Women Like Us: A Memoir - Amanda Prowse

Amanda Prowse has built a bestselling career on the lives of fictional women. Now she turns the pen on her own life.

I guess the first question to ask is, what kind of woman am I? Well, you know those women who saunter into a room, immaculately coiffed and primped from head to toe?

If you look behind her, you’ll see me.

From her childhood, where there was no blueprint for success, to building a career as a bestselling novelist against all odds, Amanda Prowse explores what it means to be a woman in a world where popularity, slimness, beauty and youth are currency—and how she overcame all of that to forge her own path to happiness.

Sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious and always entirely relatable, Prowse details her early struggles with self-esteem and how she coped with the frustrating expectations others had of how she should live. Most poignantly, she delves into her toxic relationship with food, the hardest addiction she has ever known, and how she journeyed out the other side.

One of the most candid memoirs you’re ever likely to read, Women Like Us provides welcome insight into how it is possible—against the odds—to overcome insecurity, body consciousness and the ubiquitous imposter syndrome to find happiness and success, from a woman who’s done it all, and then some.

 

What did I think?

I adore Amanda Prowse novels but they never fail to make me cry and I thought I wouldn't need my tissues for her memoir, Women Like Us, but I couldn't have been more wrong.  Yep, you got me again, Amanda!

Firstly, I really must applaud Amanda Prowse for sharing her intimate and personal story with us.  Now I know how she can write such heartbreaking and true to life stories as she draws from the wealth of feelings and emotions from her own experiences.  I felt incredibly honoured to read this true story and couldn't believe how much resonated with me; it was almost as if Amanda was talking directly to me through her book.

Much like her fictional novels that mirror real life, it's not all heartbreak in this memoir; it's often amusing and there are some tea spurting out of your nose laugh out loud moments - thanks to Amanda's Aunty Kit's advice for that one!  

The book is well named as I think everyone will see something of themselves in Amanda's story; I lost count of the amount of times I thought 'me too' when I was reading.  I can't believe how many trials and tribulations Amanda has gone through in her life and still remained as bubbly and positive as she is.  You just never know what's going on behind a person's smile; I love Amanda's beautiful smile, by the way.

This book also helped me with something I'm going through at the moment: the dreaded 'change'.  It was incredibly enlightening to read about her own experience of the menopause.  I expected hot flushes but I was really puzzled by the snaps of bone chilling coldness that I experience on occasion.  I didn't know the chilly willies was also hormone related, so it's nice to know I'm not going completely bonkers!

Women Like Us really is for all women like us.  It's beautifully written with humour and heartfelt emotion that I found incredibly moving.  Thank you for sharing your wonderful story, Amanda x

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

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Love Like a Cephalopod - Cassondra Windwalker

To death and to the dragon born.

Being an executioner for the state is exhausting, but after a lifetime of dispatching the criminal and the inconvenient, fifty-eight-year-old Grenda finds it does have its compensations. Her cat-sized dragon Bjartur and the dragon eggs she tends are all the friends and family she needs. Completely cut off from the outside world, she happily accepts the luxuries owed her status – including a pet octopus named Morrigan – without the faintest twinge of conscience or doubt.

All that changes when she encounters the most unexpected nemesis: a young refugee girl whom Grenda is incapable of executing. Against her will, Grenda finds herself shifting from killer to caretaker, risking her life to defy the state she’s never questioned and help young Allora to freedom. Everything Grenda thinks she knows about her world, her life, and even her own identity cascades out of her control—including the dragon-bond she holds dearer than life itself.

 

What did I think?

Fantasy is not my usual genre but I was so impressed by Cassondra Windwalker's unforgettable novel Idle Hands that I leapt at the chance to read an early copy of Love Like a Cephalopod and wow, I was not disappointed.  

The writing is exquisite and the characters and scenery are brought to life so vividly that I could easily conjure their images in my mind.  The beautiful purple shades of octopus Morrigan's tank and the glittering green scales of Bjartur the dragon as well as the gooey melting cheese that Grenda loves so much.

