Review: The Summer of Impossible Things by Rowan Coleman

If you could change the past, would you?

Thirty years ago, something terrible happened to Luna’s mother. Something she’s only prepared to reveal after her death.

Now Luna and her sister have a chance to go back to their mother’s birthplace and settle her affairs. But in Brooklyn they find more questions than answers, until something impossible – magical – happens to Luna, and she meets her mother as a young woman back in the summer of 1977.

At first Luna’s thinks she’s going crazy, but if she can truly travel back in time, she can change things. But in doing anything – everything – to save her mother’s life, will she have to sacrifice her own?

Review: This book is a completely different book from the one I was expecting, but it drew me in, filled me with wonder and satisfaction and left me feeling fulfilled and incredibly optimistic. I love love loved the setting of this book and purposely left it to read until I was in the area to read. I actually didn't read this book in Bay Ridge Brooklyn but read half on a flight to New York and the other half in Central Park so at least I was in the general vicinity. I haven't read many books that are set in that specific part of Brooklyn and there was the link with the film Saturday Night Fever too, which I will now have to go away and watch. 

The storyline is just so intricate and interesting. Rowan has done a great job of weaving all the plot lines together and making sure that every questions you might have as a reader is, not necessarily answered, but is addressed in some way. I have no idea how she managed to juggle exactly where and when Luna was and what she meant to people wherever she was but it is amazing to see the story unfold and things we could never possibly think of happening happen before our eyes. 

Luna was an interesting character and although she is travelling back to the place her mother and father met with her sister Pea, her sister isn't really the other main character in this book, her mother is and I just love the way this author manages to write these amazing mother daughter relationships. The relationship between the two of them is tested again and again and yet you get the impression that there is still this amazingly strong bond between the two of them. I loved watching this relationship change and develop over time and I loved Luna revisiting the person her mother once was and discovering that there was a lot to love back then too. 

There is some beautiful romance in this book and a little it of intrigue and the storyline is very well balanced. You definitely have to suspend your disbelief going into this one but I definitely recommend that you do that b y letting yourself be absorbed by the book completely, give yourself time to enjoy this book and time to be able to finish it because you are not going to be able to let yourself get away from this storyline once you get started. This book has stayed with me since I finished it and it is definitely one to read this summer. I loved this read and I loved the way the whole thing was so cleverly tied together with such an intriguing plot, realistic, relatable character and just the right amount of mystery, romance and magic. Fabulous!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US 

Girls Night Out with Lisa Jewell & Rowan Coleman

I've just got back from a fantastic night hosted by Hillingdon Libraries. It was their second Girls Night In and it was in the wonderfully intimate setting of Manor Farm Stables, a fab place for such a lovely evening. 

The evening involved wonderful authors Lisa Jewell and Rowan Coleman and they were asked questions and evening treated us to readings from their latest books. 

Lisa read first, a bit from her book The Girls which is now out in paperback. I loved this book, it was terrible fast-paced and I found it hard to put down. I'll put a link to my review here. She also talked about reading Enid Blyton novels and Agatha Christie novels as a child and talked about the influences behind her current novel, her working day and even gave us a sneak peak into what she is working on now-a novel set in an East Yorkshire costal town with a mother of three from Brixton, it sounds fab and I can't wait to hear more about this. 

Then Rowan read us a letter from her book We Are All Made of Stars, a novel which is incredibly moving yet uplifting and life-affirming. I have also review this one so here's a link to my thoughts on We Are All Made of Stars. 

Rowan also talked about her Dyslexia and how it was never actually flagged up at school but that she got encouragement from one teacher who realised she wasn't just in the bottom set because she was falling behind, but that there was a disconnect with putting her ideas down onto paper. Rowan also said that she will begin teaching creative writing at the local hospice where she visited when researching her latest novel which is set in a hospital. She revealed that her alter ego Scarlet Bailey is currently cruising the world and so she is a one book a year author, but me wouldn't reveal what she is working on at the moment apart from the fact that it is set in New York where she is visiting on a research trip next week! 

