Guest Review: Falling for You by Debbie Johnson

Single mum Jenny's life is turned upside-down (quite literally) when her beloved cottage on the Norfolk coast falls off a cliff. And so, with the storm raging on, Jenny and her eighteen-year-old son Charlie are forced to take refuge in her neighbour, Luke's, cosy campervan.

It's a tight squeeze for the three of them - and Luke's adorable dachshund, Betty - but somehow they make it work. And when far-too-handsome Luke suggests a spontaneous road trip around England, it ignites a desire for adventure in Jenny she thought long extinguished!

And soon she begins to wonder whether losing everything might just have been the best thing that ever happened to her...

Review: I am a great fan of Debbie Johnson’s books and would always have bought this one anyway, but I was very impressed when I saw the bright and attractive cover of Debbie Johnson’s latest book which simply called the reader to dive into its depths and join the characters for an adventure. When I started reading, I was instantly drawn into the world of the main players and found this book really hard to put down. 

The story centres on Jenny and her 18-year-old son, Charlie. Jenny is not having the best time, what with her job being under threat, money being scarce, her car breaking down and, to top it all, she is suddenly made homeless in the most dramatic fashion when her cottage falls off a cliff in a storm. Luckily, the pair are offered shelter by Luke, who has been staying nearby in his motorhome. With no belongings and nowhere to stay, they decide to take Luke up on his offer to have them join him and his adorable dachshund Betty on a road trip, heading wherever they fancy but never staying long in one place. As they travel around England visiting places each want to see, they learn lots about these locations but also about themselves. The group also become drawn closer to each other as time goes on. 

I found myself completely spellbound by this romantic and uplifting story filled with Debbie Johnson’s trademark humour, but also featuring some emotional and heartbreaking moments. I loved the three central characters. Although abandoned by his father, Jenny has raised a very sensible boy in Charlie; his mature attitude helped her cope with what could have been an even more tragic situation. Luke is quite an amazing person, happily traveling the country with his gorgeous canine companion while deciding what was next. I’m sure we would all agree that Jenny was really lucky to be rescued by such a handsome and capable man. In addition to the main story, there are interesting and emotional backstories for Luke and Jenny. I also enjoyed hearing about the places that the trio visited on their road trip. I would recommend this beautifully and sensitively written book to all; it is definitely one of my favourite books from this author so far.

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Guest Review: Summer Wedding by Sarah Morgan

A family wedding

Catherine Swift is a bestselling romance author, but her personal story hasn’t been quite so successful; three failed marriages have left her relationship with her daughters strained. Engaged once again, Catherine is counting on this wedding, at her villa in Corfu, to finally bring the family together.

A summer of secrets

Adeline can’t believe her mother is getting married for a fourth time, or that she’s expected to attend. It brings back the pain of her mother’s infidelity and the baby who was the result. Not that she blames her half-sister Cassie, but then she's never tried to know her, either. Cassie, on the other hand, is thrilled by her mother’s news – she’s always admired Catherine’s resilience, and is excited to meet the mystery groom. Cassie also has a secret of her own, and a summer in Corfu will give her the time she needs to process everything.

A chance to start over again

As the guests arrive on the island, and the big day approaches, Catherine begins to reveal secrets from her past, and suddenly both Cassie and Adeline realise that they don’t know their mother at all . . .

Review: I’ve been looking forward to reading the new book from Sarah Morgan, one of my favourite authors. I know I can expect a family story with some strong female characters and an exciting location at the very least. This book is set on the Greek island of Corfu, making it perfect summer holiday reading.

The story concerns successful author Catherine Swift, who now lives in a luxurious villa on Corfu, her daughter from her first marriage, Adeline, and the daughter from her second marriage, Cassie. Adeline is estranged from her mother and lived from an early age with her father, while Cassie has lived most of her life with Catherine. The girls have not spent much time together since early childhood. When Catherine announces that she is to be married for a fourth time, and that she wishes both of her daughters to be present, the news is met with surprise, especially since the identity of the groom is being kept a secret. Catherine is hoping that bringing everybody together may heal the rift in the family. Once all three women are gathered, secrets begin to be revealed, some of which shock Adeline and Cassie and make them realise that they must rethink what they believed about their mother and past events in their own lives. 