I loved Grenda, the cheese-loving older protagonist whose life (if you can call it that) revolved around her work as an executioner for the state.  She works, she eats, she sleeps, she works and doesn't question it until she is unable to execute a young girl which completely tips the scales of Grenda's work/life balance.

As much as I loved Grenda, I also loved her dragon Bjartur who is really an extension of Grenda, as the pair imprinted when Grenda was a young girl.  The care they take over nurturing the dragon eggs in their care is very moving and it actually brought a lump to my throat at the end.

For me to love a book that belongs to a genre I don't normally read it has to be extraordinary and I absolutely loved Love Like a Cephalopod.  At only 211 pages long, I could have read so much more about this fantasy world but it might have been a bit daunting for new fantasy readers like me if it had been the traditional epic length of a fantasy novel.

Love Like a Cephalopod is a beautiful, moving and entertaining novel that held my interest from start to finish.  I loved it and could easily read it again right now to revisit and re-experience this highly imaginative and stunning fantasy world.  Cassondra Windwalker is a hugely talented hidden gem of an author and I highly recommend this extraordinary novel.

Many thanks to the publisher Bayou Wolf Press for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels - Janice Hallett

Open the safe deposit box.

Inside you will find research material for a true crime book.

You must read the documents, then make a decision.

Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

Everyone knows the sad story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial, while mother and baby disappeared into the care system.

Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed; if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby's trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over.

From the bestselling author of The Appeal and The Twyford Code comes a stunning new mystery for fans of Richard Osman and S.J. Bennett. The devil is in the detail... 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved Janice Hallett's debut novel, The Appeal, written in the epistolary format of letters, emails and texts so I already knew what to expect with her third novel, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.  It's incredibly intriguing to be presented with all the evidence and to try to work it all out for yourself, although I didn't manage to predict anything that happened in this extraordinary novel.

The Alperton Angels story has remained a mystery for 18 years.  What really happened the night the 'angels' died?  Where is the baby that narrowly escaped being sacrificed?  That's what true-crime author Amanda Bailey intends to find out.

I didn't really like the main character of Amanda, but I think it's simply because I find journalist types to be ruthless and sneaky as they will do anything to get the story.  I really liked the competition between Amanda and Oliver, who have both been tasked with writing a book on the Alperton Angels.  There is clearly some history between them which adds another layer of intrigue to the story.

I loved Ellie who is transcribing all of Amanda's recordings, often recorded surreptitiously (see what I mean about journalists being sneaky?).  Ellie can't help adding her own comments and opinions to the transcription and it often made me laugh.

There is so much information to dig through in the form of letters, emails, texts, scripts and book excerpts that you really feel as if you're part of the case.  I am completely in awe of Janice Hallett; she is an incredibly talented writer to not only write a captivating and intriguing plot but to create several styles of writing as if many different people had written the material.  

Cunning, clever and compelling, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is as impossible to predict as it is to put down; prepare to be up all night reading this one.  Five stars feel woefully inadequate to rate this book and I can't recommend it highly enough.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Tilly's Tuscan Teashop - Daisy James

Welcome to Tilly's Tuscan Teashop, the first book in a brand new series from the author of the Hummingbird Hotel and the Cornish Confetti Agency series. 

 

When photographer Natalie Nicholson’s beach hut studio – and everything she’s spent the last two years working on – is destroyed in a fire, she doesn’t think things can get any worse. Until she sees her boyfriend Josh Clarke on Instagram frolicking on a palm-fringed Balinese beach with a fellow cabin crew member. 

 

Devastated and heartbroken, she heads to Italy to help out at her sister’s English teashop in the heart of the Tuscan countryside, where she encounters sun-dappled hilltop villages with attractive terracotta bell towers, cobbled piazzas housing world-famous art and architecture, and a national fixation with getting from A to B as quickly as possible whether in a glamourous Ferrari, a scarlet Vespa, or a snail-like ape. 

