Book Review - Five Ladies Go Skiing by Karen Aldous

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Amazon UK

Title: Five Ladies Go Skiing

Author: Karen Aldous

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 5th November 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Five ladies, one unforgettable trip…

Escape to gorgeous Switzerland this winter with the brand new, uplifting read from Karen Aldous.

When Ginny Watts’ husband passes away, she is left grief-stricken, not only over her husband’s death but the secrets he has left behind…

Luckily for Ginny, she has four wonderful friends – Lou, Cathy, Angie and Kim – poised to whisk her away on a ladies’ skiing holiday to beautiful La Tzoumaz, Switzerland.

While all of them appear to have their lives together from the outside, little do the ladies know that every single one of them is fighting a secret battle.

As the trip unfolds, they realise that fears of tumbling down the slopes after too much après-ski fun is the least of their worries and all is not what it seems…

A novel showing that your life can really begin no matter your age.  For this is a group of almost 60 year old women, who have gone on a skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps to bring in the New Year. 

The catch - only Angie has ever skiied before, the rest are rather scared, but have been improving their fitness over the previous six months to prepare for this holiday. 

This is a trip for a close group of friends to spend time together, but also mark the 1 year mark of Ginny losing her husband.  And it soon becomes apparent just how she has been dealing with the grief, and as the book progresses over the week, it is like she has been reborn. 

At the start of the book we get to meet all five of the ladies, who call themselves Flowers (which is a rather clever acronym explained early on).  And although we need that intro to all five, the book then predominately splits the chapters and narrative into three in particular that we get to know rather well. 

So the three main 1st person points of view we switch between are Ginny, who really is the star of the book, her best friend Kim who lives in Australia, and Cathy who is also hiding things from the group. 

There are over the course of many apres ski sessions all sorts of revelations, its turns out for best friends they aren't that great at sharing ever last part of their lives, so  there are all manner of interesting conversations. 

What I found really admirable was the skiing, this is all about the nursery slopes, and learning the basics, unlike books featuring skiing with younger main characters that can seem reckless - this is far more considered, but they are all facing fears, and giving it a good go.  

I would have loved to have been on this trip with them, the village of La Tzoumaz in Switzerland sounded picture perfect, and the hospitality in the restaurants was second to none. 

This was for me a slow book to get into, I found I was enjoying it but at the same time, it just didn't feel like a quick read, but more measured and sedate - then again fast paced with the age of these characters would have potentially felt a bit wrong.  So the pacing does fit the book and there are plenty of story lines and talking points.   It is a really enjoyable story, that I'm really glad to have read. 

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

Back Catalogue Book - Q&A with Karen Aldous

Back Catalogue Books is my new regular Saturday feature, focusing on books that are not the latest releases. There is going to be a mix of Q&As and also reviews, depending on what I have the space for. 

If you are an author wanting to take part in Back Catalogue Books then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you. 

I hope everyone enjoys this weekly look back at some of the slightly older books that are about but still great, going to aim to read books that have been out for at least 6 months, and that I eventually make a dent in my TBRs as a result of it!

Hi Rachel,

Thank you so much for inviting me along to your new ‘Back Catalogue Books’ feature. What a wonderful idea. Just so that your readers know a bit about me, I’ll give a *wave*, I’m Karen Aldous, author of five contemporary romances with HQUK/HarperCollins, which are set in some of the most beautiful locations, and as well as containing lots of emotional family drama, my strong, independent heroine will always find her happy ending.

Please tell me about your first book, and what started you writing in the first place

The Vineyard is my first book and it’s inspiration came from my first visit to Provence several years ago. I fell in love with the ambience of Provence, the landscape, the hilltop villages, the vineyards, but my character Lizzie was too young to live so rural, she needed the cosmopolitan vibe of Cannes to live and run her business and so Provence became her dream. The story was born. It didn’t actually reach fruition until 2012 though. I wrote the first half of it whilst my mum was undergoing her chemo treatment. I finished it the following year and sent it to CarinaUK, now HQUK.

1) How many books have you written and what are they?

I’ve just completed my fifth novel but both The Vineyard and The Riviera, are, as I mention above, set in Cannes and Provence, and follow the story of Lizzie and her three-year-old son Thierry and Cal and his son who lives on the US island of Nantucket. After falling for bad-boy Anton, Thierry’s playboy father, Lizzie then falls for Cal, her mother’s toy boy. Lizzie has difficulty trusting any man since Anton, so even when discovers the truth, it takes an exceptional man to win her trust. 

