BLOG TOUR: The Seven O'Clock Club - Amelia Ireland

At seven o'clock one Tuesday evening, in a perfectly ordinary tower block near Westminster, four strangers meet for the first time. They each have three things in common: all suffered a traumatic experience six months earlier; all exhibit a dogged inability to put it behind them; and all accepted an invitation to attend tonight's counselling session with the unconventional Genevieve - a determined woman with an unusual theory to test.

But this isn't a novel about psychotherapy or self-forgiveness. Because there is another reason these four people have been brought together. And when that perfectly ordinary tower block near Westminster turns out to be not quite so ordinary, all five are forced to make some unexpected - and, for some, impossible - decisions . . .

A novel about friendship, strength and love, The Seven O'Clock Club is a reminder that life can give you hope. Even in the darkest of spaces.

 

What did I think?

I. Am. Broken.  I have never been so completely blindsided by a book and had the rug pulled out from under me so effectively that I gasped out loud and felt my heart break at the same time.  Then my shattered heart was put back together piece by piece as I devoured every single beautiful word that Amelia Ireland had written in her extraordinary debut novel.

Written in five parts representing the five stages of grief, we are introduced to five characters: four (Victoria, Mischa, Freya and Callum) who are grieving and one (Genevieve) who has set out to help them through the process as part of an experiment.  I experienced a wealth of emotions as each character gradually revealed their own story of loss and it is evident that Amelia Ireland has poured her heart and soul into this novel.

Have your tissues handy when you read this one as the tears come when you least expect it.  I thought I was all cried out but more tears kept appearing and I had a real lump in my throat at the end.  It's a bit of tearjerker but completely uplifting and hopeful too, so hold on to your tissues whilst you're riding The Seven O'Clock Club emotional rollercoaster.

Incredibly poignant and beautifully written, The Seven O'Clock Club is a stunning debut novel that took my breath away and left me speechless.  I'm not sure how Amelia Ireland is ever going to follow this book as she's set such a high bar but what a wonderful problem for a debut author to have.  A very highly recommended read and an easy five stars for this unmissable and unforgettable novel.

I received a gifted hardback copy 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:

Amelia Ireland wrote The Seven O'Clock Club in memory of her mother, who died shortly after being diagnosed with early onset dementia. She travels extensively for work, beginning the novel on a flight to Kampala and finishing it in a Hilton in Frankfurt.

A lawyer by profession, Amelia lives and works in London. The Seven O'Clock Club is her first novel.

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The Therapist - Helene Flood (Author), Alison McCullough (Translator)

 

At first it's the lie that hurts.

A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he's arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did.

She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients' deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.

To get to the root of Sigurd's disappearance, Sara must question everything she knows about her relationship.

Could the truth about what happened be inside her head?

Translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough

What did I think?

Helene Flood's debut adult novel starts with such a great hook that it kept me riveted from start to finish.  I love the drama of secrets and lies and there are a lot of buried secrets to unearth in The Therapist.  I have to say that the translation by Alison McCullough is so flawless that it's easy to forget the book was originally written in Norwegian.

The main character of Sara is a bit of a strange one; she doesn't seem to like people that much despite having to deal with them in her role as a therapist.  Sara is always tired and lethargic making me wonder whether there is an underlying reason for her lack of energy or whether she is just plain lazy.  Sara's marriage to Sigurd certainly seems to have sucked the life out of her and she's very quick to believe his friends (who she clearly doesn't like) rather than his voicemail when Sigurd disappears.  That speaks volumes!

With her strange actions, little inconsistencies and even questioning herself sometimes, Sara turns out to be a very unreliable narrator.  I loved the intriguing little glimpses into Sara's past and found myself almost creating a virtual painting of Sara's character, adding layer upon layer as more is revealed.  There are a number of suspects in the book and I was delighted to find that I was completely blindsided and had pinned my colours to the wrong mast!  I think I need to read it again to see how I was misdirected.

So very atmospheric and tense, The Therapist is an enthralling mystery and one that had me questioning everything I read.  It's definitely more of a slow burner but very well written and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Helene Flood book.

I received a gifted copy to participate in the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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In The Dying Minutes - J.A. Baker

Everyone has their secrets, some are more deadly than others.

What is she running away from?

When Leah is involved in a train crash, she goes to a therapist, Will. He attempts to help her through the trauma but whenever Leah is in his presence, strange things occur. She suffers from hallucinations that include visions of her dead brother, Ellis. 

As Leah reveals to Will that her friends Jacob and Chloe wronged her, further flashbacks of her childhood and parts of her life she would sooner forget begin to surface, troubling Leah even more.

