.  Dylan is absolutely delighted to know something about Seth's past and he likes to frequently remind Seth about it.  All this hate for his brother seems to be affecting his relationship with his wife and poor Holly can't say or do anything right.

I really loved Megan, her love for her grandmother really shines through and she is nothing like her uncles.  It was so lovely to see her relationship with Holly grow and it just shows how lovely Holly is when she devotes so much time to Megan even while her marriage is crumbling around her.

Suspense and tension oozes out from every page and I couldn't read The Un-Family fast enough.  There are so many shocks and surprises in store for the reader and you never know what's going to happen next.  A highly recommended read that makes you appreciate your own family that little bit more.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Aurora - David Koepp

When the lights go out no one is safe…

A planet without power.

When a solar storm hits the earth, the lights go out across the planet. But this time the blackout won’t be over soon – it could last for years. Aubrey and her stepson now face the biggest challenge of their lives.

 

A society without rules.

Soon they hear rumours of riots, the struggle for food becomes real, and even within their small communities, the rule of law is collapsing. Aubrey’s estranged brother Thom, a self-made billionaire who abandoned her years ago, retreats to a gilded desert bunker where he can ride out the crisis in perfect luxury.

 

A race to build a better world…

But the complicated history between the siblings is far from over, and what feels like the end of the world is just the beginning of a personal reckoning long overdue…

 

What did I think?

Aurora by David Koepp stood out as being something a little bit different from other books I have read and I really enjoyed it.  I started out thinking it was science fiction but it is scarily realistic and a thriller element is added to keep the pages turning at lightning speed.

The main part of the story is a coronal mass ejection (CME) hitting earth and taking out the power.  The book starts by telling us about The Carrington Event, the CME that hit earth in 1859, and expected to occur every 150 years.  Three little words at the end of that section chilled me to the bone: "We are overdue."

The scene is set and I was already thinking how real this could be.  Scientists check and double check their data, governments refuse to believe the scale of the event, and billionaires race to their bunkers.  Aubrey and Thom are siblings but their lives couldn't be more different.  When the world goes dark, Aubrey is stuck in Aurora, Illinois with a layabout stepson and Thom is in his state of the art bunker in California.

I love how the different character storylines flow and intermingle; I thought I wouldn't remember who certain characters were but they each have a role to play and fit into the story perfectly.  Just seeing how different people react to such massive challenges is so interesting to read - it's amazing how people can react to change and it's heartwarming to see that instead of being selfish, it's better to work together.  Of course, some people are only looking out for themselves and they will never change.

The writing is so vivid and the storyline is so gripping that I'm not surprised it's being made into a film.  I could have read so much more than the 400 pages included in the book, in fact I was disappointed to reach the end as I wanted to find out more.  

Scarily realistic, Aurora is gripping, thrilling and eye-opening; I can't wait to watch it on the big screen.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Better Brother - Simon Gravatt

 

Michael Merriweather's carefully planned life is blown off course when he receives a call to tell him that his father has cremated himself. Michael then learns from a small-town lawyer that he stands to inherit a small fortune he previously knew nothing about, but only if he sacrifices his accountancy career to take over the family funeral business with his brother, Jack, whom he despises.

Sucked back into the small provincial world and the family funeral firm he has rejected, Michael can no longer avoid his loathsome sibling. Jack Merriweather has no idea what he's done to deserve his brother's hostility, but he's about to suffer the consequences. Then, when his patience finally breaks, he will exact delicious revenge.

The Better Brother is a darkly comic tale of sibling rivalry laced with the power, passion, revenge and everyday friction of family business. It explores what happens when two warring brothers are forced to work together. Will Michael and Jack learn to love and respect each other? Or will their acrimony escalate? If so, who will come out on top? Who is the better brother?

What did I think?

That first line in the blurb about Michael's father cremating himself hooked me before I'd even picked up the book.  What an ingenious storyline!  It's sad but funny and sets off a chain of events that puts the Merriweather brothers in the same room when they haven't spoken to each other for years.  Expect sparks to fly!

The broken relationship between Michael and Jack is absolutely heartbreaking.  The hostility began when their mother died and their father was grieving so he didn't notice his sons growing further and further apart...which is something he plans to rectify from beyond the grave.  When the brothers inherit the Merriweather funeral business they either have to work together or lose their inheritance.  

