Book Review - Something to Live For by Richard Roper

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Title: Something to Live For

Author: Richard Roper

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 27th June 2019 

Rating: 5 Stars

MEET ANDREW.

Everybody likes Andrew. But they don't really know him.

They know what he's told them - that he's happily married with two kids. Living the kind of life that's either so boring it's true, or so perfect it's a lie . . .

ENTER PEGGY.

Peggy arrives in Andrew's life in a burst of kindness and possibility. For the first time in ages, Andrew feels alive again. So now that he has everything to lose, can he risk it all and tell Peggy the truth?

A big-hearted story about love, loneliness, and the importance of taking a chance when we feel we have the most to lose.

What a fantastic story, I was completely invested in seeing how Andrew's character would develop and seeing just how and why he is lying about about having a wife and two kids. 

It's a book that could be rather depressing on the face of it, after all Andrew works for the council,  trying to find out of people who died alone have any friends or family to organise a funeral, or the money to pay for it themselves, or whether they need a paupers funeral organised by the council. 

Andrew needs to sift through the houses of the recently deceased and although the states of the places is upsetting, there are moments of humour that shine through too. 

Andrew is on the whole a loner, he lives alone (regardless of the fake family his colleagues believe he has), is a model train enthusiast, and prefers doing the house inspections alone too.  He is rather socially awkward and then he meets Peggy. 

Peggy is the new girl at work, and is made to shadow Andrew initially, and a fledgling friendship strikes up, there is just the small matter of the fake family! 

This is a story that looks at a lot of different topics, and written in a way you can't help but wanting to read on and find out more.   

It's astonishing to me that this is a debut novel, as it is that brilliant.  Although it took me a few chapters to warm completely to Andrew, once I did this was a delight to read, and I really loved how it all concluded. 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Maybe One Day by Debbie Johnson

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Title: Maybe One Day 

Author: Debbie Johnson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 2nd April 2020 

Rating: 5 Stars

What if you had the chance to find a lost love?

Jess still thinks about the man who disappeared from her life seventeen years ago, and the tragedy that tore them apart. So when she discovers a hidden box of letters in her mother's attic, Jess realises that the truth about why he walked away has been kept from her all this time.

Jess sets out to follow the faded postmarks across the country, determined that her journey will bring her closer to him. As each clue falls into place, Jess discovers new things about herself - and the man who once broke her heart. Maybe she can find him. Maybe their love story isn't over.

Maybe one day, they will be together again...

As I've read the last few pages I have tears pricking my eyes. I had no real idea just which direction this massive journey would take, I was happy to go with the flow and just see what the author did with the characters. 

But that ending, it's just right, I couldn't have thought  of a more apt way to round up this book, and this massive story of lost love. 

I've always known Debbie Johnson is a fabulous author, but this book seems to have catapulted her to a whole new level, I really had no idea what to expect from the book, the blurb gives an idea but thankfully doesn't touch the surface of just what's inside the covers. 

And because I went into this story with blind faith that I knew I loved the author and thus would be happy with whatever was written,  I really do think the less you know about the specifics the better. 

In a nutshell Jess discovers just after her mother's death that most of her recent life has been a lie, and that the love of her her life didn't abandon her.  After some thought she decides she will do he best to track down Joe despite very little info. 

On one level it is a group of three unlikely people going on potentially a wild goose chase of a road trip.  On another level its a story that take in assorted tough topics including grief, and mental health.   We also get to see how one man can have an impact on so many people's lives in different ways. 

It's a story full of hope, as we learn not only just what happened all those years ago that lead to Jess and Joe no longer being in each others lives, and we learn just what they have been up to in the years since.    

It's a rather emotional book, but at the same time, its a book that is filled with love.  Love shown in many different ways but most certainly of love.   

Pretty much nothing I can say will be able to do this story justice, just trust me, especially if you have enjoyed books on my recommendations in the past, that this is a special book and needs to be read.   Currently I would  put this right up in my top books of 2020. 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - A Dream of Italy by Nicky Pellegrino

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Title: A Dream of Italy

Author: Nicky Pellegrino

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 26th March 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Live your dream of Italy...

