Book Review - The Friend by Dorothy Koomson - #Giveaway

Amazon UK

Title: The Friend

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Arrow

Publication Date: 8th March 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

What secrets would you kill to keep? 

After her husband’s big promotion, Cece Solarin arrives in Brighton with their three children, ready to start afresh. But their new neighbourhood has a deadly secret.

Three weeks earlier, Yvonne, a very popular parent, was almost murdered in the grounds of the local school – the same school where Cece has unwittingly enrolled her children.

Already anxious about making friends when the parents seem so cliquey, Cece is now also worried about her children’s safety. By chance she meets Maxie, Anaya and Hazel, three very different school mothers who make her feel welcome and reassure her about her new life.

That is until Cece discovers the police believe one of her new friends tried to kill Yvonne. Reluctant to spy on her friends but determined to discover the truth, Cece must uncover the potential murderer before they strike again . . .

I did not see that ending coming at all, it has taken me completely by surprise as at no point did I think things would take that turn. 

Before you get to the ending though you have a book that is continually slowly building the tension, and wow does it suddenly get to you this book. 

For a fair bit of it I was overwhelmed, 4 main view points, time limes jumping about the place, but not only 4 characters but all their separate families too, its a lot of characters, personalities to try to learn all about. 

Once I was into the rhythm of the bool though, I found it incredibly interesting and couldn't bring myself to put it down at all. 

There are many secrets in this story, some of them are hinted at and I guessed early on the basics of them, but the details still surprised me once revealed, and some of them seemed to come from nowhere, but were really surprising, and well thought out. 

The Friend as you may expect from the title is all about a friendship group, who are being ripped apart from the events of one terrible night, but just who knows what.  Then there is the newcomer to the area with a rather special skill set, but really just wants to make some friends. 

This is an incredibly well written and thought provoking story, from one of my favorite authors, and I'm so happy that I had a chance to read this story of friendship, secrets, lies, and more! 

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

Giveaway - Win 2 x Hardback copies of The Friend (Open to UK Only). 

*Terms and Conditions – I’m delighted to offer 2 x hardback copies of The Friend by Dorothy Koomson. UK Entries only.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only.  I am not responsible for delivery of the prize.

Win 2 x Hardback copies of The Friend (Open to UK Only).

Book Review - When I Was Invisible by Dorothy Koomson - #HolidayReading Book 12

Book 12 of 30 that I read on my holiday to Fuerteventura in December 2017

Amazon UK

Title: When I Was Invisible

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Arrow

Publication Date: 23rd March 2017 

Rating: 5 Stars

In 1988, two eight-year-old girls with almost identical names and the same love of ballet meet for the first time. They seem destined to be best friends forever and to become professional dancers. 

Years later, however, they have both been dealt so many cruel blows that they walk away from each other into very different futures – one enters a convent, the other becomes a minor celebrity. Will these new, ‘invisible’ lives be the ones they were meant to live, or will they only find that kind of salvation when they are reunited twenty years later?

Wow, just wow, utterly speechless..completely unputdownable, addictive and brilliant. 

If you are already a fan of this author and haven't read the book yet, then go out and buy it now..don;t even wait to end of this review, you won;t be disappointed. 

If you have never read a Dorothy Koomson before, then you are missing out and this is an excellent book to get you hooked on the author. 

This is a book that does tackle tough uncomfortable subjects, but thankfully leaves the intricate bits to your imagination. 

One of my earliest concerns about the book was that it was two characters of very similar names, thankfully they both have nicknames, and completely different stories to tell so was easy to tell them apart.. 

After a shared childhood, these two best friends lead radically different lives, not seeing each other for many years. Both though have the power due to their shared experiences and desire to become practically invisible. 

This is a gritty book that will keep you hooked and absorbed for hours as you jump back and forth during both of their lives, the different acquaintances made etc.. until you get to an unexpectedly thrilling finale. 

Absolutely loved every second of the experience of reading When I Was Invisible.

Book Review - Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Amazon UK

Title: Twelve Days of Christmas

Author: Debbie Macomber

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Arrow Books

Publication Date: 3rd November 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Julia is infuriated by her grumpy neighbour, Cain, who can’t even be pleasant when they bump into each other.

So on the suggestion of her best friend, Cammie, Julia concocts a plan. She starts a blog in order to clinch her perfect job, and now she has a subject. Over the next twelve days, she is going to kill Cain with kindness – and Christmas cheer – and document it for all to read about.

