Review: This Love by Dani Atkins

Sophie stopped believing in happy endings a long time ago, but could this love change all of that?
 
Sophie Winter lives in a self-imposed cocoon - she's a single, 31-year-old translator who works from home in her one-bedroom flat. This isn’t really the life she dreamed of, but then Sophiestopped believing in dreams when she was a teenager and tragedy struck her family.
 
So, to be safe, she keeps everyone at arm’s length. Sophie understands she has a problem, but recognising it and knowing how to fix it are two entirely different things.

One night a serious fire breaks out in the flat below hers. Sophie is trapped in the burning building until a passer-by, Ben, sees her and rescues her.
 
Suddenly her cocoon is shattered - what will be the consequences of this second life-changing event?

Review: I picked this book up knowing that there was a lot of hype surrounding it but not really knowing an awful lot more about it and I think that was a really good move. Dani Atkins really knows how to write a story that comes of the back of a tragic event but she has really celled herself with this novel. I spent the first third of this novel a little bit terrified as to what was going o happen to either of the main character, the next third loving life and really loving a blossoming relationship and then the last third being terrified that something awful was going to happen and trying to work out what. What a literary roller coaster-so much fun!

This book starts with a fire and Sophie, our main character, being trapped inside her apartment. As I mentioned above, this is incredibly tense and not something to read if that is a trigger to you bit I was so compelled by the first part of this book that the first 150 pages just flew by. I felt like I got to know Sophie fair quickly because of this major event and I think that this was an excellent way to open the move. We know from the blurb that something else tragic has happened to Sophie and this has effected her. From the beginning of the novel, I felt I could empathise with her as a main character and really rooted for her  to get her life together again following the tragic events. 

Ben comes into Sophie's life right at the beginning and seems to be one of life's rarities, a genuinely nice guy,  but we can see right from the word go that there is a little more to him than meets the eye but we're not sure what. The fun of working out what the mystery was with Ben, coupled with the fact that he helps Sophie to put her life back together again made for the middle of the book to be truly enchanting and just as compelling as the beginning of the book. I loved Ben as a character and really hope that some of his wonderful optimism rubbed off on me from reading this. 

The end of the book is really difficult to talk about without giving away any spoilers. Needless to say it is just as compelling as the previous sections of the novel and will definitely have you on the edge of your set. I reached the final few pages in a public place and had the common sense to leave them until I was back in the privacy of a hotel bedroom because you will definitely need tissues for this one and, should you wish to avoid crying in public, I would advice reading the final few chapters on your own or with an affectionate pet to keep you company. 

I loved this book so much more that I thought I would. I've read Dani's previous novels and this is definitely her best yet. If you are looking for a new book to pick up this week, something to take you away from the really world for just under 500 pages then this is definitely something you should be adding to you list right now. You will gasp, you will cry and you will come away from this read valuing life just a little bit more!

To order this new release now, just click here!

Review: Between Sisters by Cathy Kelly

Cassie has spent her married life doing everything right - making sure her children have the perfect life, being a devoted wife and a dutiful daughter-in-law. Although it's left her so exhausted that 'wine o'clock' comes a little earlier each afternoon . . .

Her sister Coco runs a vintage dress shop and has shied away from commitment over the years. Coco believes men complicate things, and she's got enough to contend with. Until a face from her past returns.

Watching over them is grandmother Pearl, tucked away in her little house in Delaney Square. But something is keeping her awake at night. Was she right to do what she did all those years ago?

And then there's Elsa, the polished face of daytime TV, who's battled demons of her own in the past and come out on top. Now Elsa faces one final fight - but it will require more bravery than anything which has come before.

Review: I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. I know that makes it sound negative but it really isn't that, I've just never read anything by Cathy Kelly before then I went to an event with her and loved the sound of the book so I downloaded the audio book and absolutely raced through it, i literally couldn't wait to get in the car and get stuck into it. I listened to the last 3 hours back to back when I got home, it was so exciting.

The characters in this book are so strong, I am thinking about them still! I loved these sisters and all the other characters who revolved around them. When phoebe (not a sister) was introduced to the story, I was a little confused about where she would fit in to it all but she actually turned out to be one of my favourite characters and her storyline has really stuck with me. It was fabulous how each character had a chapter at a time dedicated to them but also each character was intertwined with another and so it was all woven together beautifully!

I really liked that fact that the book took place over a pretty short time frame and yet we have lots of references to things that have gone on in the past and so you really feel like you have been taken into these characters lives and embraced into their inner circle. Although it did jump around between places and characters it was easy to follow and was so engaging, you barely noticed that you were having to adjust to someone else!

I think this would be a great read for anyone who wants a good heart-warming read, esepcially at this time of year when family are so improtant. I think if you have children or if you don't have children, you will be able to identify with the characters in this book. And if, like me, this is your first Cathy Kelly book, or whether you are a Cathy Kelly fan already, you won't be disappointed! This would also make a lovely Christmas present...

To order your copy, click here!

Review: Christmas at Rosie Hopkins Sweet Shop by Jenny Colgan

Curl up with Rosie, her friends and her family as they prepare for a very special Christmas . . .