It was just a wonderful evening with some fab questions from the audience including, how much influence the authors have over the covers of their books (a lot more input now than when they were newer names in the world of fiction) what they think of the term 'chick lit' (not such fans of it) and whether they wanted any of their books to be made into books (Lisa has had 31 Dream Street optioned and Rowan would like the novel she is currently working on to be made into a film. 

So lovely to see these amazing writers again and thanks to Hillingdon Libraries for organising the event and for a great evening! 

Celebrating International Women's Day at Brixton Library

Last Wednesday Brixton Library and Brixton Live put on a real treat to celebrate International Women's Day. Authors Rowan Coleman, Ali Harris, Lisa Jewell and Rebecca chance read from their books, answered some probing questions and generally entertained us all well into the night.

Rowan read from her latest novel, The Memory Book, first of all. I loved this novel and it is always so good to hear an author read frond their own work. Ali read next, hearing her read from The First Last Kiss, made me want to read this fabulous book all over again! Lisa Jewell then read from The House We Grew Up In, again this made me want to retread the book as I literally couldn't out that book down!  Rebecca chance was up last, reading from her new novel Bad Brides. the bit she read wasn't too risqué but certainly suggested that a lot more was going to be going and and I am so so excited to read it now, look for the review on the blog closer to its release date on 27th March. 

Not only did these fabulous authors read from their books but then also fielded some seriously probing questions. Rowan revealed that there is a lot of herself in her main character Clare, and that her relationship with her mother is also what the relationship in the novel is based upon. Lisa and Rebecca both made it clear that they don't really like short stories or novellas and would find it too difficult to write one. Ali revealed that her inspiration for writing was Lisa Jewell and that she was actually a bit of a fan girl sitting next to her on the stage. There was a very lively debate about self published versus traditionally published novels, and also the future of Ebooks, it was really interesting to hear and authors perspective on it and definitely gave me an idea for a blog post...

To make the evening even better, I got the chance to catch up with my blogging guru, the lovely Amanda from one more page, and we chatted and ate cake of course. 

I love attending author events and Brixton Library always put on such a good show. I will be attending a few more events over the next few weeks and I will be right here to fill you in on everything that happened soon after! 

Happy reading! 

Review! Woman's Walks Into a Bar by Rowan Coleman

A day in the life of Sam, a single mother whose friends have set her up with a blind date. As she prepares for the date, Sam looks back on her life so far: an, ultimately, upbeat, funny look at life and what it throws our way.

Rowan Coleman's ebook Woman Walks into a Bar is re-released tomorrow and as you will have seen from my blog post last week and on twitter, she is giving all of her proceeds to Refuge, a charity helping women who are in or have been in absolve relationships. I think that this is amazing and it made me want to re-read the book which I had previously listened to on audiobook because this author is just fantastic. I have pre-ordered my copy and so have all my friends, I will out details of how you can get yours at the bottom of the page.

Review: i love it when authors write novellas or quick reads. Sometimes you just need a short blast of something when you are between books, or something just to tempt you if you haven't read anything by Mathis author, this novella is a little bit different. I found myself completely involved in the story, it made me laugh, it made me cry, and that is the power of Rowan Coleman's writing. She deals with the subject of someone who has been in an abusive relationship and the struggle it is to put themselves back out there again so well in this novella.

It's definitely a valid subject to tackle because people sometimes think that once someone is out of an abusive relationship, their problems have ended but there are many scars to bear and trusting anyone again, sometimes just the thought of meeting someone else can be a mammoth task! This story deals with it in a light hearted way through a series of dates. I love a book dealing with Internet dating as it really is a minefield out there. There are some really funny bits in this book, as well as some really poignant moments, but it is all dealt with in a realistic way which is fantastic!

The other characters in the novel are also all realistic, the kind of friend every girl needs. There is an extremely cute and funny bartender just to add to the interest of female readers. The real star of the book for me though is Beth, a child who is much older than her years, and who leaves notes for her mum with little jokes, gives her advice on clothes and makeup and is generally just a gorgeous little superstar!