But as the experiment goes on, Julia realises she underestimated the effect it would have on Cain, and on their relationship, and things take an unexpected turn…

Filled with Debbie Macomber's trademark warmth, its a one beautiful book, well the contents are, still not convinced about the cover. 

At the heart of this story is whether being kind to someone can have any affect on a persons life. Julia has an infuriating neighbour and after she reaches the last straw from him, her best friend suggests killing him...

...with kindness that is for the twelve days in the lead up to Christmas. She also suggests blogging about it as Julia needs a blog with a huge readership to get her dream job.  

Over the course of the book we learn a lot about both Cain and Julia, and can see just how being kind can affect both the giver and receiver. 

It is the perfect sort of book for this time of year, with the season of goodwill clearly in stepping up a gear. This was a very quick book to read, had read over half in an hour and probably didn't take much longer to read the second half - and loved how each chapter ended with that days blog post. 

I loved getting to know not just Cain and Julia but also Cain's grandfather. It has a cast of lovely characters and really just hits the spot for a story that will bring a smile to your face. 

Book Review - Stately Pursuits by Katie Fforde - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #29 - #20BooksofSummer Book 1

Amazon UK

Title:  Stately Pursuits

Author: Katie Fforde

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Arrow

Publication Date: 6th November 2003 

Rating: 4 Stars

'I don't suppose you'd care to house-sit for a while...' 

Hetty Longden's mother thinks that looking after Great Uncle Samuel's crumbling stately home will be just the thing for Hetty's broken heart. Hetty doesn't mind; at least she can be miserable in private. But 'private' is a relative term in a village which revolves around the big house. Particularly when you are expected to thwart Great Uncle Samuel's awful heir, and his nefarious plans for his inheritance. 

Pitchforked into the community's fight to save the manor, Hetty has no time to wallow. And once she has shared her troubles with one neighbour (Caroline: a very understanding shoulder, despite her glamorous appearance and impossibly long legs), and cast an appreciative eye over another (Peter: equally long-legged, but offering rather more practical help), she wonders if her heart is irretrievably broken after all...

It's been a while since I was able to treat myself to one of Katie Fforde's huge back catalogue of books, and I'm glad the opportunity finally presented itself. However I can't help but think I would have enjoyed it even more had I read it when it was first printed, instead, of many years laters, after having read her later books which do get better and better by the book. 

Unfortunately some of the slight problems I had with this book, were nothing to do with the content itself, but that I had won a paperback of it in a competition, and its only as I started reading, I discovered it had that old second hand book smell to it, which unfortunately I don't find that pleasant, so I found I was struggling to read the book for comprehensive periods of time despite enjoy the story. 

I would describe this as a warm hearted book, and that if you love your stately home renovations and tours then this will be ideal for you. Hetty and Connor are at loggerheads from the start, but they do say there is a fine line between love and hate, and with both of them incapable of expressing how they may feel, I found it really frustrating to read and not want to knock some sense into them. 

I just didn't really take to Hetty, she seems to remind me of myself in some respects and that is quite uncomfortable to read. She is a character who seems unable to take control of her own life, allowing others to dictate her job, her love life, her role in life generally. 

The writing feels like it is the early basis of how Katie Fforde is as a writer today, in that is very descriptive draws you into the story and is fairly easy to read. The story flows well, and you are introduced to some lovely characters. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for Stately Pursuits this week. It was probably about time that I read this and it was enjoyable. Up on the blog today, is the last vote before I break for my holiday... please take the time to make it a good one. 

Book Review & Giveaway - That Girl From Nowhere by Dorothy Koomson

Amazon UK

Title: That Girl From Nowhere

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: PR Company

Publisher: Arrow

Publication Date: 24th March 2016 

Rating: 5 Stars

Clemency Smittson was adopted as a baby and the only connection she has to her birth mother is a cardboard box hand-decorated with butterflies. Now an adult, Clem decides to make a drastic life change and move to Brighton, where she was born. Clem has no idea that while there she'll meet someone who knows all about her butterfly box and what happened to her birth parents. 

As the tangled truths about her adoption and childhood start to unravel, a series of shocking events cause Clem to reassess whether the price of having contact with her birth family could be too high to pay...