Here is your chance to buy your own home in southern Italy for less than the price of a cup of coffee. The picturesque mountain town of Montenello is selling off some of its historic buildings for just ONE EURO each. The only conditions are that purchasers must renovate their new home within the next three years and that they plan to contribute in a meaningful way to this small community.
To be considered as a future resident of Montenello contact the town's mayor, Augusto Rossi. Live your dream of Italy for just one euro.

When the Mayor of a picturesque Italian town launches a new scheme to rejuvenate the community, his advertisement is read with interest and excitement by many. Zara is in her thirties and desperate to get on the property ladder. Tim and Lynda are retiring and need a project. Some are looking for a peaceful bolthole. Others hope to make a profit, start a business, escape a dull life or an unhappy relationship. And there is someone who just might be hiding their true motivation...

Their lives are about to change forever - but can they make their dream of Italy into a reality? A deliciously escapist summer read.

Have you ever wanted to get on the property ladder? Ever wanted to buy a house in Italy? How about if it was only €1?

In theory I'd love to have seen the advert from the mayor of Montenello, in his efforts to revitalise the local community.   For just one euro, you could purchase a house that needed large amounts of renovations, and need to be able to contribute to the local community. 

It's a wonderful idea, and until last year I'd never seen a book featuring this sort of plot, but this is now the third I've read, so at the back of my mind were unfair comparisons, as they are all incredibly different. 

I loved the location for this book, a small hill top town, near to Puglia. And applicants that were chosen to move into the town, all had completely different reasons for taking the plunge. 

Each chapter is split into sections between the three hopeful new residents of the town, and also the town's mayor, all nicely labelled and allowing you to get to know all the key people really quickly and easily. 

I loved all of the delicious descriptions of Italian food, there are a couple of small restaurants that made tasty sounding food that had my tummy rumbling.  Added to the picturesque and vivid descriptions of the town itself, I felt as though I was there, soaking in the sun, looking at the crumbling buildings and eating the meals alongside our intrepid characters. 

From the moment I started the book I was hooked, I just love Nicky Pellegrino's writing and this was no exception.  It is full of love for a small town in Southern Italy and I enjoyed everything, from the initial discussions about the advert for these houses at only a Euro, to the first views of their assigned properties and then just trying to work out if this was a completely mad idea or not! 

I also really enjoyed the story-lines involving the mayor's assistant, who is rather wily and clearly knows more about everything than he tries to let onto immediately, the re-discovering of Italian roots, the regeneration of this town. But most of all i adored Donna Carmela, the mayor's mother, who is a master matchmaker, wonderful cook and just all around friendly person full of great advice.  Donna brought a great warmth to any scene she was in. 

Another incredibly enjoyable book from an author who I always love to read.  If you have ever dreamt of owning your own corner of Italy, then this is certainly the book for you too!! 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The 24-Hour Cafe by Libby Page

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Title: The 24-Hour Cafe

Author: Libby Page

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 23rd January 2020 

Rating: 4 Stars

Welcome to the café that never sleeps.
Day and night, Stella's Café opens its doors to the lonely and the lost, the morning people and the night owls. It's a place where everyone is always welcome, where life can wait at the door.

Meet Hannah and Mona: best friends, waitresses, dreamers. They love working at Stella's - the different people they meet, the small kindnesses exchanged. But is it time to step outside and make their own way in life?

Come inside and spend twenty-four hours at Stella's Café, where one day might just be enough to change your life . . .

This was a very calm, relaxed sort of a book for me.  It felt like it ambled along at a relatively sedate pace, and that it was easy to put down at the end of a chapter but also pick straight up again for the next. 

For each chapter focuses on one hour of the day, in Stella's Cafe, a 24 hour Cafe near Liverpool Street station.  The main focus is on the two main waitresses that work there and also are best friend and live together Mona and Hannah, as they each embark on a 12 hour double shift. 

We also though get glimpses of some of the customer's and their stories too, and just what the cafe means to them too.   The overall writing style was quite gentle, I really liked it, and found the way everything was presented just works. 

During the day we really get to know Mona and Hannah well, as they think back to key moments in their friendship, and you can see just how much their friendship deep down does mean to them.  They also both are trying to make their career as performers with varying amounts of motivation and determination. 