The Chateau is set around the beautiful Swiss Riviera on Lake Geneva where Gina meets Ollie and is immediately disturbed by a figure on the lake. As more is revealed of Agnes-Francesia, an unrested spirit at the Chateau, the quest to settle the spirit becomes Gina and Ollie’s fascination. 

My fourth novel, One Moment at Sunrise is set on the path and beside the stunning Canal du Midi, also in the South of France. My main character Evie appears to have everything, the elegant villa, the rock-star boyfriend and his gorgeous little girl, Charlotte, but Evie is extremely unhappy. When she researches the building of the canal for film director Ben, she finds herself identifying with one of the characters and discovers more about herself and where her own life should be leading. 

My fifth and most recent title, will be released 14th June, is called ‘Under a Tuscan Sky’.

2) Which book are you most proud of writing?

This is so tricky to answer because each makes me proud. It’s been a journey on which I am still learning and so each one is a testament to learning something new from the last. I suppose, it’s like asking me to favour a child. I can’t!

3) Which book was your favourite to write?

The Chateau was inspired by a dream soon after my mum passed. It was an extremely vivid image of a woman being dunked in the deep waters outside a medieval dungeon. I woke up sweating and quickly wrote the scene. I felt her spirit needed to settle, and her story told. I think it was my favourite to write not just because it was so close, but because Gina, my character was on a quest to discover the relationship between the spirit Agnese-Francesia and what she needed to do to settle her. I enjoyed that mysterious side to it. 

4) Who are your favourite characters from your books and why?

Relative to the above. I really loved Agnes-Francesia in The Chateau because as a spirit she had to enter different eras to find the person who would help her settle that spirit, and find ways of engaging and communicating with them. Arriving in the twenty-first century from the seventeenth century, she is exposed to so many changes, not just the landscape but material and technological changes. So from a more primitive era of road tracks and horse and carts, she has to endure the staggering changes to roads, as well as the unfamiliar, the speed etc ., of cars, trains, aeroplanes, and then decipher what phones and tablets etc., are, and how to make them work for her. It was entertaining and a particularly absorbing task. Imaging how lost we’d feel leaping forward or back four hundred years!

5) If you could go back and change anything from any of your books, what would it be, and why?

Oh goodness, I wouldn’t change any of the stories per se, but I would love to go back and re-edit them in terms of their language; changing sentences, phrases, grammar etc. I’d like to think I’ve developed as a writer and I’m sure if I went back and re-read them, my editing pen would soon run out of ink!

6) Which of your covers is your favourite and why?

I love my covers. The team at HQ have a great sense of what stands out.  I think the cover of One Moment at Sunrise is one which has a spiritual significance for me. Maybe it’s the mystical figure of the woman on the front walking into the unknown. She is following the light. I was talking to an author at an awards evening recently and we spoke about our previous careers; seeking locations for clients. We both agreed that our best finds are discovered when we are completely lost. I think that is what the image evokes for me, and it’s that stepping into the unknown and discovering what is out there which ignites me.

7) Have you ever thought about changing genres, if so what else would you like to write?

Yes. Apart from a contemporary romance, I enjoy psychological thrillers and historical or dual-timelines. I am currently working on some ideas for a dual-timeline. It is quite a challenge to create two stories which somehow weave together, but I feel ready for the challenge. There are some excellent authors out there who create wonderful dual-timelines and I would love to be among them. As I state above, stepping into the unknown can be a great adventure.

8) Looking forward can you let us know what you are working on next?

Under A Tuscan sky is being edited and set for 14th June release, just after my daughter’s wedding there, but I’m also working on characters and ideas for my next novel which is also set in Italy. Like France and Switzerland, Italy has so many layers and beauty, I find it inspiring in all aspects; landscapes, history, art, culture, culinary delights, not to mention the wine, so I’ve planned a tour for the research, and hope to meet some new characters and discover their stories. Nothing is ever wasted. I will also continue building on my dual-timeline novels.

9) I dare not ask for a favourite author, but is there any author’s back catalogue you admire and why?

Oh, there’s so many. Erica James is one of my favourite and among her back catalogue are dual-timelines. I like to read and learn from these experts; what strategies or vehicles authors use to create their different eras. I’ve been reading, Lucinda Riley, Santa Montefiore, Kate Moreton, Rosanna Ley, Kath McGurl, Iona Grey, and a new discovery recommended by a wonderful book-blogger, Katherine Webb. There’s probably more. I just love both the reading of the stories ,and working out how they’re all pieced together.


10)Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your back catalogue of books?

As a writer, I want nothing more to inspire my readers and allow them to escape to another world so they can submerge themselves into the character’s mind. I ask only that your readers will try one or two of my back catalogue of books and if they enjoy them, to keep coming back for more, and recommend them to their friends.