I found this a really compelling story, full of secrets, revelations and surprises for the characters and the reader. It is very cleverly written, in that the bombshells just keep on coming throughout the text right to the end. I enjoyed speculating about what was going to happen and be divulged next. In addition to the central story concerning the family and the wedding, each of the daughters has things going on in their lives which will surprise the others, which, for me, added to the overall enjoyment of the book. I wasn’t sure that I liked all the central female characters to start with, but they grew on me as the story progressed and they began to feel more comfortable with each other. The setting for the book was very well described, and I could envisage the lovely villa by the sea and almost taste all the delicious Greek cuisine. In my opinion, this book is yet another triumph for Sarah Morgan, and one I would recommend unreservedly to other readers. 

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Review: Seven Exes by Lucy Vine

 Esther is out with her two friends, bemoaning her lack of relationship, when she finds a magazine from the noughties. Seeking comfort – and a laugh – she turns to the dating advice only to find an article that feels a little too close to home. According to the journalist, there are seven people a woman will date before finding the one:

The First Love, The Work Mistake, The Friend with Benefits, The Overlap, The Missed Chance, The Bastard and The Serious One. 

Her friends laugh but Esther realises each of her exes fits these roles perfectly. Deciding that she’s mistaken her true love in the reject pile she decides to contact each of her exes to find out which is the one that got away...

Review: Oh I loved this book and I knew that I would. I identified with Esther so much and the idea that she categorised her exes in the way that she did? Just genius! I also love the idea that she planned her whole life’s journey (for the time that we spend with her in the book) around a magazine article that she found stuffed into a booth in a pub. It is so very early 2000s and so I really feel her there. She is such a fun character because she wants to have her shit together and sometimes you feel like she is as far from that as she could be but then she’s holding down a job and a flat and friendships and so actually, she’s doing alright for herself!

One of the things that I love about a Lucy Vine novel is the unconventional characters. I like that not all of her main characters are in search of ‘the one’ that sometimes it is more about the friendships and the journey of self-discovery or simply more about having a good time. I also love that not all of Lucy Vine’s characters are conventional body types, or straight. I just love finding out more about her characters because I know they’re not going to be on-dimensional and Ether’s friendship group in Seven Exes fit’s this beautifully. I loved spending time with her friends and I felt like I was part of their group over the duration of the novel. 

I’ve seen a few people compare this book to the movie What’s Your Number which was also based on a book (that I have read) and I liked that comparison but in my mind, this book is much more than that. I think the fact that we have some British nostalgia in here, some more divers characters and also that solid friendship group just elevates this story. I loved what a quick read this book was. I couldn’t put it down, wanting to find out about each of the exes and thank goodness I read this with a friend so that we could discuss each funny moment and share our love of Esther and her friends. Highly recommend!

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Guest Review: An Italian Island Summer by Sue Moorcroft

Will one summer in Sicily change her life for ever?

After her marriage falls apart, Ursula Quinn is offered the chance to spend the summer working at a hotel on a beautiful island off the coast of Sicily, Italy. Excited by a new adventure, she sets off at once.

At Residenza dei Tringali, Ursula receives a warm welcome from everyone except Alfio, son of the Tringali family. He gave up his life in Barcelona to help his mother Agata with the ailing business, and is frustrated with Ursula’s interference – and she in turn is less than impressed with his attitude. As they spend more time together, though, they begin to see each other in a different light.

But what with Ursula’s ex-husband on her tail, family secrets surfacing and an unexpected offer that makes Alfio question his whole life, there’s plenty to distract them from one another. Can she face her past and he his future, and together make the most of their Sicilian summer?

Review: What could be nicer than escaping on a summer trip to Sicily while the snow is falling outside my window! This is what I was promised when I began this book, and it did not fail to deliver. As an added treat, I was delighted to be reacquainted with characters from Sue Moorcroft’s earlier book, Under the Italian Sun, and catch up on their lives.