It was certainly a different way to present a story, and a rather clever one at that.  I was tending to read this in 1 or 2 hour segments (hours as in how the story is split now how long I was necessarily spending at a time reading)  enjoying seeing who was in the cafe, how lingered for a while, and on occasions the thoughts and more of the story of some of the customers. 

I also enjoyed the small glimpses at the other members of staff that work in the cafe. and the thoughts that small acts of kindness could have life changing affects for the recipient of them. 

Given I was attracted to the book because of the word cafe in the title, and having previously enjoyed The Lido, I hadn't really looked at the blurb, and as a result had no idea what to expect - other than  realising within the first few pages that this wasn't your typical cafe book, and that I was intrigued to see just how the pages would unfold. 

All the characters were really believable, and this was a great change of pace to my normal books.  I'm really glad I had the opportunity to read this really good book. 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Book Review - The Little Village Library by Helen Rolfe - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title: The Little Village Library

Author: Helen Rolfe

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 6th February 2020 

Rating: 4 Stars

It takes a village...

Cloverdale is known for its winding roads, undulating hills and colourful cottages, and more recently, its Library of Shared Things. Need a ladder, a hedge trimmer or a waffle-maker? You can borrow it from the Library of Shared Things.

Single dad Adam is doing a good job of raising his daughter, Zoe, whilst burying his past and moving forwards. When he agrees to run a mending workshop at the Library, new friendships start to blossom.

Jennifer is a volunteer at the Library. When her younger sister Isla moves back to Cloverdale after their mother dies, Jennifer finds herself wondering whether Isla is hiding something.

And when Adam's daughter Zoe makes a startling discovery, it's time for the people at the Library of Shared Things to pull together and help one family with its biggest challenge of all.

This is a novel with community at its heart. It's about the kindness we can find when we least expect it and the bonds we can form when we're not even looking.

What a deep and emotional but uplifting book this is. 

It is clear from the off that Adam, Jennifer, Viola and Isla are all hiding things, and their secrets are alluded to often. 

Strangely the largest reveal is also the one I kind of saw coming but not in that manner, the rest did surprise me. 

It took me a while to get into the swing of this book, possibly due to the amount of characters I needed to keep in mind, but once I did I really fell for the village of Cloverdale and I love the concept of the Library of Shared Things. 

There are many threads running through the story and once I was up to speed I was fully invested in seeing how everything would play out. 

I really enjoyed this story and it was good to see that Helen Rolfe is able to  write about some more serious topics than I've seen in the past, in such a sensitive and thought provoking way. 

Definitely a book to make you think, filled with drama, intrigue and a great sense of community.  

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Wedding on Mistletoe Island by Sophie Pembroke

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Title: The Wedding on Mistletoe Island

Author: Sophie Pembroke

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 31st October 2019 

Rating: 5 Stars

Welcome to Mistletoe Island, where dreams can come true...
The snow is falling and Fliss's friends have arrived to celebrate her wedding for a week at Holly Cottage. It's the perfect way to kick off her brand-new life, isn't it?

Except Ruth wishes she was anywhere other than a remote Scottish island, Caitlin is keeping a secret from her friends, Lara is suddenly facing her ex a decade after turning down his proposal and even the bride has something to hide...

But as the friends prepare for a week to remember, will Fliss's dream wedding go off without a hitch, or will the secrets they've been hiding change everything?

The perfect cosy Christmas romance to curl up with this holiday season about family, friendship and love. For fans of Jill Mansell, Sue Moorcroft and Heidi Swain.

It's been ages since I was last able to settle down to a new Sophie Pembroke book, and it was definitely worth the wait. This one was fabulous. 

It certainly has a fantastic setting of the remote Scottish Island of Mistletoe Island, which sounded incredibly picturesque, and there were some references to festive, but this is far more a Winter book set in the week before Christmas, than a full on festive feels sort of story. 

Equally its a book with romance, but it has so much more than that, specifically whether you can really be the same person you were 10 years ago. It looks at how when you have a long standing friendship group you end up cast in a role, and no matter how much you change as a person, the rest of the time, when you get together with that group, you revert back to your younger self. 