Whilst Michael and Jack are brilliant main characters, my favourite character ended up being their father's long-standing employee, Royston.  Royston is hilarious, from his tattoos to his swearing he's such a colourful character that he virtually leapt out of the page.  I could read a whole book with him as the main character.

It is clear that Simon Gravatt has a background in business as the pressure of running a business is palpable throughout the book.  It was interesting to see how the brothers reacted to their inheritance; one changes for the better and one changes for the worse.  There are hard decisions to be made and back-stabbing aplenty as each brother vies to come out on top.

Very well-written, engaging and humorous, The Better Brother is a brilliant debut and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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About the author:

Simon Gravatt is a first-time novelist who lives in South London. He's drawn from personal experience as a brother and business owner to write his tale of sibling rivalry and the combustibility of small business. Simon is married with two adult children.

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BLOG TOUR: One Year Later - Sanjida Kay

Some secrets won’t stay buried…

Since Amy's daughter, Ruby-May, died in a terrible accident, her family have been beset by grief. One year later, the family decide to go on holiday to mend their wounds. An idyllic island in Italy seems the perfect place for them to heal and repair their relationships with one another.

But no sooner have they arrived than they discover nothing on this remote island is quite as it seems. And with the anniversary of the little girl's death looming, it becomes clear that at least one person in the family is hiding a shocking secret. As things start to go rapidly wrong, Amy begins to question whether everyone will make it home...

What did I think?

I'm a little behind with my Sanjida Kay books but having absolutely loved her debut, Bone by Bone, I couldn't wait to get my hands on her new novel, One Year Later.  I have to say that I literally couldn't put this book down; when I wasn't reading it, I carried it around with me as if it was superglued to my hand.  It certainly made a lasting impression on me and I felt incredibly emotional as I turned the final page.

The loss of a child is always going to be highly emotional and I found this story heartbreaking from the very first chapter when we are introduced to grieving mother, Amy.  Amy and Matt's daughter, Ruby-May, died the day before her third birthday whilst in the care of Amy's family.  For the first anniversary of Ruby-May's death, a trip to a remote Italian island is arranged for all but one member of the family - the person who Amy and Matt blame for the death of their daughter.  Some members of the family think it is time to forgive but others want to keep the focus of the blame firmly in the direction it is currently pointed.

I love books like this where the characters have things to hide and maybe aren't what they seem.  I felt a bit guilty suspecting them of covering up the truth as ultimately they are all grieving the loss of a little girl, but I knew that there was more to this story than first meets the eye.  I really enjoyed delving into the sibling relationships between Amy and her brother Nick and her sister Bethany.  The chapters are told from either Nick or Amy's point of view so you get a really good feel for the characters and also little discrepancies between their memories that really heightened the intrigue.

I liked how Dante Alighieri's poem The Divine Comedy is mentioned quite a few times in the book; it really seemed to fit into the story as the characters were finding their way through their own personal hell.  Along with some great references to Star Wars, I was also delighted to see an Avery Barkley quote from one of my favourite TV shows, Nashville, being immortalised in print. Sanjida Kay is obviously a fellow Nashie!

Heartbreaking from the start and packed with emotion, One Year Later is an intelligent and engrossing domestic thriller.  Sanjida Kay perfectly encapsulates the intense feelings we have for our family in her stunning new novel.  A definite recommended read and a sparkling five stars from me.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

SANJIDA KAY is a writer and broadcaster. She lives in Somerset with her daughter and husband. She has written three previous psychological thrillers, Bone by Bone, The Stolen Child and My Mother's Secret to critical acclaim.

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BLOG TOUR: Then She Vanishes - Claire Douglas

Summer, 1994. Jess and Heather are best friends – the kind of best friends who get detention together, who share everything, and who spend each day of the hazy, endless summer holiday together. Until the fair comes to town – and Heather’s sister Flora goes missing.  

Twenty years later, Heather walks into a suburban home and shoots two people, before turning the gun on herself. 

As she lies in critical condition, Jess, now a journalist, is sent to cover the case. It’s her chance to prove herself after a terrible mistake almost ruined her career, even if it reopens old scars. 

But Heather’s family, once just like her own, doesn’t trust her anymore, and the closer Jess gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes that the scars from twenty years ago never really healed at all.  

As the case puts pressure on everyone involved, facades begin to crack and relationships begin to splinter. What happened to Flora all those years ago? Is someone watching Jess? And what secrets were the sisters hiding?  

What did I think?

