Book Review - A Secret Cornish Wish by Ali McNamara - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: A Secret Cornish Wish

Author: Ali McNamara

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 4th July 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

The brand-new escapist summer romance from bestselling author Ali McNamara. Return to the Cornish shores of St Felix and fall in love . . .

What if one summer could change your life?

For Frankie and her five best friends growing up on the glorious beaches of Cornwall's St Felix, life couldn't get any better. Late one night, the friends discover an old box washed up on the shores and they learn the tale of the St Felix mermaid who grants wishes to those who find her treasure. Even though they know it's just Cornish folkore, the friends decide to make a wish for what they each want out of life - most importantly, they want to always be together . . .

Over the course of the next few decades, as weddings, funerals, birthdays and more bring the friends back together, lost loves, broken promises and buried secrets just as quickly tear them apart. But when they reunite one last time in St Felix, will it be for good? And will their wishes finally be revealed?

Given I just autobuy and know I want to read anything with Ali McNamara's name on it, I hadn't realised until I opened this one that we ere back in the rather magical setting of St. Felix. 

And as a long time fan of these St Felix books I knew instantly that there would be some inexplicable occurrences. 

What I didn't realise until I read this was that mermaids are 100% real and that I'm a complete believer in them and their wish giving properties. 

We join Frankie and her group of misfit mermaids at key points over their lives from being teens, all the way through until they turn 50 

All told from Frankie's view point we get to know all the stories of her friendship group, And I loved getting to know all of her friends,  

And discovering whether their wishes really will come true or not.  

There is excellent character development and the magic of the setting is weaved in perfectly 

And I loved references to some of Ali's other characters, always good to see they haven't been forgotten. 

An absolute joy to read from start to finish, this may have you crying, it will certainly have you smiling and it might even turn you into a believer. 

Thank you Sphere and Netgalley for this book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Suspect by Rob Rinder

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Title: The Suspect

Author: Rob Rinder

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 20th June 2024

Rating: 4 Stars

When the UK's favourite breakfast TV presenter dies live on air in front of millions of viewers, the nation is left devastated.

More devastated still when it becomes clear that her death was not an accident.

The evidence points to one culprit: celebrity chef Sebastian Brooks. But junior barrister Adam Green is about to discover that the case is not as open-and-shut as it first seemed.

And although her angelic persona would suggest otherwise, she was not short of enemies in the glittery TV world . . .

Can Adam uncover the truth?

Having really enjoyed Rob Rinder's debut novel, I was curious to see how he would follow it up. 

So jumped into the pages of The Suspect and was happy to see it was set at the same law firm and that Adam was our leading character again. 

And he gets called up to help with big case in the media,  while also being involved in one that included a moral dilemma,  which actually raises some important questions. 

I enjoyed seeing how Adam was now coping with life now he was past his pupillage.

And the phone calls from his mother are hilarious. 

This was an easy to read and highly enjoyable story.  I'm loving the recurring characters and highly curious what this author will write next.  

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

Book Review - Second Chance Romance by Carol Mason

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Title: Second Chance Romance

Author: Carol Mason

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 22nd July 2024

Rating: 4 Stars

Hate at first sight. Love at long last?

Moira is forty-two, newly single thanks to her cheating husband, and totally, one hundred per cent, over men. Frank is forty-five, irritatingly good-looking, and the author of the world’s greatest love story. If only his charm on the page translated to real life… Unfortunately, their barely adult children are convinced they’re in love. And they’re eloping. To Greece. Without their parents.

Moira married young and lived to regret it. She’s desperate for her daughter not to make the same mistake. And the last thing Frank wants is to spend future Thanksgivings stuck together. So they make a pact: to find their kids, before it’s too late.

But as their Mamma-Mia-in-reverse journey leads to sandy beaches, picture-perfect cobbled streets, bickering by candlelight, and into their hotel’s hot tub… Moira is unable to ignore the prickle of heat under Frank’s gaze. Nor the sparks that fly as they really talk for the first time.

Will they end up going their separate ways as planned? Or has this unexpected trip given them the second chance at love they didn’t know they needed?

I will happily admit that it was the gorgeous brightly coloured covered that captured my initial attention but after glancing at the blurb it confirmed that I definitely had to give this book a go... 

.. and the author too as I've not read anything by them before.  And I'm glad I gave this a shot as it was highly enjoyable. 

I loved the dynamics between Moira and Frank, and their plotting to split up their children's relationship, and their text message exchanges are great fun. 

And the following their kids half way around the world from LA to Greece is brilliant, and the story between them really gets going once they are on Greek soil. 

The scenes in Athens around the Plaka reminded me of my short time of Athens and everything that was described in Santorini off season, reminded me of the start of season in Zante the summer I worked there - complete with the cold and weather! 

Oh to be Harriet and Aiden, young and in love, they really made me envious, of things that I never had, and I'm more Moira's age but without any of her experiences. 

Moira spends the book torn in what to do about her husband back in England, she is convinced he is cheating, but instead of talking it through rationally, she basically spends 3 months ignoring of all his messages - ok that sounds like something I would do! 

This was just a highly enjoyable escapist novel that made my cold fade away into the background, and I was totally focused on my enjoyment of the words of this story.  Definitely a great introduction for me to this author, and I'll be curious to see what she writes next. 

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

Book Review - The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch

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Title: The Surprise Party

Author: Julia Crouch

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 28th June 2024

Rating: 3 Stars

The party is a surprise… but what happens afterwards will destroy everything.

To celebrate my special birthday, my husband and I have returned to the beautiful Greek island village where we spent our honeymoon. If two weeks in this paradise don’t fix our marriage, nothing will.

But then the next day a second boat arrives, full of my friends and family. My grown-up children jump on to the shore, grinning and holding balloons. My husband beams at me and says, “Surprise!”

I should be overjoyed, but there was a reason I wanted it to be just the two of us. Now I won’t have the chance to confess what I’ve been hiding for years…

As my husband hands out champagne, I watch my children glare at him. I stare out at the sparkling sea and try not to mind my best friend flirting with him. I’m terrified at the fractures in my family, which I’m about to rip open.

But even after my party ended in disaster, I didn’t expect anyone to die…

A completely gripping psychological thriller about the darkness at the heart of a family and how far a mother will go to protect her children that will keep you glued to the pages as you discover twist after twist. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and Lucy Clarke will love The Surprise Party.

This was certainly a gripping story, and it was set in a fabulous location. 

However I really found myself not being a fan of most of the characters. They were all quite hard to like and Eve is an utter doormat and seems to be able to manipulated by everyone in her life. 

There are all sorts of secrets to uncover, but nothing that overtly shocked me or had me gasping.  I was keen to know what was happening but ultimately it didn't quite grab me in they way I hoped it would. 

I was able to read it quickly, as I wasn't feeling great and this certainly took my mind of my cold, but at least some of the key reveals I guessed fairly early, and with my disconnect from most of the characters, it just didn't work for me. 

It's not a bad book by any stretch, but I think it may have just been the wrong book for me at the wrong time. 

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