It is a theme and sentiment I could get on board with as I have often felt like I'm a different sort of person amongst different groups of people, and like Fliss I'm not entirely sure which one is the true me as such. 

10 years ago, Fliss and her 6 friends had a week away on Mistletoe Island after graduation and it changed the shape of the group forever.   Now they are all back ahead of Fliss's wedding to Ethan.  

Predominately we get chapters and sections focusing on three of the ladies in the group, Fliss, Lara and Ruth, and between them we get to know all of the friends, who are all easily separated once you know who they are, and as Ruth hasn't know them as long as the others, we see the group from her slightly distanced perspective too. 

Almost all of the group are hiding things from at least some of the others and its great fun to see what will be revealed.  

For extreme comic relief, or the feeling of wanting to throw things at someone, I'd introduce you to the mothers - who have taken over the wedding planning, and Fliss is struggling to stand up to them, 

There is a gentleness to the writing, its s style I really enjoy and I really got to grips with the story very quickly.  I was hooked and just thoroughly loving it   It was definitely a book that kept me on my toes and I really wasn't entirely sure who it would end up.   I would love to see a sequel, I want more from these friends! 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Bring Me Sunshine by Laura Kemp

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Title: Bring Me Sunshine

Author: Laura Kemp

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 21st March 2019 

Rating: 5 Stars

Charlotte Bold is nothing like her name - she is shy and timid and just wants a quiet life. When her job doing the traffic news on the radio in London is relocated to Sunshine FM in Mumbles, she jumps at the chance for a new start in Wales.

But when she arrives she discovers that she's not there to do the travel news - she's there to front the graveyard evening show. And she's not sure she can do it.

Thrust into the limelight, she must find her voice and a way to cope. And soon she realises that she's not the only person who finds life hard - out there her listeners are lonely too. And her show is the one keeping them going.

Can Charlotte seize the day and make the most of her new home? And will she be able to breathe new life into the tiny radio station too...?

I loved this story of Charlie Bold, who needs to regain her confidence and kick start her life a bit. She had completely lost her confidence, and for someone working in radio, has stage fright and can't speak on a microphone. 

When her station forces her to relocate to Swansea, and aren't exactly honest about her new role, it is time for her to sink or swim.  With the help of Delme who she has only just met, things start happening for Charlie, slowly at first, and then wow she is one fabulous woman. 

I loved the ideas she had for her evening radio show and generally seeing how she fitted into her new life. I hated her current boyfriend Jonny and just prayed she would see sense with him.  

I loved getting to know Delme's story properly, he is a character I gelled with from the first instance and seeing how he developed over the book was wonderful.  As was Tina's story which kept giving us gasp worthy shocks, once you got to know her. 

It's a story of fresh starts, new beginnings, gains in confidence, the attempt to improve a small radio station, a lovely location, all manner to unexpected directions for the story and some wonderful advice too.  

It's a really great feel good story, that is guaranteed to bring some sunshine into your life. 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Four Weddings and a Festival by Annie Robertson

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Title: Four Weddings and a Festival

Author: Annie Robertson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 11th July 2019 

Rating: 5 Stars

Four months. Four weddings. One happy ending...?
Lifelong friends and rom-com fans Bea, Lizzie, Hannah and Kat have curled up with Bridget Jones, sobbed at Love, Actually and memorised the script to Notting Hill. They always joked about getting married in one summer - their own Four Weddings - and it seems like this might just be the year . . .

That is, until Bea turns down her boyfriend's proposal. Is her own Hugh Grant waiting for her amid the champagne and confetti? Can real-life romance ever live up to a Richard Curtis movie?

As the wedding - and festival - season gets into its swing, can all four friends find their happy ever after...?

Raise a glass of champagne and get ready for this summer's most charming romantic comedy! Perfect for fans of Sophie Ranalds, Mandy Baggot and Sue Roberts

Loved every single second of this book. And if you are a massive Four Weddings and a funeral fan you will love the multitude of references to the film,  as the four friends see just how many of them will get married in the same summer.

The weddings like the brides could not have been more different nor utterly perfect for each of them. 

Although whether their other halves are ideal partners is for you to discover. 

As the summer wedding season is upon us,  this really is a fabulous summery book to set the mood. 