Not only does this ebook do amazing things for women every there it is also an excellent read. It doesn't put a dent in the bank balance and it is a nice quick read, perfect for a longer train journey or a Sunday afternoons reading. I can't recommend this story enough!

Help Rowan Coleman Raise £10,000 for Refuge

Help Rowan Coleman raise £10,000 for Refuge

On September 10th Rowan is publishing her novella Woman Walks into a Bar as an ebook for the first time. And 100% of her proceeds will be donated to Refuge. 

Her goal is to raise £10,000 and you can help. All you have to do is buy a book, or two, and get your friends to buy one too. You’ll get a funny, romantic and touching summer read and you’ll be helping women you’ve never even met at the same time and all for the price of £1.59!

The story behind the story

Every book Rowan have ever written has meant a lot to her, but with her latest book ‘Dearest Rose,’ something really special happened when the real world and the fiction she loves to write collided.  It changed her as a person and a writer, forever.

She was getting ready to research her tenth novel, which with the help of her Facebook readers she decided should pivot around the theme of domestic abuse. It was a subject she’d touched on briefly once before, when she wrote a short novella as one of the first Quick Reads called Woman Walks into a Bar, which to this day remains one of the pieces of work of which she is most proud.

 So she posted on her Facebook page asking if anyone had any personal experiences of domestic abuse, and any stories they might share with her in confidence.

She was shocked and amazed by the response; there were more than 200 emails waiting in her inbox the next day. Each story she read was horrific and frightening in its own way, giving her an insight into the secret lives of many women; lives that all too often remain hidden. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone - well educated wealthy women are just as likely to suffer as women from a working class background - but the one thing all those women had in common was that they were survivors. After years of being mentally and physically beaten down, they had managed to find the emotional strength, somehow, to break free and start again. 

Now Rowan wants to do something that will help other women find that inner courage, and change their lives.

 

 ‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ is the story of 28-year-old single mother Sam spends her days working in the local supermarket and her Friday nights out with her friends letting her hair down at the White Horse. Life hasn’t been easy for Sam and her daughter, Beth (who always looks on the bright side) but she’s always hoped that one day she’ll break free from her past and meet The One.

But after a series of terrible dates with men she’s met through an internet dating site, that have all been as awful as her daughter’s terrible jokes, she’s starting to lose heart - until her friends tell her they’ve set her up on a blind date. Sam’s horrified but finally she agrees to go. After all you never know when you might meet the man of your dreams; maybe Sam’s happy ending is just about to begin….

£1.59 Amazon Kindle UK

So, come on and join Rowan, and help to #supportafriend on September 10th. Every time you buy or pre-order ‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ you’ll be entered into a prize draw for fabulous prizes every week, while the #supportafriend#womanwalks campaign is running. On 10th September, tweet Rowan photos of you and your friends, tell her your ideas to support a friend, and why your friends mean so much to you.

You can be a best friend to someone you have never even met. You can help someone out there find the support they need to change their lives.

If you are a blogger or tweeter, spread the word using #supportafriend #womawalks. If you are a company who could offer a prize to drive book sales and thereby money for Refuge, please get in touch. If you are a woman in an abusive relationship, or if you have a friend about whom you are worried, please get in touch with Refuge and ask for help today. 

About Rowan

Rowan Coleman grew up in Hertfordshire secretly longing to be a writer despite battling with dyslexia.  After graduating from university she worked in bookselling and publishing for seven years before winning Company Magazine Young Writer of the Year in 2001.  Her first novel ‘Growing Up Twice’ was published in 2002.

Rowan has gone on to write eight novels for women including the bestseller ‘The Accidental Mother, The Baby Group’ and ‘The Accidental Wife‘ and eight novels for children and teens including the paranormal adventure novels Nearly Departed and Immortal Remains under the name Rook Hasting. Her books are published around the world. She now lives in Hertfordshire with her family.

Woman Walks into a Bar website

Rowan’s website

Twitter @rowancoleman

Rowan’s Facebook Author Page

Rowan’s Amazon Author Page

Rowan’s Goodreads Author Page