Guest Review: Funny Story by Emily Henry

Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story.

That is until it became the prologue to his actual love story with his childhood bestie, Petra.

Which is how Daphne ends up rooming with her total opposite and the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra's ex, Miles.

As expected, it’s not a match made in heaven – that is until one night, while tossing back tequilas, they form a plan.

And if it involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?

Review: This is actually my first novel from Emily Henry and, having just finished listening to the audiobook and enjoyed the story, I’m not sure why. I think I may just be going back through some of her earlier books soon.

This story tells of how Daphne came to be flat sharing with Miles and how these people with nothing at all in common developed a relationship. When Daphne was informed by fiancé Peter that he was in love with someone else and gave her a week to leave his house, she was left heartbroken and with nowhere to live. She turned to Miles, whose fiancé, Petra, had been snaffled by Peter, and who, more importantly, had a spare bedroom going begging. Librarian Daphne and bartender Miles couldn’t be more different, but somehow they managed to get along and gradually become friends, plotting revenge against their exes. Soon they began enjoying time together, each showing the other new experiences. Could their unlikely friendship be turning into something more?

I absolutely loved this sometimes humorous, sometimes serious romance, filled with interesting, well-developed characters and surprising situations. The way in which the author brought together two very different people who then slowly began to understand each other was brilliant. I liked the way in which the story was told in relation to Daphne’s plan for leaving the town which she now hated behind. The change in Daphne as she began to realise how much her life had been shaped by her ex was truly heartwarming, as was the way in which Miles gradually opened up to reveal the real person underneath the persona. I recommend this book and hope that others will also enjoy it as an introduction to Emily Henry’s novels.

To order your copy now, just click here!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books From Series That I Loved

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

This was a real thinker for me, I think we definitely need to include trilogies in this but how do I even think about which my favourite is from some of my favourite series???

August 2024 TBR: New Releases and Other Audiobooks I Want To Read

August is usually a really good reading month for me because I have time at home that I don't usually have during term time but in actually fact I don't have an awful lot of time at home this August becasue I seem to have found myself here, there and everywhere this year! I do have a couple of longer flights this month where I may read some things and I also have some longer road trips where I may listen to some audiobooks so here's what I want to read this month!

August Releases (Both 1st August)

Leftovers from July!

Guest Review: A New Dawn at Owl’s Lodge by Jessica Redland

Could one chance meeting change your life forever?

Zara is at a crossroads in life. While she adores her job as a producer's assistant working on hit TV shows, travelling around the country means she doesn't truly feel that she has a home. With a fractured relationship with her family and unrequited love weighing heavily on her heart, she is torn about what her next step in life should be...

Snowy is hiding from the world. He's devoted his life to home schooling his young son and caring for sick owls at his home, Owl's Lodge, deep in the Yorkshire Wolds countryside. While he's passionate about both, it's a lonely existence and he's starting to question his decisions. But how do you step back into a world you've pushed away for years...?

When Zara brings an injured owl to Owl's Lodge, its frosty, reclusive owner is far from welcoming. Despite hostilities, there's a connection that neither could ever have prepared themselves for. As they discover a shared passion, a new friendship blossoms, but both Zara and Snowy are used to shutting people out.

Can they both find the courage to open up and the strength to move on from their pasts? And what could this mean for their future happiness?

Review: This book is the second in the Bumblebee Barn collection, stories set in the Yorkshire Wolds. It contains many characters and locations that will be familiar to readers of Jessica Redland’s books, not only in this series, but also in her Hedgehog Hollow collection. It was good to be meeting up with them again, but not a problem for those who have not read any of the previous books, who will be able to enjoy this one as a standalone. This book has a lovely, colourful cover which gives a clue to the type of animals the reader might meet within.

The story centres in on Zara, personal assistant to her TV producer friend, Amber. Although she loves her job, she has a troubled relationship with her family who make her wonder whether she should be looking for more out of life. As part of her job, Zara meets up with single dad Snowy, who has a sanctuary for sick and injured owls at his home, Owl’s Lodge. As well as being passionate about owls and nature in general, Snowy is home schooling his 9-year-old son, Harrison, with the help of his grandad. Due to events in his past, Snowy is reclusive, but he realises that some day in the not too distant future he will have to introduce Harrison to the real world and return to his former existence himself. When he first meets Zara, he appears very standoffish and rather formidable, but there is a spark of something else there as well. When they discover a shared interest from their past lives, they gradually become friends and the full story of events that have shaped the way they are now begins to emerge. As they draw strength from each other, it seems that Zara and Snowy may overcome the obstacles that have held them back in the past.