I loved the friends,  the dialogue,  the writing style,  and just hours I could picture it all so perfectly.

I would say it makes an excellent film, but that could be because that is at the base of the book but highly originally changed. 

A super summer story from an author I've enjoyed in the past and hope to read again in the future too.

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Two Lives of Louis and Louise by Julie Cohen - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Title: The Two Lives of Louis and Louise

Author: Julie Cohen

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 5th September 2019 

Rating: 5 Stars

ONE LIFE. LIVED TWICE.

Louis and Louise are the same person born in two different lives. They are separated only by the sex announced by the doctor and a final 'e'.

They have the same best friends, the same red hair, the same dream of being a writer, the same excellent whistle. They both suffer one catastrophic night, with life-changing consequences.

Thirteen years later, they are both coming home.

Fantastic and fascinating story about fate,  destiny and the role gender can play in life. 

How gender can produce certain preconceptions of what a person can or can't do.

It was the story of Lou Alder, who in one version was born Male and the other female.  We see snippets of their younger lives and what they are up to today. 

With both their stories there are certain similarities,  key happenings and the friendship over the years with Benny and Allie which is so interesting to view. 

This is without a doubt an incredibly well written,  well researched book that really will get you thinking.  

Arguably this is probably the author's best book and it was so unlike others that I have read before.  

I don't really want to say much more as its book that will have a greater impact the less preconceptions you have about it. But The Two Lives of Louis and Louise is certainly a story not to be missed. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - A Summer Reunion by Fanny Blake

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Title: A Summer Reunion

Author: Fanny Blake

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 13th June 2019 

Rating: 5 Stars

One perfect villa, four old friends, and a holiday that will change everything...

Amy, Linda, Kate and Jane were best friends at school. Now, years later, they have grown apart. When Amy discovers her husband has been stealing from her successful interiors business, and with a milestone birthday looming, she decides it is the time to reach out to her old friends once again.

So, she decides to invite the other three to her beautiful villa in Mallorca for a reunion weekend. As the four friends gather, secrets are unearthed, old scores settled and new friendships forged. Will this holiday bring them together or tear them apart? And will each of them grasp their second chance for happiness...?

After the first four chapters, one for each of the main characters, you could tell instantly that they all had secrets, and had an inkling they were all remembering the school year they were last together, aged 17, in a different light to each other. 

We get hints along the way, about Amy's side of things but she is keen in light of recent events to finally see if she could set the record straight about that incident, in order to help her accept her latest blows in her life. 

The ladies haven't been reunited until Amy invites them all out to her villa in Mallorca, and its clear early on that tensions run high, through these ladies in their sixties.  All of them have accepted the invitation more because they need an escape from a decision in their own lives, than any real desire to reconnect as a group. 

So it is rather interesting to see everything, from all the points of view, and get to know about Amy, Linda, Kate and Jane's lives.  It was rather hard to have any empathy at all for Jane, but the other ladies were all wonderful and I really did enjoy seeing their stories develop over the long weekend in Mallorca. 

Having worked two summer seasons in Mallorca, I feel I know the bare bones of the island at least, and although I don't know the area near Soller other than by name, nor the other areas mentioned just by name, everything did feel incredibly authentic and and very much Mallorcan.  

There are plenty of secrets in this book, and I couldn't get enough of our leading ladies.  I loved their differences and even Jane who I really wasn't keen on, did have some admirable qualities, and is probably more misguided in her actions than truly malicious! 

I'm not sure I'd want to spend a long weekend abroad with anyone that I went to school with, but it is a book that makes you think what you would do in that sort of situation.  

This is a book about 4 strong women, facing their next steps in life at an advanced age, and seeing just how they can cope with the challenges thrown at them, while trying to get resolution on their childhood at long last. 

I loved every moment of A Summer Reunion, and to me its easily one of Fanny Blake's most enjoyable and best books. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - A Home From Home by Veronica Henry - Blog Tour

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Title: A Home From Home

Author: Veronica Henry

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 25th July 2019 

Rating: 4 Stars

Sunshine, cider and family secrets...