 

With handsome local filmmaker-cum-waiter Matteo Ferretti on hand to guide her, can Tilly learn to ditch her workaholic ways and embrace the Italian pursuit of la dolce vita? Or will she miss out on her chance at a happy-ever-after? 

 

What did I think?

I adore Daisy James' books so I couldn't wait to grab my virtual passport and head off to the vibrant landscape of Tuscany in Tilly's Tuscan Teashop.  The story inside is as vivid and colourful as the gorgeous cover as the sights, sounds and smells of Italy are described so beautifully.

Italy is more famous for cappuccino and espresso so you might not expect to find a teashop in Tuscany, but that's where Tilly's sister Oliva has set up her business.  Just when Tilly thinks her life in Devon couldn't get much worse, Olivia asks her to look after the teashop and it's just the break that she needs.

It's an absolute delight to read Tilly's Tuscan Teashop as Daisy James takes the reader on a sensory adventure to experience the mouthwatering food and the breathtaking sights of Italy.  I've never been to Italy but I felt as if I was actually there, taking in the sights of Florence and Pisa with Tilly.

It's not all sunshine and merriment though and I love how the story is multi-layered with challenges for the main character; from Tilly's cheating boyfriend and her grief for her parents to a mystery saboteur who is determined to see the teashop close for good.

Filled with fun and entertainment, Tilly's Tuscan Teashop is beautifully written and I think it's one of my favourite Daisy James books to date.  I loved it - it's a sunny hug in a book that warmed my heart and gave me a huge smile on my face.  Highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Purchase Links: 

Amazon US 

Amazon UK 

About the author:

Daisy James loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She especially likes to create sunshine-filled settings in exotic locations - the Caribbean, Tuscany, Cornwall, Provence - so she can spend her time envisioning her characters enjoying the fabulous scenery and sampling the local food and drink. 

When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea - china plates and teacups are a must. 

Daisy would love to hear from readers via her Facebook page or you can follow her on Twitter @daisyjamesbooks, or on Instagram @daisyjamesstories. 

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BLOG TOUR: Fatal Dose (DC Mel Cotton Crime Series Book 3) - Brian Price

Death stalks Mexton

When a spate of poisonings hits the town of Mexton, DC Mel Cotton and her colleagues are left perplexed. All the deaths seem to be ingeniously planned and the police cannot see anything obvious to connect the victims.

Is a vigilante at work?

Jenny Pike, reporter for the Mexton Messenger, seems to think there’s a link and she’s not afraid to publish her controversial theories. All the victims seem to have got away with harming people in some way. Is that the connection?

Fear from the East

Already stretched to the limit, Mel and her colleagues also face another huge challenge. A ruthless Albanian gang has launched a crime wave in the area and someone has murdered a notorious blackmailer.

How will the team cope? With a serial poisoner at large, is anyone safe?

Fatal Dose is the thrilling sequel to the critically-acclaimed Fatal Trade and Fatal Hate by the brilliant Brian Price

What did I think?

I don't know what they're putting in their authors' tea at Hobeck Towers but there's something special about the third book in a series at the moment.  I enjoyed Fatal Trade and Fatal Hate but Fatal Dose takes this fantastic series to the next level.  It is absolutely outstanding and I loved it.

Although it's the third book in the DC Mel Cotton series, you could read it as a standalone and enjoy it, but it's well worth reading the series in order to follow the characters as you really get to know them throughout the series.

I loved the poisoning storyline and the murders happen so quickly that the police are stretched to their limit.  The headlines almost write themselves for local reporter, Jenny Pike, and she has no qualms about creating panic and fear for her readers.  Is she next on the killer's list though?

I really cannot praise Brian Price highly enough; the plot and the writing in Fatal Dose are both exceptional.  This is a crime series that is going from strength to strength.  The whole execution of the killer storyline is very cleverly done and I loved the other threads of the story that run alongside and keep the police very busy.  

