The Cherry Tree Cafe - Heidi Swain

Synopsis:

Cupcakes, crafting and love at The Cherry Tree Cafe...

Lizzie Dixon's life feels as though it's fallen apart. Instead of the marriage proposal she was hoping for from her boyfriend, she is unceremoniously dumped, and her job is about to go the same way. So, there's only one option: to go back home to the village she grew up in and to try to start again.

Her best friend Jemma is delighted Lizzie has come back home. She has just bought a little cafe and needs help in getting it ready for the grand opening. And Lizzie's sewing skills are just what she needs.

With a new venture and a new home, things are looking much brighter for Lizzie. But can she get over her broken heart, and will an old flame reignite a love from long ago...?

What did I think?

This was a really lovely read.  After Lizzie's break-up with Giles she moves back home and I was immediately drawn into life in Wynbridge.  It really did feel like a perfect little village where everybody knows everybody's business but, apart from the odd exception, not in a malicious kind of way.

I really enjoyed reading about Lizzie's ideas for her crafting cafe and her interactions with Ben, her old high school crush!  It was really quite cute that they were almost still acting like teenagers around each other, each one frightened to speak about their feelings. There's a really clever twist involving Ben's own heartbreak and the reasons he keeps running away, that I won't spoil here - you'll just have to read it for yourself.

When Jay, a reporter, covers the story of the crafting cafe I could feel him trying to worm his way into Lizzie's affections.  I admit, I succumbed to stereotype and felt he was a bit of a snake but he was an interesting character nonetheless.

There's a nice bit of humour in the book, in the form of Lizzie's Mum.  I immediately thought she was a bit of a Mrs. Bucket, and it was hilarious when she got carried away thinking that she had something to brag about at the coffee mornings.  Lizzie's god-daughter, Jemma's daughter Ella, is also a really funny character.  She tells it like it is!  She's a little minx at overhearing things and repeating them later, which is very true to life!

This was a lovely summer read with the tears and laughter of real life and I'll certainly be looking out for more books by this author.

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

My rating:

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The Mistake I Made - Paula Daly

Synopsis:

We all think we know who we are.

What we’re capable of.

Roz is a single mother, a physiotherapist, a sister, a friend. She’s also desperate.

Her business has gone under, she’s crippled by debt and she’s just had to explain to her son why someone’s taken all their furniture away.

But now a stranger has made her an offer. For one night with her, he’ll pay enough to bring her back from the edge.

Roz has a choice to make.

What did I think?

This is the third Paula Daly novel that I have read in the last few months and although I enjoyed it, it didn't command my attention from the first page like Just What Kind of Mother Are You? and Keep Your Friends Close.

Roz is quite a likeable character and her frustration was evident when dealing with her waste of space ex-husband.  Roz has made some bad decisions in her life and accepting the offer that she gets from Scott Elias is the worst decision she could make.  I understand why she did it, and could feel her relief as her bills started to get paid, but she didn't realise that Scott didn't just want to hire her by the hour, he wanted to own her and would go to any lengths to do so.

I liked Roz's son, George - a chip off the old block, already starting to make bad decisions for himself, thinking he could help Roz out. He's a very likeable little boy and he gets on well with the neighbours as he likes to play with their little dog, Foxy.  I do like the loveable dog characters that make appearances in Paula's novels.

When Roz's boss, Wayne, goes missing it was lovely to see DS Joanne Aspinall and DS Ron Quigley make an appearance, with Ron keeping his stomach happy as always.  I was hoping to see them at some point but I didn't know how they were going to be introduced, which is where Paula Daly's writing is so good - springing surprises on us.  Paula is the queen of the unexpected.

Overall a good read but not as much of a page turner as I've come to expect from Paula Daly.  It is, however, a really good psychological thriller, with a Fatal Attraction edge to it, as we see what Scott is prepared to do to get Roz all to himself.  Paula Daly really delves into the human psyche in all of her books and this one is no exception.

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

My rating:

Released 27th August - pre-order now from Amazon

The Hunt - Tim J. Lebbon

Synopsis:

Escape and they’ll kill your family.

The cruellest game. The highest stakes. Only she can bring his family back alive …

Rose is the one that got away. She was the prey in a human trophy hunt organised by an elite secret organisation for super-rich clients seeking a unique thrill. She paid a terrible price. Every moment since she has been planning her revenge … And now her day has come.