Thank you so much Karen for answering my questions. I love your books and I'm looking forward to starting Under a Tuscan Sky when I get a spare moment.

Author Bio

Karen Aldous enjoys village life on the edge of the north-downs in Kent with easy access to the buzz of London. Not only does she love the passive pleasures of reading and writing, she also craves the more active pursuits with her family and friends such as walking, cycling and skiing especially when they involve food and wine!

Much of Karen's inspiration comes from her travels and meeting people. The UK, France, Greece, Switzerland, Italy and parts of the USA and Asia are just some you will experience in her books to date. However, wherever she goes, new characters emerge in 'Karen's World' screaming at her to tell their stories; past or present. She loves to write about strong independent women who can direct their own lives - but struggle to control them! And, of course there's always a gorgeous hunk or two!

Karen’s books published by HQUK/Harper Collins are available at most ebook retailers.

Here are the links to AmazonUK:

One Moment at Sunrise

The Chateau

The Vineyard

The Riviera

You can also follow Karen:

Twitter: KarenAldous_

Facebook: KarenAldousAuthor

Pinterest: KarenAldousPinterest

Website: KarenAldousAuthorWebsite

Under A Tuscan Sky was published 10 days ago

Amazon UK

A summer she’ll never forget…

When Olivia Montague’s grandmother passes away, she decides it’s finally time to make some changes in her own life. So she breaks up with her ‘going nowhere’ boyfriend and embarks on a journey to her Nonna’s home in Tuscany.

Until now, Olivia has always believed that she’s incapable of love, after being abandoned by her parents as a baby. But with each day spent at the gorgeous villa nestled in the rolling Italian hills, she feels her heart begin to flutter…

And when handsome antiques dealer Hugh St. James arrives on the scene, she realises things might be about to change forever!

Book Review - Under A Tuscan Sky by Karen Aldous - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Under A Tuscan Sky

Author: Karen Aldous

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 14th June 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

A summer she’ll never forget…
When Olivia Montague’s grandmother passes away, she decides it’s finally time to make some changes in her own life. So she breaks up with her ‘going nowhere’ boyfriend and embarks on a journey to her Nonna’s home in Tuscany.

Until now, Olivia has always believed that she’s incapable of love, after being abandoned by her parents as a baby. But with each day spent at the gorgeous villa nestled in the rolling Italian hills, she feels her heart begin to flutter…

And when handsome antiques dealer Hugh St. James arrives on the scene, she realises things might be about to change forever!

Rightly or wrongly, often the first thing that will attract you to a book is the cover. Now the cover for Under a Tuscan Sky just screams summer at me, and in particular hot sunny days and Italy. And I am delighted to say that the contents inside the cover, carry on that theme and more, providing a sumptuous story of Olivia discovering a lot more about herself than she ever bargained on, and even has two incredibly different gorgeous men after her too. 

Olivia loves making lists, she loves being organised and prepared, so in theory going over to Tuscany to sort out her beloved Nonna's villa should be nice and simple. She already has an estate agent and viewings lined up after all, and shes only heading over to Tuscany to clear the contents of the villa. 

However it soon becomes apparent that not everything goes to plan. On the plane over she meets Alberto a suave Italian man who awakens her hidden inner female! And then the first person to view the house in antiques dealer Hugh. Both become integral to the plot and to what Olivia is doing in Tuscany. 

Between them we discover family secrets which is where the book really kicked up a gear and became very intriguing to read, and we also get a tour of the Italian countryside, and get to take in a lot of places, which is what I love in fiction, being able to travel from my armchair! 

Under A Tuscan Sky is a lovely story and another great book from Karen Aldous. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy that I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

About Karen Aldous

Karen Aldous enjoys village life on the edge of the north-downs in Kent with easy access to the buzz of London. Not only does she love the passive pleasures of reading and writing, she also craves the more active pursuits with her family and friends such as walking, cycling and skiing especially when they involve food and wine!

Karen gets much of her inspiration from her travels and if she had to choose, France, Greece, Switzerland, Italy and the USA would be her favourites. However, wherever she goes, she discovers a new character emerges in 'Karen's World'. She likes to write about strong independent women who can direct their own lives - but struggle to control them! And, of course there's always a gorgeous hunk or two!

Website: http://www.karenaldous.co.uk/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/karenAldous_

Giveaway (UK Only) (Please include the giveaway and the giveaway photos somewhere in your posts!)

