Book Review - The Moment of Truth by Shari Low - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #88

Amazon UK

Title: The Moment of Truth

Author: Shari Low

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 26th February 2015

Rating: 4 Stars

Laney Cochrane loves her life.
With her friends Millie and Tash, she runs a proposal agency, organising the perfect setting for their clients to pop the question. 
Finding that forever love is something Laney knows all about. Her marriage to Cameron is blissfully content and she has never doubted they’ll live happily ever after.
Then Cara Deacon walks into their office.
When Cara enlists their help to set up a romantic engagement to her boyfriend, they visualise a breathtaking scene under a moonlit Manhattan sky.
Laney’s excitement rises, until she realises that the man Cara intends to marry has the same name as her own husband.
Cameron Cochrane.
A bizarre coincidence? Identity theft? A cruel joke?
Or is Cara’s dream about to become Laney’s worst nightmare?
The only way to know for sure is to plan the proposal and see it through to the end.
But whose heart will be left intact after… The Moment of Truth?

I really enjoyed this book although I have to say I felt sorry for Laney almost the whole way through it. I have no idea how she had the strength of character that she showed, and I don't know many people who if in her position would do what she did. 

For Laney along with best friends Millie and Tash run Perfect Proposals an agency to help set up incredible, romantic proposals to give loved ones a proposal to remember. Imagine the girls surprise when they had one of their rare female clients come in, and give the name of her fiancee to be, to be very familiar. 

For he has the same name has Laney's husband. 

I loved this story of female friendship, and the three very distinct personalities of the girls, who I enjoyed getting to know that bit better, as some chapters focused on one of them individually.  Tash is a complete tonic, her outlook on life is so refreshing, and added quite a lot of the laughs for this book. 

The Moment of Truth had me on tenterhooks to see just how it would all resolve itself, when the moment of truth was revealed.   

Loved the characters and the writing, and its another incredibly entertaining book from Shari Lows back catalogue which I am really enjoying working my way through. 

Thanks to everyone that votes for this book this week, another excellent choice, bring on this time next week! 

Book Review - One Day in December by Shari Low

Amazon UK

Title: One Day in December

Author: Shari Low

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 1st September 2017

Rating: 3 Stars

By the stroke of midnight, a heart would be broken, a cruel truth revealed, a devastating secret shared, and a love betrayed. Four lives would be changed forever, One Day in December.

One morning in December... 

Caro set off on a quest to find out if her relationship with her father had been based on a lifetime of lies. 

Lila decided today would be the day that she told her lover's wife of their secret affair. 

Cammy was on the way to pick up the ring for the surprise proposal to the woman he loved. 

And Bernadette vowed that this was the day she would walk away from her controlling husband of 30 years and never look back. 

One day, four lives on a collision course with destiny...

It's odd I had been looking forward to reading this book as I tend to love everything that Shari Low writes, but this just didn't work for me, for over half the book.  Now I understand that everything needed to be set up to make the conclusion more interesting, but I had to read through the rest to get there. 

It is in fact  clever book, all the action takes place over the course of one day, but whereas in a thriller that would make it fast paced, I found the pacing rather sedate. For it follows the actions of four seemingly at first unrelated people, until you very early on work out how they may be connected. 

Herein lies my first problem with the book, of the 4 focal characters, I was only engaged and interested in two of them, so every other chapter I was losing interest as I just wasn't as bothered about their stories.  

Also at some points you were seeing the same action but from different perspectives which is nice, unless you aren't keen on repetition!  I think the other small problem I had was the major turnoff of about 4 pages of characters at the start of a kindle book - had it been a paperback I would have referred back and forth quite happily to get my bearings quicker, but on the kindle I just got scared at how much I was going to have to remember if I read the list! 

All that being said I found the book to be well thought out and cleverly crafted. It was not my favourite of Shari Low's books but I didn't hate it either, especially as I did finally become engaged in the whole story and was even feeling rather emotional at one point.  

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

Guest Post for One Day in December by Shari Low - Blog Tour

I’m a people watcher. Not in a way that could lead to weird glances and restraining orders, more “sitting in a busy café, being curious about everyone around me” kind of thing.

I’m also intrigued by the notion that your whole life can change in an instant, with a meeting, a phone call, a shock revelation. This has happened to me a couple of times in my life. There I was, moving along in a little bubble of contentment, when suddenly something huge came bolting out of the blue, taking a wrecking ball to the future I had planned.

These two threads twisted to form the starting point for One Day In December.

It’s the story of four strangers, from early morning until late at night, on a cold winter day in December. These people have never met before, but their destinies are about to become inextricably linked.

Caro travels to Glasgow to find out if her father has been living a double life with another family for the last thirty years.

Cammy has decided to propose to his girlfriend, Lila.

Unfortunately he doesn’t realise that Lila is also having relationship with a married man, and she’s decided that today will be the day she reveals their affair his wife.

That wife is Bernie, who has has finally plucked up the courage to leave the husband she has hated for decades.

The characters all start out the day with life-changing plans and then we learn what happens - hour by hour - as the drama unfolds.