Rosie Hopkins is looking forward to Christmas in the little Derbyshire village of Lipton, buried under a thick blanket of snow. Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, large tempting piles of Turkish Delight, crinkling selection boxes and happy, sticky children. She’s going to be spending it with her boyfriend, Stephen, and her family, flying in from Australia. She can’t wait.

But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their little community, all of Rosie’s plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she build a life in Lipton? And is what’s best for the sweetshop also what’s best for Rosie?

Treat yourself and your sweet-toothed friends to Jenny Colgan’s heart-warming new novel. The irresistibly delicious recipes are guaranteed to get you into the festive spirit and will warm up your Christmas celebrations.

Review: I loved Rosie Hopkin's Sweetshop of Dreams, it was one of the best books that I read last year and so I had very high expectations for this one. Unfortunately my expectations were not really met. I loved revisiting the characters and the settings, especially Lillian but this books had a completely different feel for me to the last book and that just made it a bit of a tricky read. I understand that books need to feel different from one another, the wold has evolved, time has progressed but i was expecting the same feel-good factor as Rosie Hopkins had and I just didn't feel it with this one.

It was great to see all the old faces again and find out how they were doing, what they were going to get up to next but some of the characters seem to have changed beyond recognition, especially Stephen from the big house. He seemed to thaw out considerably in the last novel but seemed uptight and distant once again in this novel. Lillian was a lovely as ever and she has her own love interest in this book, however storyline is very predictable and so really didn't add an awful lot of depth to the overall story for me.

There is a dramatic incident fairly early on in this book and, for me, it just didn't fit with the rest of the novel, it was as if someone else had written that bit or that it had been added in at the last minute, The incident itself had me feel anxious and worried for quite a large proportion of the book and not warm and cosy and comforted like the original novel did. I know I'm comparing again, but i think if you've read the first Rosie Hopkins book then that is something you will definitely do. This book would work well as a standalone though because you are reminded of scenes and story lines from the first book, this could be a little patronising if you've marathoned the two books together however...

I did finish this book and I enjoyed how everything came together at the very last minute and I will definitely be reading The Christmas Surprise which is the third book in this companion series but it just didn't live up to my expectations. Perhaps if you do read this as a standalone or if you're not a big Jenny Colgan fan then this book will hit your festive read buttons but it really wasn't for me and I'm a little disappointed that it didn't seem up to the usual Jenny Colgan standard. There is certainly the right balance of festive cheer versus realistic storyline though and so this book should definitely be read at this time of year!

Review: The Atlas of Us by Tracy Buchanan

How far would you go for the one you love the most?

When Louise Fenton flies to Thailand to find her mother, Nora, after the Boxing Day tsunami, she fears the worst when the only trace she can find is her mother’s distinctive bag. In the bag is a beautifully crafted atlas owned by travel journalist Claire Shreve, with her notes and mementos slipped in-between the pages. The journal tells the story of Claire’s struggle to find her place in the world following a life-altering revelation, and a tumultuous love affair.

Louise treks across Thailand's scarred landscape, exploring Claire’s atlas to try to make sense of the connection between this woman and the mother she is so desperate to find.

As devastated people are beginning to put their lives back together, Louise uncovers the secrets that nearly destroyed Claire and the man she loved – the same secrets her mother has been guarding all these years …

THE ATLAS OF US will take you on a moving and enthralling journey across the globe, and into the most intimate spaces in a relationship. And it will find its way into your heart.

Review: I have to be honest- I really didn't enjoy this book very much. I had high hopes for it, but they were really not met. I thought the premise behind the book, a bit of a mystery surrounding family in the wake of the tsunami, sounded really promising, space for drama and intrigue as well as a hint of sadness and there was bound to be a love story in there somewhere right? I was just really disappointed by the storyline as a whole. I found myself switching off in parts and struggle to remember every detail of the entire book now because it really hasn't stuck with me (and I've literally just finished reading it!) I think for me, the potential was there for a lot to happen and nothing much really happened. 

I thought the structure of the book was excellent, stories running alongside each other but during different times, knowing that the two stories would tie up at some point and the mystery would be revealed. The stories didn't tie up until the very last moment and I didn't really attach myself to either story. I think that Clare's story kept me more interested than Louise's story. There was definitely more drama there and more things happened, but i thought that perhaps they were happening just for the sake of it and sometimes things didn't really contribute to the plot at all. I'd didn't get Louise's character at all and so I think that's why I didn't like her story as much. 

The characters in Clare's story had a lot about them, they all had hidden pasts and secrets they were keeping from one another despite promising not to, however, although I was drawn to these characters, I didn't feel connected to their stories. I felt Louise was pretty flat as a character and I don't really understand where the other characters in her storyline came from or how they fitted in. 

I did read this book in its entity, persevering until the end to see if anything grabbed me but it really didn't and I really have struggled to find something interesting to say about it. There are exotic settings but the description didn't particularly whisk me away there. There are interesting characters, but I dint really feel any connection with them and there are interesting story lines, but they didn't really tie together for me so overall I didn't really enjoy this book or get what I was expecting from it. It won't put me off picking up other books from this author in the future though, but this just wasn't for me.