1^st prize: £10 Amazon voucher, eCopy of Under a Tuscan Sky & a signed notebook

2^nd & 3^rd prize: eCopy of Under a Tuscan Sky & a signed notebook

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Follow along with the rest of the blog tour:

Book Review - One Moment At Sunrise by Karen Aldous

Amazon UK

Title: One Moment At Sunrise

Author: Karen Aldous

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital 

Publication Date: 18th April 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Nothing will ever be the same again…

Evie Grant has spent two years hidden away in a quiet French village, longing to escape her beautiful villa with its blue-shuttered windows. Maybe this summer, the father of her child will keep his broken promises and return to whisk her away to another life. One way or another, Evie’s determined to stop feeling like his dirty little secret…

Yet when a mysterious stranger almost knocks Evie off her bicycle early one morning, her world begins to change in ways she never expected. Embarking on a painful journey of self-discovery, Evie begins to face her darkest fears and rebuild her fragile dreams. But can she ever truly break free from her gilded cage and learn to love again?

One Moment at Sunrise is a seriously impressive book, that gets better and better the further into it you read, until it becomes completely unputdownable. I spent the entire book willing Evie to gain in confidence and to see the reality of her life, and to try and plot her " escape". 

Evie is living in the South of France with toddler Charlotte, who is utterly adorable. She does have a partner, who is a famous singer, but he is barely about, and keeps her hidden in France. As a result of her relationship with him, she is distanced from her family and barely has any friends. 

Her life starts to change the day she has a near death experience and meets film producer Ben. It is early in the book but also you can tell its a pivotal moment, and it was fantastic to go on Evie's personal journey with her. 

At moments my heart was in my mouth, as I was shocked at the turns the action was taking, and the rest I was just enjoying the story of one mother, her young daughter, her neighbours and new acquaintances. It really is a story of a woman re-discovering who she is as a person, not just as mother, and not just as a hidden secret. As a result it was really uplifting to follow Evie's story. 

Charlotte was my favourite character, although I'm not sure I know many two year olds that love fish as much as she does, especially not in finger form! She definitely has the dialogue of  a toddler, and Charlotte was a ray of light in any scene she was in. 

I firmly believe this is the best book by Karen Aldous so far, it has a great deal of depth to the story, there are fun moment, but there are also more serious threads running throughout too. I absolutely despised Evie's partner, with his controlling personality traits, and his actions are just awful and really do speak louder than a thousand words. 

I am wondering why on earth it has taken me so long to pick up One Moment in Sunrise to start reading, as I have been missing out of months of knowledge of such an enjoyable story. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for my copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Guest Post - Inspiration for One Moment At Sunrise by Karen Aldous - Blog Tour

Today I'm delighted to welcome Karen Aldous to Rachel's Random Reads, and she has written us a lovely post about her inspiration for her new book, One Moment At Sunrise. I can't wait to read it, and hope you all enjoy the post. 

A traditional French villa, blue shutters, a central sweeping staircase, cool marble flooring, high ceilings, contemporary décor with tasteful furnishings, French doors leading to a vine-covered terrace and the crystal-clear waters of a pool, overlooking the most magnificent canal ever built!  This was the moment inspiration struck. My character appeared before my eyes; wheeling a bike in through metal gates, her cheeks pink, her expression – melancholic. Her head hung low as she entered the echoing walls of her home. Why? She lived in this stunning villa, had a gorgeous little girl, and her man - so what was wrong? Why was she so swarmed in darkness?

Cycling under dappled light along gently rippling waters, through ripening vineyards bursting with fruit under a Mediterranean sun, my character sobbed out her loneliness to me. I would stop and sit on the banks of the canal whilst my notes tumbled on to the page; her story gradually revealing itself. My villa wasn’t beside the canal du midi, it was in a village several kilometres away but, it was fitting that Evie lived and breathed the canal.

It was after a visit to Bezier and seeing the statue of Jean-Paul Riquet that I began to explore the visionary and the history of the canal-du-mid in more depth. This is where I found my character had more in common with some of its past characters too.  Inspired from my research and discovering just how instrumental the Pyrenean peasant women were in building this monumental canal I was moved by the fact that they failed to ever receive recognition for their contribution. I felt their story had to be told and developed the plot to include them. So by finding strength from a chance encounter with Ben, a film director and, unwittingly absorbing the plight of the peasant woman from the past, my character Evie is able to discover and recognise just how she could use her own resources.
This blend of past and present gave me such a stir because the common theme was disempowerment; strong, intelligent women who had so much capacity and talent as individuals became so overruled, isolated and immersed in self-doubt.

One of the reasons I love being a fiction writer is because anything is possible; if it doesn’t exist, you can invent it, if you need to find out more, you research, then you can explore. Let your characters speak to you, tell you their problems, then you can help them. Like many writers of women’s fiction, my motivation for my characters, is not just about finding romance and living happy ever after, I wish my characters to be strong independent women who find fulfilment in some form for themselves.