I have enjoyed catching up with Zara and her friends in this book, as well as learning a lot about owls, birds that have always fascinated me. It took me quite a way into the story before I began to warm to Snowy. It was quite heartbreaking to learn of his past, as indeed it was to learn the full extent of Zara’s difficult childhood. The story touches on some difficult subjects, including alcoholism and mental health problems. I admired the way that Snowy cared for his son, but was anxious how Harrison would react to emerging from his sheltered existence into the real world, even knowing the reasons behind Snowy’s decisions. Owl’s Lodge itself sounded a wonderful place to live, with its luxurious house and seemingly endless grounds teeming with wildlife. The author has very kindly concluded the book with a fact file about the five species of owl that breed in the UK. I am already hoping that there will be another book in this series and wondering who will take centre stage next time.

To order your copy now, just click here!

Guest Review: The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan

A summer escape

When Cecilia Lapthorne’s 75th birthday celebrations take an unexpected turn, she seeks solace away from the festivities and escapes to Dune Cottage – without telling her family where she’s going.

A new friendship

Lily Thomas, a struggling artist, has secretly been staying in the unoccupied cottage. When Cecilia discovers Lily during a late-night visit, an unexpected bond forms between the two women.

A chance to start over

Then Cecilia’s grandson, Todd – and Lily’s unrequited crush – shows up, sending a shockwave through their unlikely friendship. Will it inspire Lily to find the courage to live the life she wants? Can Cecilia finally let go of the past to find a new future? Because as surely as the tide erases past footprints, this summer is offering both Cecilia and Lily the chance to swap old dreams for new …

Review: I loved the sound of this new novel from Sarah Morgan, one of my favourite writers. A summer in a cottage by the sea would be just the antidote for this wet spring we are having. Sarah’s books always promise a well-rounded story with a range of emotions; this one did not let me down.

This story focuses on the lives of three women: 75-year-old Cecilia; her daughter Kristen; and her granddaughter’s friend Lily. When Cecilia finds life is getting on top of her, she secretly flees her large Boston home on the day of the party that Kristen has arranged for her to stay in the small beach cottage on Cape Cod that none of the family knows about. Just wanting some time on her own, she is surprised to find that aspiring artist Lily has been staying in the cottage, not knowing that it is owned by her friend’s grandmother. Instead of throwing Lily out, Cecilia invites her to stay and the pair strike up a comfortable friendship. Eventually, Cecilia’s grandson, and Lily’s secret crush turns up to check on his grandmother, and the household becomes three. Meantime, Kristen, who is having her own problems and reflecting on her relationships with her absent mother and her husband, also turns up at the cottage. As the summer progresses, can these women find ways to change their lives and achieve happiness in the calm surroundings of the Cape.

I thought this was a wonderful story, one which I read really quickly, so immersed in the lives of its characters did I become. There are so many messages for the reader, with these three women from different generations sorting through the problems in their lives and confronting perceived mistakes. It is a story filled with secrets, but also dealing with so many aspects of life including the effects of grief and misunderstandings, and making choices for the future. I liked the way in which the book was arranged, with each of the women taking turns to tell the story from their point of view. The characters were really likeable, although only when I learned a little of her background did I warm to Kristen. I would definitely have jumped at the chance to live in the cottage by the sea; it sounded perfectly idyllic, if a little larger than what I would class a cottage. Once more, a winner from Sarah Morgan and one I can highly recommend.

To order your copy now, just click here!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I read in The First Half of 2024

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Here's my list of my favourite reads of 2024 so far!

July 2024 TBR: July Book Releases and other Audiobooks I Want to Read!

 Well June was a tough month for reading, I think I did myself no favours by picking a long audiobook to start with because I read NONE of anything else! So a lot of my summer reading will be catching up on books I didn't read in the first half of the year!

July Releases

June Releases I Didn't Get To

Books I'm In The Middle of (including my nonfiction read)

And just for good measure, a book vs movie read!