I felt rather smug when I was reading Then She Vanishes; I thought I'd worked it all out, you see.  The more I read, the more I was convinced that I was right but then Claire Douglas totally pulled the rug from underneath me!  Well played, Ms Douglas, very well played indeed.

The story starts with a double murder as an elderly mother and her son are shot in their home.  It looks like an open and shut case as the shooter, Heather, is found barely alive after turning the gun on herself.  With no apparent links between Heather and her victims, and therefore no motive, nobody can explain why Heather would commit such a crime.  Local newspaper reporter, Jess, has an advantage over the national reporters who are hounding Heather's family; Jess was best friends with Heather for a while when they were teenagers but they lost touch when Heather's sister, Flora, went missing.  Surely that was a time when Heather needed Jess the most?  Aha! There's obviously more to the Flora story than meets the eye and so begins a gripping and compelling dual storyline.

I was totally riveted with this book; I loved 16 year old Flora Powell's story as she was completely captivated by a young man working at the fair.  Flora's story is not a teenage romance by any means as it quickly takes on a more sinister edge, which results in her disappearance.  The 'now' setting of the story is 2012, 18 years later, and Flora's family still don't know what happened to her back in 1994.  I think that's the worst thing for families of missing persons; the not knowing what happened to them and where the finding of a body would actually bring some closure and peace.  As we find out, this isn't the only tragedy that has struck the Powell family; they have certainly had more than their fair share of heartache.

The character of Jess is very well written; she's a journalist and we often look at them in an unfavourable light for very good reasons, which Jess learned about first hand.  After a murky past, it feels like she is almost trying to reinvent herself and I could really feel the struggle between her personal and professional lives as she investigates her former best friend.  It's a really good conflict to consider; which is more important - doing a good job by reporting all of the facts or protecting a fragile renewed friendship?  I think it would be really difficult to be objective where a friend or loved one is involved but Jess tries to get the balance right and I really admired her for that.

With chapters based on characters' different points of view, you get to experience the story from every angle.  There are a few secrets to uncover and you never know when the next one is going to pop up so this kept me rapidly turning the pages, even though I thought I knew what had happened.  I love being wrong; it's definitely an indication of a good book! 

With this being her fifth novel, I think Claire Douglas is going from strength to strength and she's proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the thriller chart.  Although it's of a slightly slower pace than thrillers I'm used to reading, I really enjoyed Then She Vanishes; it's as mesmerising as the sparkly lights of the fairground and I couldn't put it down.  It gives me great pleasure to award the full 5 stars to Then She Vanishes and name it as a Book Magnet recommended read.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Claire Douglas always wanted to write novels and, after many years of trying to get published, her dream came true when she won the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award in 2013 with THE SISTERS.

Her subsequent novels LOCAL GIRL MISSING, LAST SEEN ALIVE and DO NOT DISTURB all reached the Sunday Times top ten bestsellers list and are published in over fifteen countries. LOCAL GIRL MISSING was the bestselling crime debut of 2018 in Germany. Her fifth thriller, THEN SHE VANISHES is due for release in Ebook end of June 2019 and in paperback August 2019.

You can find Claire on Twitter at @DougieClaire, instagram as clairedouglasauthor or visit her Facebook page clairedouglasauthor.

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BLOG TOUR: My Mother's Shadow - Nikola Scott

Hartland House has always been a faithful keeper of secrets...

1958. Sent to beautiful Hartland to be sheltered from her mother's illness, Liz spends the summer with the wealthy Shaw family. They treat Liz as one of their own, but their influence could be dangerous...

Now. Addie believes she knows everything about her mother Elizabeth and their difficult relationship until her recent death. When a stranger appears claiming to be Addie's sister, she is stunned. Is everything she's been told about her early life a lie?

How can you find the truth about the past if the one person who could tell you is gone? Addie must go back to that golden summer her mother never spoke of...and the one night that changed a young girl's life for ever.

What did I think?

In her debut novel, My Mother's Shadow, Nikola Scott uses the tried and tested dual timeline to draw readers into the story and it works a treat.  With secrets to uncover, the pages turn effortlessly as we learn the story of Elizabeth Holloway through her diary excerpts.  Her eldest daughter, Addie, never felt as if she was good enough for her mother and her mother's death a year prior means that Addie can never get answers to the questions that still float around in her head.