Escape to the south of France with the irresistibly compelling new story from Karen Aldous – the only book you’ll need this summer!

Nothing will ever be the same again…

Evie Grant has spent two years hidden away in a quiet French village, longing to escape her beautiful villa with its blue-shuttered windows. Maybe this summer, the father of her child will keep his broken promises and return to whisk her away to another life. One way or another, Evie’s determined to stop feeling like his dirty little secret…

Yet when a mysterious stranger almost knocks Evie off her bicycle early one morning, her world begins to change in ways she never expected. Embarking on a painful journey of self-discovery, Evie begins to face her darkest fears and shatter her fragile dreams. But can she ever truly break free from her gilded cage and learn to love again?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

About Karen Aldous

Karen Aldous enjoys village life on the edge of the north-downs in Kent with easy access to the buzz of London. Not only does she love the passive pleasures of reading and writing, she also craves the more active pursuits with her family and friends such as walking, cycling and skiing especially when they involve food and wine!

Karen gets much of her inspiration from her travels and if she had to choose, France, Greece, Switzerland, Italy and the USA would be her favourites. However, wherever she goes, she discovers a new character emerges in 'Karen's World'. She likes to write about strong independent women who can direct their own lives - but struggle to control them! And, of course there's always a gorgeous hunk or two!

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This giveaway is for a £15 Amazon Voucher and a copy of the book as first prize and a copy of the book as second prize.

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Book Review - The Riviera by Karen Aldous - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title:  The Riviera

Author: Karen Aldous

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina 

Publication Date: 10th July 2015

Rating: 4 Stars

The journey is only as good as its end…

It’s been a hard journey, but Lizzie Lambert’s life is a Provençal dream come true. Her business is wildly successful, and with her little boy and the love of her life, Cal, she is making a beautiful home on the vineyard for their blended family.

But when Cal goes to America to support his son through a teenage crisis, it becomes clear the kid’s not the only one with some growing up to do: Cal’s glamorous ex-wife wants to get her claws in him again. As Cal spends longer and longer away, Lizzie wonders, was it all too good to be true?

The Riviera is a lovely follow up to The Vineyard, continuing Lizzie Lambert and Cal's story. Although I had read The Vineyard only a few months ago, I'm ashamed to say I couldn't remember enough of it, to initially make feel instantly at home in the Riviera. I was continually wracking my brains for bits of story that felt familiar, but couldn't quite recall. However that didn't make this any less of an enjoyable read, and I have a weird feeling this may not be the last we see of these characters. 

I loved seeing Lizzie's relationship with Thierry, her 3 and half year old son, he is a real character and a joy to read about. I also loved the relationship between Cal and his 16 year old son Jack. It is a relationship that has been hard on them, with The Atlantic being between them, but when Jack asks for Cal's help, Cal steps up to the plate admirably. 

Jack was adamant he didn't want to go back to school in Nantucket, and that he wanted to move in with his friend Robbie, in London. Obviously his parents had other ideas, and with how strongly Jack was feeling on this subject, all sorts of horrible scenarios were playing out in my mind, as to what could be causing it, and none were correct. 

Cal though has to spend an extended time out in America, while he helps Jack get through this situation, and Lizzie who struggles to trust men, has a tough time with him away, convinced that Cal will be unfaithful with his ex-wife, Jack's mother. 

There are various threads of story, a lot of them revolving around family. I loved Jack, just all around loved him, he is brilliant with Thierry, and also the level of maturity he starts to show, with regards his future. 

The Riviera was predominantly set in the French Riviera, Cannes to be precise, and the descriptions of the area are wonderful.  I would love to visit Cannes again, but having been exhausted by reading about Lizzie's workload during the Film Festival, I would probably stay clear of the area in May!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it is a lovely story, which I found to be very quick to read. I really hope we get another Lizzie and Cal book, as I really want to see more of these characters, and I feel with the way the book ended that it could be open to more.

Thanks to Carina and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Author Bio

Karen Aldous enjoys village life on the edge of the north-downs in Kent with easy access to the buzz of London. Not only does she love the passive pleasures of reading and writing, she also craves the more active pursuits with her family and friends such as walking, cycling and skiing especially when they involve food and wine!


Karen gets much of her inspiration from her travels and if she had to choose, France, Greece, Switzerland, Italy and Lake Tahoe in US would be her favourites. However, wherever she goes, she discovers a new character emerges in 'Karen's World'. She likes to write about strong independent women who can direct their own lives - but struggle to control them! And, of course there's always a gorgeous hunk or two!

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