Clever, gripping and very fast-paced, Fatal Dose is an outstanding police procedural that should not be missed.  Very highly recommended.

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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Emergence (The Necropolis Series Book 4) - Guy Portman

There’s no stopping this young sociopath.

Teenager Horatio hates his mother’s boyfriend, and there is nothing his long-suffering single mum or half-sister can do about it. The tension soon boils over into school when he attacks the class bully.

While suspended, Horatio has plenty of time to plot revenge against the man he holds responsible for all his problems. It won’t take the adventurous adolescent long to stumble across a depraved and degrading solution.

Now all he needs to do is keep deceiving the psychiatrist and wait for an opportunity to strike.

This suspenseful story will appeal to aficionados of psychological fiction and darkly humorous crime.

 

What did I think?

I absolutely love the Necropolis series and I was intrigued to see what direction it would go in after the dramatic events of book 3.  The first three books in the series follow Dyson Devereux as he kills everyone he doesn't like and book four sees the emergence (see what I did there?) of Dyson's son Horatio who has the same homicidal tendencies.

Whilst I didn't warm to Horatio as much as Dyson, Emergence is another dark and entertaining novel in this fantastic series.  I just loved reading Horatio's thought processes as he plans to murder his first victim.  Murder shouldn't be so funny but Guy Portman creates such vivid imagery of almost farcical situations that I couldn't hold my laughter in.  Just thinking about it now makes me chuckle.

Horatio is one clever sociopath as he deceives everyone around him, but the reader is privy to his innermost thoughts and can see how very dark he is underneath.  He's perhaps not as clever as his father (yet) but I'm sure he'll leave a trail of bodies in his wake as we hopefully see him develop over future novels.  More please, Mr Portman!

Emergence is as hilarious as it is dark and it's a fascinating and highly entertaining insight into the mind of a sociopath,  If you're just picking up this brilliant series now, Emergence can definitely be read as a standalone, but I very highly recommend the earlier books in the series.

Many thanks to the author for sending me an ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Cut and Shut (Louise Miller Crime Series Book 3) - Jonathan Peace

 

June, 1989

Tensions are high - tempers short

Following a stupid, drunken car theft, the tragic deaths of three local lads uncovers a powder keg of racial intolerance and bigotry.

A vicious attack

When two Muslim brothers are violently attacked, Louise sees her hometown with jaded eyes, shocked that so many of her colleagues are reluctant to get involved or help in any way those they once called neighbours.

A terrible truth

As she investigates, Louise, accompanied by WDC Hines and psychologist Karla Hayes, discovers links between the car theft and the assault but worse; the racial tensions that now threaten to tear the community apart, have masked an even darker crime – one that has gone long undiscovered, but will have devastating consequences.

What did I think?

Cut and Shut is the third book in the Louise Miller crime series and I think that it is the best one yet.  I've loved the previous two books, but it really feels as if Jonathan Peace has upped the ante with his third book in the series.  Although you can read each novel as a standalone, I'm reading the series in order and it's very rewarding to see the character development.  

Racial tension is as taut as a bowstring in 1989 West Yorkshire and it's quite difficult to read about the misogynistic and racist mindset of the 1980s.  It's frightening that it doesn't feel like that long ago, although I feel old when I realise this book was actually set 33 years ago.

With car theft, hate crime and the discovery of some gruesome remains that even made the police vomit, there's a lot going on in this novel and I was riveted from start to finish.  There's also a little bit of crossover from the previous book which tidies up some loose ends, but it's written in such a way that any readers new to the series will not be disadvantaged.

Gripping, atmospheric and clever, Cut and Shut is a fantastic novel that brings the darkness of the 1980s back to life, as discomforting and difficult to read as it is.  Brilliantly written with a razor-sharp plot, Cut and Shut is outstanding crime fiction and a very highly recommended read.  I'm already excited to see what's in store for Louise Miller in book 4.

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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