Chris returns from his morning run to find his wife and children missing and a stranger in his kitchen.

He’s told to run.

If he’s caught and killed, his family go free. If he escapes, they die.

Rose is the only one who can help him, but Rose only has her sights on one conclusion. For her, Chris is bait. But The Trail have not forgotten the woman who tried to outwit them.

The Trail want Rose. The hunters want Chris’s corpse. Rose wants revenge, and Chris just wants his family back.

The hunt is on …

What did I think?

The book starts innocently with Chris Sheen out for his morning run.  Chris describes himself as a former fat bastard, so he hasn't always been a fitness freak but he does take his exercise seriously.  He's constantly pushing himself to beat his personal best time and is really proud of himself when he smashes it as he arrives at his front door.  As he looks up at his house, he notices that the curtains are still drawn in the bedroom, which is a bit odd as his wife would usually be up and about getting the girls ready for school.  He pushes open the front door and is met with silence - now he really does know that something is wrong.  He runs through the house looking for his family and when he enters the kitchen there's a strange man stood drinking his coffee.  He's told to be ready when they come back for him or he'll never see his family again.

Without giving too much of the story away, Chris finds himself in the Welsh mountains being hunted by rich hunters who pay to hunt people.  These rich clients think they're in a real life video game and have no idea that Chris's family has been kidnapped and he has been forced to be their prey.  There is another hunt going on at the same time as Rose, who escaped from such a hunt, has come back to make the organisers, known as The Trail, pay for killing her family.  Rose is torn between helping Chris and making him bait so she can get revenge on The Trail.

This is a really fast paced thriller that had me whipping through each page at a lightning pace.  I made the mistake of starting it at work on my lunchbreak and really didn't want to put it down!  Prepare to be up all night as the hunters close in on their prey and Chris really does run for his life as he races to save his family.

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

My rating:

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BritCrime Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of BritCrime’s first free online crime fiction festival, 11-13 July, I have teamed up with BritCrime authors to give away one fabulous prize.

You could win a gift bundle of ten print books, including new releases by Colette McBeth and Sarah Hilary, and MJ McGrath’s Gold Dagger longlisted White Heat. This giveaway is open internationally. One lucky winner will win all ten books.

Please complete the entries in the Rafflecopter before midnight 10th July for a chance to win.

To learn more about the BritCrime festival, please visit http//britcrime.com and sign up to the newsletter. There will be giveaways and live Q&As with bestselling British crime fiction authors hosted on BritCrime’s Facebook page 11 & 12 July.

The Magpies + What You Wish For by Mark Edwards
No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary
The Life I Left Behind + Precious Thing by Colette McBeth
White Heat by M J McGrath
Beyond the Rage by Michael J Malone
Follow the Leader + Watching Over You by Mel Sherratt
The Harbour Master by Daniel Pembrey

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lillian on Life - Alison Jean Lester

Synopsis:

Lillian, a single, well-travelled woman of a certain age, wakes up next to her married lover and looks back at her life. It's not at all the life she expected. Walking the unpaved road between traditional and modern options for women, Lillian has grappled with parental disappointment, society's expectations and the vagaries of love and sex. As a narrator she's bold and witty, and her reflections - from 'On Getting to Sex' to 'On the Importance of Big Pockets' or 'On Leaving in Order to Stay' - reverberate originally and unpredictably.

In Lillian on Life, Alison Jean Lester has created a brutally honest portrait of a woman living through the post-war decades of change in Munich, Paris, London and New York. Her story resonates with the glamour and energy of those cities. Charming, sometimes heartbreaking, never a stereotype, Lillian is completely herself; her view of the world is unique. You won't soon forget her.

What did I think?

This was a really unusual book; I almost felt like I was reading Lillian's diary as we're privy to her innermost thoughts and observations.

I felt that Lillian has been unlucky in love and it takes her several failed relationships to finally realise what it is that she is looking for. Her Mother couldn't hide her disappointment that Lillian was 35 and unmarried, something that wouldn't get the bat of an eyelid these days.  Despite her judgemental Mother, Lillian has a loving and comfortable relationship with her Dad who she affectionately calls Poppa.

There are some wonderful lines and anecdotes in the book but I don't want to release any spoilers here!  Lillian is a smart modern lady who would not be out of place as a young woman in the 21st Century.  She was not afraid to travel the world at the end of the war, meeting new and interesting people along the way.