As the Harrington family gather to remember Elizabeth on the first anniversary of her death, they are disturbed by a stranger at the door. A stranger, Phoebe Roberts, who claims to be Elizabeth's daughter and she has the same date of birth as Addie.  When Addie finally accepts that Phoebe is telling the truth, the newly reconnected sisters try to understand why Elizabeth kept one twin and gave away the other.  Only by understanding what happened in the past, can Addie make sense of the strained relationship she had with her mother, and find the answers that she craves.

My Mother's Shadow is quite an emotional read; 1958 doesn't seem that long ago but it felt like the dark ages when I was reading this book.  It just shows how very far we've come in the treatment of women and it also reminds us all that there are two sides to every story.  I had a lump in my throat as Elizabeth's story was revealed piece by piece and my feelings towards her changed at the same time.  I couldn't understand how Elizabeth treated Addie different to her younger siblings, Venetia and Jas, although she probably didn't even realise she was doing it.  There was no doubt that Elizabeth loved Addie but Addie always got the impression that she disappointed her and she wasn't good enough...now we know why.

I loved how Addie jumped to conclusions, the same conclusions as I did, when Phoebe turned up but it transpired to be so very wrong. It's human nature to make such assumptions but if only we would gather all the facts beforehand we could save ourselves some heartache. The family theme is strong in My Mother's Shadow, both past and present, and it kept the story rolling along at just the right pace.

My Mother's Shadow is an emotional story about unearthing well-buried family secrets and how we like to keep things hidden but sometimes a problem shared is a problem halved.

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: House of Dreams - Fanny Blake

I'm delighted to be the first stop on the House of Dreams Blog Tour with my review of this gorgeous book.  Many thanks to Elaine Egan from Orion for sending me the book and inviting me to take part in the tour.

Make sure you follow the tour to find out what other bloggers thought of House of Dreams. For my thoughts on House of Dreams, read on for my review.

Only a weekend in Spain - what could possibly go wrong?

At their family hilltop villa, Lucy awaits the arrival of her brother and sister for their mother's annual birthday party. Although this time, their mother won't be there.

Struggling at Malaga airport with her fractious four year old, Jo has already lost her case and is dreading arriving without its precious contents.

For Tom, returning to Casa de Sueños stirs up all sorts of memories - then a beautiful face from his past appears . . .

Over one long, hot weekend, past secrets will spill out as three siblings discover more about their family and each other in this gorgeous, warm and witty new novel from Fanny Blake.

What did I think?

The cover of this book is so beautiful and inviting that I couldn't wait to jump inside and visit Casa de Sueños: Hope and her family's very own House of Dreams.

The story is told over 5 days with the book starting on Thursday as Lucy, Hope's youngest daughter, is preparing Casa de Sueños for the arrival of her siblings, Jo and Tom, and other invited guests for Hope's last birthday party.  Hope will be missing from the celebrations (in more ways than one) as she recently passed away in England, so her family are gathering to say their final farewell and scatter Hope's ashes.

We then meet Jo, the eldest of the siblings, and her 4-year-old daughter, Ivy, as they arrive at Malaga airport waiting at the carousel for their luggage.  Then the moment we have all dreaded as the final case belly-flops onto the carousel and it's not Jo's.  Meanwhile, Hope's middle child, Tom and his wife Belle are en-route to Casa de Sueños with their two teenage sons, not forgetting Ferdie, Belle's miniature dog accessory.

So the scene is set and when all three siblings are together I got the impression that they weren't terribly close as everything feels a little fraught and awkward.  It doesn't help that Jo's case has gone missing and Belle is already asking for Hope's ring.  As the week goes on and more guests arrive for the party, we get to know the characters and I didn't realise how much I cared for them until Hope's ashes were scattered and I felt myself getting a little emotional.  Then as Hope's secrets are revealed, the siblings grow closer together and I felt the family becoming a very strong unit when the book draws to a close on the Monday.

Sometimes I felt I was eavesdropping on a very personal moment in the family's lives but that is because of the emotion that this book evokes.  I felt part of the family and loved how the family emerged at the end, almost reborn.  There is a profusion of witty observations in this book to lighten the mood along the way.  I don't want to spoil the book by sharing them, but, as one who has emerged from the hairdresser ready to fight in the English Civil War, I appreciated the description of Belle's haircut as evidenced by my snorts of laughter.

This is a wonderful book to lose yourself in.  Although it is a sad occasion it is a celebration of Hope's life and as her life is slowly revealed we come to understand some of the decisions she made.  As the cold winter nights draw in, this is a book to really warm your heart.

I received this book from the publisher, Orion, in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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