But what is actually bothering her and what led Leah to be on that train? 

Nothing is as it seems, and soon she will learn the heart-breaking truth… 

What did I think?

Well this was a psychological thriller with a capital P.  I love J.A. Baker books and In The Dying Minutes feels much darker than her previous books; it's tense, creepy and disturbing which makes it a goosebumpy page turner.

Leah is such a complex character that you can't tell what is real and what is in her head.  Losing her boyfriend, her job and her home in quick succession has sent her on a downward spiral with devastating consequences.  It's not a spoiler to say that Leah is involved in a train crash and I just have to mention that J.A. Baker's writing of this scene was absolutely sublime.  It's not something I ever want to experience but I felt and heard unimaginable things through J.A. Baker's powerful writing.  I don't want to go into any details but there's one thing that stuck in my mind just before the crash and it's one of those sliding doors, what if moments.  I love this sort of thing, like the twist of fate and the possibility that everyone ended up where they were supposed to be.

Although I've focused on the train crash, the story is so much more than that.  It's a deep delve into the psyche of Leah, not just through her therapist but through her own actions.  Leah is so obsessed with her ex-boyfriend, Jacob, that she stalks him and his new girlfriend, Chloe.  I really enjoyed seeing inside the mind of a stalker: the delusions, the obsession and the disturbing mental health.

What really stands out for me is the way that the format of the book seems to mirror Leah's mind.  It jumps around a bit but rather than feel confusing, it just added to the authenticity of Leah's state of mind.  There are quite a few layers of the story as we unearth Leah's past and you can't help but feel sorry for her and think how things could have been different if she'd had counselling at an early age.  The story of Leah's brother, Ellis, really got to me and I loved the final thing that linked him and Leah - I just can't say what it is!!!

Shocking, disturbing and outstanding, In The Dying Minutes is so full of surprises that I feel like I need to read it again to pick up all the nuances that J.A. Baker has woven into her exceptional story.  An intelligent and imaginative story that is highly recommended.

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

My rating:

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Crazy Over You - Carol Thomas

When Abby met Simon, a drink in the uni bar lead to keeping in touch, late-night phone calls and intimate catch-ups. It was the start of something special, a love Abby believed would last a lifetime. 

A wedding, two daughters and fifteen years later, Abby's world is falling apart. Having discovered Simon has had an affair, her normally ordered mind is spiralling out of control. Crushed by the betrayal and shocked by her own reaction, she knows she needs to get herself together; she's just not sure where to start. 

With Simon on a mission to win her back and a close friend hiding a secret that could push her further over the edge, Abby finds strength and support where she least expects it. But as she attempts to gain control of her life and make decisions about her future, it may be more than the limits of Abby's mind that are put to the test! 

Crazy Over You is a refreshingly honest portrayal of a woman's reaction to her husband's infidelity while also being a touching story of friendship and love. It is a novel for all those who have experienced a break-up and know that living happily ever after is not quite as simple as meeting your man!

What did I think?

From looking at the cover, you might be forgiven for thinking that this is run-of-the-mill chick lit, but Crazy Over You is a really thought-provoking book examining the effect of an affair on a marriage.  Far from being all man-hating and finger pointing, it really digs deep into Abby's thoughts and feelings.

Abby is understandably crushed by Simon's affair.  She feels hurt, betrayed and angry so it's no wonder that she starts a harmless flirtation with her colleague, Brad the hunky PE teacher.  I wasn't sure of Abby's frame of mind when flirting with Brad, was she trying to get back at Simon or simply wanting to feel attractive?  Either way, Brad turns out to be a really good friend (almost with benefits) and when Simon sees Abby with Brad he gets a touch of the green-eyed monster and realises what he has lost.

The book really delves into Abby's psyche and I thought it was brilliant when she vented her anger by writing a therapeutic letter to 'her'.  As we all know, it takes two to tango so although Abby is angry with the other woman at first, she realises it is Simon she must forgive or forget in order to move on.  I really felt her struggling with her feelings and as she flirts more with Brad I could feel her struggling as she was still in love with Simon.

Abby needs to decide if her marriage is worth saving and just when she has made her decision she finds out that her friend has also been keeping a secret from her.  Abby is so confused and tormented that she thinks the worst and I wondered if she could ever trust Rachel or Simon again.  I'm not giving the ending away but this book is written in such a way that anything could happen and I'm sure it's an ending that will divide opinions.

A very clever, deep and thought provoking story.  For some reason, I didn't really warm to Abby so I can't award 5 stars, but I did enjoy the book as a whole.  It's a really good debut novel from Carol Thomas and I look forward to reading more from her.

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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