Dragonfly Farm has been a home and a haven for generations of Melchiors - arch rivals to the Culbones, the wealthy family who live the other side of the river. Life there is dictated by the seasons and cider-making, and everyone falls under its spell.

For cousins Tabitha and Georgia, it has always been a home from home. When a tragedy befalls their beloved great-uncle Matthew, it seems the place where they've always belonged might now belong to them...

But the will reveals that a third of the farm has also been left to a total stranger. Gabriel Culbone has no idea why he's been included, or what his connection to the farm - or the Melchiors - can be.

As the first apples start to fall for the cider harvest, will Dragonfly Farm begin to give up its secrets?

A Home from Home is the very best of Veronica Henry's storytelling - gorgeous scenes you wish you could step into, a cast of characters who feel like friends, and an irresistibly feel-good family drama crossing three generations.

For years there has been a long running feud between the Culbornes of Rushbrook House and the Melchiors of Dragonfly Farm.  And yet as the events unfold in this book, we see just how connected the families history's are, whether they are aware of it or not. 

I loved meeting Tabitha and Georgia and seeing just how Gabriel fitted into everything.  There are secrets galore in this story, some of which I had more of an inkling towards than others. 

This is a really enjoyable family drama, where although the focus is on the current generation, we discover all sorts of interesting things about many generations of the family.  And then there is Gabriel's life which is up in London, with his partner and young daughter. I found his job rather interesting, not seen a knife maker before in books. 

There is a huge amount of story packed into this novel, but at no point does it feel overwhelming. It's all really easy to follow but its now as I'm trying to work out what to say that I'm thinking, just how many storylines I've read, and different threads that needed to come together.  It really is incredibly fine writing. 

I adored the setting of Dragonfly Farm, and would have loved to get to know great uncle Matthew even more, than what we do see from him.  He sounds like a rather special man.   

I really enjoyed reading A Home From Home, its full of love, family relationships, potential romances, a real sense of family history and some surprises along the way.   Really glad I have had the chance to read this latest book from one of my favourite authors. 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Please do follow along with the rest of the stops of this blog tour! 

Book Review - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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Title: The Silent Patient

Author: Alex Michaelides

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 7th February 2019 

Rating: 5 Stars

ALICIA
Alicia Berenson writes a diary as a release, an outlet - and to prove to her beloved husband that everything is fine. She can't bear the thought of worrying Gabriel, or causing him pain.

Until, late one evening, Alicia shoots Gabriel five times and then never speaks another word.

THEO
Forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber is convinced he can successfully treat Alicia, where all others have failed. Obsessed with investigating her crime, his discoveries suggest Alicia's silence goes far deeper than he first thought.

And if she speaks, would he want to hear the truth?

My mind is blown! I can't think straight,  wow I did not see that coming.  What an absolutely addictive and compulsive book, has hooked from the first few pages and read it in two sittings, and that was only because I was too tired to read it into the early hours of the morning. 

In fact I read the last 150 pages in about an hour, I was so absorbed I knew mum was talking at me but I have absolutely no clue what she was saying, so hopefully it wasn't too important. 

It may be quite early in the year, but surely this has to be one of the best books of 2019 and I have no idea how whatever I read next will compare. 

Absolutely fascinating have a main character that won't speak, but we do see flashes of her diary.  Most of the story is told from the point of view of Theo, the new psychotherapist at The Grove who is determined that he can help Alicia recover from murdering her husband. 

I am astounded to hear that this is a debut novel - based on that I suspect that Alex Michaelides is going to have a long and successful future as an author.  

I can't really talk about the plot as I'm fearful of spoilers, but if the blurb has even partially intrigued you its definitely worth a read.  This is a book that was staring at me on my bookcase until I realised I just needed to start reading it.  

I'm sure I'm not making any sense, just trust me this book is just so good, I can't really explain it, but it got under my skin, I forgot that real life was happening around me, and I just had to keep reading to discover whether Alicia would ever speak again.  

Spectacularly clever, there were moments towards the end where I was mouthing omg, and wondering if I had missed any obvious clues - was almost tempted to re-read everything to that point just to see if I had, but keep moving forward with it, and all I can say really is wow-wee - what a book! 

Thank you to Poppy Stimson from Orion, for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.