It's a book that made me laugh and also made me feel sad at times, a true observation of life with all its ups and downs. I absolutely whizzed through this book and it's a book I will pick up again and again to fully appreciate the wise words of Lillian.  

I received this book from the publisher via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from the Book Depository
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All My Secrets - Sophie McKenzie

Synopsis:

The shocking reality behind a £10 million inheritance turns Evie Brown's world on its head. Unable to find out the truth from her parents, Evie ends up on the mysterious island of Lightsea, where her desire for answers leads her towards a series of revelations that threaten everything she holds dear . . . including her life.

What did I think?

I haven't read a YA title for a while and this one sounded quite intriguing.

Evie gets a bombshell dropped on her when she finds out that her Mum is not her biological Mum.  Her life spirals out of control and she is sent to Lightsea island with other troubled teens.  There she meets the obligatory love interest and has the dilemma of choosing between two boys while fighting for survival.

I'm not really sure what to make of this book.  The two boys fighting over Evie is reminiscent of the Hunger Games.  The whole story has a Scooby Doo or Famous Five type feel to it but I didn't really warm to the characters.  The story itself wasn't bad, I did guess who was ultimately behind putting Evie's life in danger but his accomplice was a surprise.  I enjoyed the part about her relationship with her parents and her ultimate appreciation of them at the end did bring tears to my eyes.

For fans of YA, this is a good read and I will read Girl, Missing if I come across it in the library.

I won this title in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

My rating:

Buy from the Book Depository
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What Milo Saw - Virginia Macgregor

Synopsis:

A BIG story about a small boy who sees the world a little differently

Nine-year-old Milo Moon has retinitis pigmentosa: his eyes are slowly failing and he will eventually go blind. But for now he sees the world through a pin hole and notices things other people don't. When Milo's beloved gran succumbs to dementia and moves into a nursing home, Milo soon realises there's something very wrong at the home. The grown-ups won't listen to him so with just Tripi, the nursing home's cook, and Hamlet, his pet pig, to help, Milo sets out on a mission to expose the nursing home and the sinister Nurse Thornhill.

Insightful, wise and surprising, What Milo Saw is a novel filled with big ideas, simple truths and an emotional message that will resonate with everyone. Milo sees the world in a very special way and it will be impossible for you not to fall in love with him, savour every moment you spend with him and then share his story with everyone you know.

What did I think?

This was another book that hooked me from the first page; I couldn't put down and finished it in two sittings.  Milo is such a wonderful character and despite only seeing a little bit of the world through his "pinhole" he sees things that other people don't notice.  I finished this book thinking "wow, I really do take my sight for granted".  As Milo rushes to expose the Forget Me Not nursing home before he loses his sight, I found myself swept along with the gang and was punching the air in delight every time Nurse Thornhill got captured on camera and the noose around her neck tightened.

The residents were a spunky bunch and sometimes Nurse Thornhill's actions were difficult to read about, as we have seen bad press about nursing homes.  I know the majority of homes are respectable and well run, but unfortunately this story could be more fact than fiction for some residents of nursing homes.

I liked the story of Tripi - we often hear of illegal immigrants in a negative way, but Tripi was willing to work and make a better life for himself.  The story of his escape from Syria was heart-wrenching and again with the things we have seen on the news, we can apply this to real life which makes it even more poignant.

I mustn't forget Hamlet the pig!  He is as loveable as Milo.  They complement each other and it was lovely when Milo sent Hamlet to Gran's nursing home to keep her warm at night.  A completely unselfish act by a wonderful little boy.  Now where do I buy one of these teacup pigs?

This book is ideal for readers who loved Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time but I would also put it alongside RJ Palacio's Wonder.  As I can't imagine what it would be like to lose my sight, this book really made me feel grateful for what I have.  I am in awe of people who don't let things like losing their site get in the way of life, as I'm sure I would be afraid to leave the house.  Although it is sad that Milo is losing his sight, he doesn't feel sorry for himself, and I found myself feeling respect for him rather than feeling sorry for him.

Despite the sad subject matter, it really is a feel good book!  I laughed out loud quite often at some of Milo's observations.  The author has really got inside Milo's skin and has written a most excellent book that everybody should read.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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