By midnight, a heart is broken, truths are revealed, secrets are shared, and a love betrayed. But out of the chaos, comes a surprising new connection, a bite of karma and a break for freedom.

And like people watchers in a busy café, we’ve seen how a brush with that wrecking ball has left the fates of Caro, Cammy, Lila and Bernie forever altered by that One Day In December. 

Thank you so much Shari for this post, I look forward to reading One Day In December as soon as I can, or maybe I'll wait til December, since its in the title! 

About the author

Shari lives in Glasgow and writes a weekly opinion column and Book Club page for a well-known newspaper. She is married to a very laid-back guy and has two athletic teenage sons, who think she’s fairly embarrassing, except when they need a lift.

Follow Shari

Website: www.sharilow.com

Twitter: @ShariLow

About the book

By the stroke of midnight, a heart would be broken, a cruel truth revealed, a devastating secret shared, and a love betrayed. Four lives would be changed forever, One Day in December.

One morning in December...

Caro set off on a quest to find out if her relationship with her father had been based on a lifetime of lies.

Lila decided today would be the day that she told her lover's wife of their secret affair.

Cammy was on the way to pick up the ring for the surprise proposal to the woman he loved.

And Bernadette vowed that this was the day she would walk away from her controlling husband of 30 years and never look back.

One day, four lives on a collision course with destiny...

Buy links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vfcgBj

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2wyrmpQ

iBooks: http://apple.co/2vojzFU

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2voCsIK

Shari’s previous books are out now! http://amzn.to/2xsHHZj

Follow along with the blog tour:

Book Review - A Life Without You by Shari Low - #AroundTheUKIn144Books #Glasgow

Amazon UK

Title: A Life Without You

Author: Shari Low

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 1st April 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Touching, funny, and bittersweet, this is a story that will make you laugh, cry, and call your best friend to tell her you love her.

Dee and Jen have been best friends since their days of teenage crushes, bad 90's make-up and huge hair. 

They’ve passed every milestone of their lives together and now in their thirties own a successful boutique, sharing a bond that is as strong as the closest of sisters.

Until one day everything changes. 

Dee is gone, killed by a reckless driver, leaving Jen to face the harsh reality of a world without her. 

Jen vows to honour Dee’s dreams and take care of everything and everyone she loved. 

Until she realises that sometimes the only way forward is to let go of the past.

Well the opening chapter was certainly incredibly dramatic, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the action, even though the end result was devastating. From then on the whole story navigates around a family and friends that are coming to terms with the tragic death of Dee, who even in the memories, often added the boost to chapters, she was larger than life, and full of laughter and love. 

The main living character in the book is Jen, who was Dee's best friend. She is pretty much part of the family, as Dee's parents have been surrogate parenting Jen since their teens. Jen and Dee were barely ever parted as they worked together, and with their respective other halves often went out or away as a foursome. They were incredibly close, but that isn't the only loss that Jen is dealing with...let's just say she spent too many years of her life with an incredibly insensitive <insert rude word here!>

Then there is Val, Dee's mum, who is bereft and not even having her son Mark, back from Australia for an extended period of time, is helping her grief. She isn't just upset though, but angry, and there are some moment of absolutely almost madness from her that if it weren't for the circumstances would be hilarious. 

The other main perspective we get is of Luke, who is now widowed and no idea what to do with his life. Understandably he has lost the love of his life, but with almost indecent speed he already has offers if he is lonely. 

Although there is a great deal of emotion in this book, there are also humorous moments, in addition to hope for the future of these characters as time progresses. I felt like by the end that I could have been one of Val's children, I had that much love for her. If you are looking for funny bits then Josie and Ida are the characters to look out for. Josie especially is a rock for the family, has the uncanny knack of knowing what to say and generally feels a bit outrageous! 

 A Life Without You is a wonderful bittersweet story, full of grief but just the hints of new beginnings. The book has been written beautifully and I really enjoyed the whole story. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Guest Post - When the voyage of a lifetime comes with excess baggage… by Shari Low - Blog Tour

I had no desire whatsoever to go on a cruise. I was under the misapprehension that you had to be an elderly bingo expert with a natty collection of sequined jumpers and formal frocks before they let you on board.  

However, one night at a party a friend told me how she’d had a great time on the high seas, so later, after a few glasses of wine (damn you Prosecco), I booked a jaunt on the ocean waves.
I was sure it was going to be a disaster, right up until the moment I boarded the ship in Barcelona. Oh the glamour, the shows, the food, the spa, the peaceful bliss and no, I never played bingo.

I was, however, a cruise convert. 

Since then, many of our family holidays have started and ended on a gangplank and we’ve loved every minute of them. We’ve paddle-boarded in the Bahamas. Jet skied in Florida. Sailed past the Statue Of Liberty. Closer to home, we toured Rome. Got lost in Naples. Lunched in Capri. And trying to look posh in nice shoes in a rain soaked Monte Carlo led to me skidding down a hill and face-planking in a flower bed.   