Without fail every year, there is a new Dorothy Koomson book, and without fail it's brilliant. That Girl From Nowhere although perhaps a bit slow to start, didn't take me too long to get into the swing of, and as various plot lines were revealed it kept getting better and better. 

At the heart of the book there is a story of Clemency who was adopted when she was a baby, and feels as though she has no roots. Her adoptive parents are of a different colour to her, and she has found people have made comments throughout her life about it. Her "cousin" is also a nasty piece of work. 

We also learn about Clemency's birth family when a couple of coincidences slot into place, after Clemency has moved from Leeds to Brighton. 

As we get to know more about her roots, there is a moral dilemma for Clem to consider, which could have far reaching consequences. 

Clem loves taking photos and its through those we learn about her past, her friendship at uni with two men, and the one she loves whole heartedly, until she doesn't anymore. 

That Girl From Nowhere is clearly well researched, and is a joy to read, its easy to follow despite having many characters to keep track of, and even has a bad girl in it that you I loved hating. There are some younger children who are adorable, and some mixed family dynamics. 

That Girl From Nowhere has secrets by the butterfly boxful, and you start to see hidden depths everywhere as the are revealed and in the most part, just shows how much love there is in both sides of the family, even if it's not completely obvious at first. 

Thank you to EDPR for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Giveaway to win a hardback copy of That Girl From Nowhere (UK Only)

I happen to have a spare hardback copy of That Girl From Nowhere, which I am happy to give away to one lucky winner. 

Giveaway open for UK only, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 20/4/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win a hardback copy of That Girl From Nowhere (UK Only)

Book Review - Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber

Amazon UK

Title:  Dashing Through the Snow

Author: Debbie Macomber

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Random House, Cornerstone

Publication Date: 19th November 2015 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The new romantic Christmas story from New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Ashley Davison is desperate to spend the holidays with her mother in Seattle. Dash Sutherland has an interview for the job of a lifetime in Seattle and must arrive by 23 December. Both frantic to book a last-minute flight out of California, Ashley and Dash collide at the airport to learn that there are no flights and only one rental car available. After a rocky start, the two reluctantly agree to drive to Washington together. But their journey isn't without obstacles, and a misunderstanding with the law threatens to ruin their holiday plans altogether. 

Will Ashley make it home in time to surprise her mother? Will Kevin report to duty as expected? And most importantly, will they both have the opportunity to discover the greatest gift of all?

I'm a huge fan of Debbie Macomber and this had a lot of her trademark warmth to the book. In fact it was as you may expect from this author and lovely romance, with a really good story. You may as a result be wondering if I liked it so much why the perhaps slightly low rating, and that is mainly because what I would regard as the bit of the storyline that kept me reading and had me thinking about the book during the day at work, as in fact anticlimatic in its resolution, and felt quite rushed. 

This is the storyline regarding exactly why Ashley is on the no-fly list, and that is what lead to her having to take a road trip with Dash, from California to Seattle. Ashley is dubious at sharing a car with a stranger at first, and insists on a reference from his mum before she will agree. That is one highly amusing phone call. 

Of course this isn't the most straight forward of road trips, its a part race against time to get Dash to Seattle in time for a job interview, and so Ashley can spend Christmas with her mum, but its filled with fun banter between the pair, various incidents, including acquiring a puppy, and an encounter with Stan The Man. 

Stan the Man I think should get his own short story at the very least. He is arguable stark raving mad, but seems like a lovely bloke and he is an excellent car whisperer! This will make more sense once you have got to him in the book, but I am fairly sure he will definitely have you either rolling your eyes in disbelief or laughing your head off, or both!

The interactions between Dash and Ashley are on the whole entertaining, and really you enjoying the road trip. 

I just think this book could have been so much more than it was, but it would have possibly then become a slightly different genre, so instead, the story that I don't really want to hint at or spoil, was touched on lightly, introduced you to a couple of other characters and a different view point, but the conclusion of it, just left me feeling numb. 

Dashing Through the Snow is a lovely short book, is very fast to read, and I did really enjoy it, I've just read better from this author. If you have a habit of reading all of Debbie Macombers new releases I'm sure you will love this, if you are new to the author, I would recommend the Dakota trilogy as a great introduction to the sorts of books she does incredibly well. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House, Cornerstone for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.

Happy Publication day to Debbie Macomber. Dashing Through the Snow is out now.