This story focuses mainly on one of the central characters from the earlier novel, Ursula Quinn. Having divorced her controlling husband, sold her flat and left her job behind, she is pleased to be offered a part-time position and accommodation in a small boutique hotel on an island off the coast of Sicily, where she will also be able to follow her ambition to learn the art of ceramics painting. She soon fits in with the delightful family who own the hotel, until the arrival of their son, Alfio. He has returned to the hotel having given up his job in Barcelona to help his mother and sister, and is none too happy to find that Ursula is already doing just that. Fortunately, their initial mutual dislike soon changes to friendship and even romance. However, interference from her ex-husband and the emergence of a shocking family secret begin to spoil Ursula’s enjoyment of her new life. At the same time, Alfio finds himself having to make decisions about his future.

I enjoyed this book very much. It is full of friendship, emotion and romance, with a few family dramas thrown in of course. In her usual fashion, Sue Moorcroft transports the reader to an exotic location and makes them feel at home there; I could almost feel the Sicilian sun in my face. The family-run hotel where Ursula works sounds so warm and welcoming, just the kind of place I would like to stay. I loved meeting Ursula again and seeing her emerge from the difficult place she was in to a happier and stronger person altogether. Alfio sounded a good match for her. The one thing that I didn’t feel happy about in the story was the situation with Ursula’s parents; I personally felt uneasy about how the state of affairs was left. That aside, I would definitely recommend this book as a read that will leave many planning a trip to Sicily soon.

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Movie Review: Did Love Again Mean My Heart Will Go On?

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Book Vs Movie: Are You There God? It's Me Margaret-Did They Ruin A Childhood Favourite of Mine?

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Guest Review: A Secret Garden Affair by Erica James

July 1981. As the country prepares to celebrate Prince Charles’ wedding to Lady Diana, Libby wants to be as far away from royal wedding fever as possible.

Having caught her own fiancé in bed with her best friend just weeks before they were due to marry, she’s fled London for the comfort of the Suffolk countryside.

At Larkspur House, with its magical garden created by renowned garden designer and one-time socialite Elfrida Ambrose, and its comfortingly familiar kitchen presided over by Libby’s great-aunt Bess, she hopes to find a way to put her life back together.

But for lifelong friends Bess and Elfrida, Libby’s arrival has stirred up the ghosts of the past. And before they can help her rebuild her shattered future, they must confront their own unspoken secrets, lost loves, and tragedies…

I have read quite a number of books by Erica James and always found them full of interesting characters with detailed storylines. This latest book has a beautiful cover, promising a visit to at least one stunning garden and perhaps a journey back in time. It certainly had me captivated from the start and I found myself on an interesting journey that took me to a variety of locations along the way. 

At the beginning of the story, we meet Libby, whose life has suddenly taken a major change of direction after she found her fiancé in bed with her best friend just days before their wedding. It is July 1981, and Libby wants to leave behind London, with the frenzy of anticipation for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. She escapes to Larkspur House, the Suffolk home of her great aunt Bess and famous garden designer Elfrida Ambrose. Bess was originally employed as Elfrida’s maid, but the two have become firm friends over the years. As Libby tries to decide on the shape of her future, she spends some time exploring the house and unearths various objects from the past that stir up memories for the two older ladies as they reflect on their adventures over the years. 

This is a powerfully-written book that I enjoyed immensely, even though I, unlike the author, am no gardener. There are frequent references to garden design and plants throughout the story. Elfrida has been a gardener of some renown, trailblazing the way for other ladies when working in a garden was not the ‘done thing’ for the fairer sex. I enjoyed the way in which the storyline wandered between recollections of Elfrida and Bess’s lives from the 1920s onward, prompted by items found in a trunk in the attic, and present-day events with Libby. Not all of the memories are pleasant for the ladies, some heartbreaking to read about. Elfrida’s enduring romance with a Russian count was a wonderful story in itself. As with most of the Erica James books I have read, family is very much central to the characters’ lives, rifts in relationships causing anxiety for each of them. However, there are surprises in store for some of them that I could not have predicted and shocked me as well as the characters themselves. I can definitely recommend this highly emotional family drama.

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