Every night, we returned to our floating holiday home, wined, dined, slept and woke up in a new destination. 

Cruises have drama, romance, excitement and solitude, so as soon as I came up with the concept of The Other Wives Club, I could see the action unfolding in many of the places I’d visited. 

The story opens with Drew Gold, a workaholic newspaper editor inviting his whole extended family, past and present, to join him on a luxury liner to celebrate his 50th birthday. His current wife Tess, 23, is apprehensive about being thrown together with Drew’s first wife, the mother of his adult children, Sarah, 49, and his second wife, bitchy fashion journalist, Mona, 38.

Meanwhile the other two women have agendas of their own. 

Sarah hasn’t shaved her legs since Drew left her for Mona, but she’s made a vow to start living again. And Mona may now be married to wealthy businessman Piers, but it looks like trouble could be just over the horizon. 

The anchor has barely left the seabed when the tensions, secrets and manipulations float to the surface, and Tess quickly realises that the perils of wearing hazardous shoes in Monaco will be the least of her problems….

Thank you so much Shari for sharing your cruise experience with us. I am a complete cruise addict and on my most recent one this summer I read The Other Wives Club and devoured it, so can quite happily recommend it!

Author bio:

Shari Low writes a weekly opinion column and a Book Club page for the Daily Record. The latter is her dream job because it means she gets to lie on the sofa with the latest Harlan Coben novel and call it work. Over the years, Shari has decamped to Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, London and LA, but now lives in Glasgow. Thankfully, she has been married to a very laid-back guy for twenty three years and has two athletic sons, aged 14 and 15, who think she's fairly embarrassing, except when they need a lift somewhere. For this reason, she regularly writes while sitting in sports centre car parks drinking coffee from a styrofoam cup.

Follow Shari Low on Twitter

Amazon UK

Three women thrown together on a surprise Mediterranean cruise to celebrate a milestone birthday of the man they all once loved. What could possibly go wrong?

Tess Gold - the current wife. 
When Tess married Drew Gold, she knew his two ex-wives were still in his life. 

Now Drew has planned a luxury cruise to celebrate his birthday ... and the former Mrs. Golds are all coming too.

Mona Gold - the second wife. 
When it comes to style, fashion editor, Mona, never puts a Louboutin wrong. 

Now it’s time to reclaim the only man she ever really loved ... if she can tempt Drew away from his new wife for a second time.

Sarah Gold - the first wife, the original. 
When Drew left her for Mona, Sarah’s emotions went into hibernation. 


Now she’s decided to shave those legs and start living again...

Book Review - The Story of Our Life by Shari Low

Amazon UK

Title: The Story of Our Life

Author: Shari Low

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 1st July 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

So what would you do if your husband slept with another woman?

Colm strolled into my life fifteen years ago. If there's ever such a thing as love at first sight, that was it for us both. 

A few weeks later we married, celebrating with those who cared, ignoring the raised eyebrows of the cynics. 

We knew better. This was going to be forever. The dream come true. The happy ever after. 

Until it wasn't.

Because a couple of months ago everything changed. We discovered a devastating truth, one that blew away our future and forced us to revisit our past, to test the bonds that were perhaps more fragile than they seemed. 

So now I ask you again, what would you do if your husband slept with another woman? 

Because this is what I did. 

I'm Shauna. 

And this is the Story of Our Life... 

The sub section of the title on Amazon for promotional purposes says A bittersweet love story, and just for once it is spot on. I can't think of any better way to describe this brilliant book other than bittersweet. It is full of emotion in some places, had me welling up with tears many times during the book, but in amongst it, were light hearted moments, back in the early days of Colm and Shauna's story. 

The book alternates between the story of how Colm and Shauna met and their early years, while the other chapters deal with the most recent year of their lives, with all the ups and downs that it entails. 

Although from the start you are 99% positive of the final outcome of the story, just from the way it is written, but despite that I found myself rooting for a different outcome. I was convinced there was no way the book was going to surprise me, but it did, but I can't talk about that, as it would give away some of the conclusion. 

This is in a lot of ways a hard book to review as so much of what I possibly would have wanted to say, would potentially give away the plot, so I am going to keep quiet. The writing is beautiful and emotive, and I must say that Shauna's parents have to be in one of the most dysfunctional relationships I have read for years. 

As you would potentially expect there does need to be some light relief in this book to counter act just some of the emotion, and Annie is just that character. She is Shauna's gran and is a breath of fresh air, with how she treats Shauna, and also some of the lines she comes out with . For a ladies in her 70s she is active and fun, and continually eyeing up younger men!

We also get to know Shauna's best friends very well, especially Dan and Lulu who are another couple who I just can't understand their relationship...but history sort of repeats itself, as is also evidenced by Lulu's parents. Seriously the parentals relationships in this book are confusing , I don't fully agree with them but they will get you thinking, or being thankful they aren't your own. 

An incredibly well written story, that I found my thoughts turning towards, even while I wasn't reading, and probably one of the most mature books I've read for while and definitely by Shari Low. 

Thank you so much to Aria and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.