Book Review - The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan

Amazon UK

Title: The Art of Baking Blind 

Author: Sarah Vaughan

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks

Publication Date: 13th August 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

There are many reasons to bake: to feed; to create; to impress; to nourish; to define ourselves; and, sometimes, it has to be said, to perfect. But often we bake to fill a hunger that would be better filled by a simple gesture from a dear one. We bake to love and be loved.

In 1966, Kathleen Eaden, cookery writer and wife of a supermarket magnate, published The Art of Baking, her guide to nurturing a family by creating the most exquisite pastries, biscuits and cakes.

Now, five amateur bakers are competing to become the New Mrs Eaden. There's Jenny, facing an empty nest now her family has flown; Claire, who has sacrificed her dreams for her daughter; Mike, trying to parent his two kids after his wife's death; Vicki, who has dropped everything to be at home with her baby boy; and Karen, perfect Karen, who knows what it's like to have nothing and is determined her façade shouldn't slip.

As unlikely alliances are forged and secrets rise to the surface, making the choicest choux bun seems the least of the contestants' problems. For they will learn - as Mrs Eaden did before them - that while perfection is possible in the kitchen, it's very much harder in life.

A year ago I spent ages trawling around bookshops trying to pick up a copy of this book in paperback after seeing glowing reviews on blogs. After a few months of failing, I realised that it wasn't out until this year in paperback. Once I spotted it on the release schedules I was instantly eager again to try and get a copy of the book, and wow it was definitely worth the year's wait...

... What a fantastic book, full of family dynamics, baking, assorted family dramas and its a book that will definitely make you hungry while you read it. 

The book is separated into various categories, breads, cakes, puddings, biscuits etc... and each section focuses on that food stuff, as well as the characters memories of making them in childhood, how their practices are going. As well, we get insights into Kathleen Eaden's life while she was attempting to write the original baking bible "The Art of Baking". 

There are five contestants in this baking competition, all with their own reasons for entering, as well as what they are hoping to get from it. They have similarities between them, but their stories are definitely different. We don't get to learn huge amounts about Mike, but I feel he was mainly there to add a male perspective to the competition. 

The book mainly focuses on the four female competitors. 

Lily who is not finding parenthood as easy as she hopes, but does find great joy in baking with her son Alfie. 

Jenny who as the oldest women competing, is also the largest, and has grown up daughters, and a husband who has become a health freak marathon runner, so no longer appreciates the food Jenny makes.  

Claire, who is single mum to 9 year old Chloe, and is still very young, is trying make ends meet while working for the Eaden's supermarket chain. 

There is also Karen with her two teenage children, one of which seems to despise her, but will we ever discover what secrets she is hiding from her family. 

As the baking contest proceeds, various friendships are made, and the women generally become supportive of each other. Each chapter starts with a short excerpt from "The Art of Baking" and they all describe baking in a way that is very "olden days" which is clearly in keeping with the time when the tome was written. 

I found this to be a very relaxing read, one that once I started the next thing I knew loads of pages had passed, and it was such a pleasure to read it. Just remember to keep some baked goods handy while reading it, as you will crave them as the book progresses!

Guest Post & Recipe - Daisy James talks about The Runaway Bridesmaid

Have you ever wanted to run away from a situation and never look back? I’m sure most of us have been in that situation when the flight or fight instinct kicks in. But would you run away from your sister’s wedding - when you are holding the bridesmaid’s posy? 

Well, that’s exactly what Rosie Hamilton did. A fancy wedding in Connecticut which she had single-handedly arranged for her beloved, but spoilt little sister, fabulous, floaty dresses and flowers and catering - she left it all behind. After finding Freya in the linen closet with her wedding date, she slings her bouquet out of the window and storms away in her hired red roadster. Enough was enough!

And whilst Rosie adores the vibrant buzz of Manhattan, its vertiginous glass buildings, its quirky, cosmopolitan residents and its awestruck tourists, she needs to get away from the overwhelming sense of loneliness that had infused her bones. So she ditches her Louboutins for Wellies and flies off to London - well, Devon to be precise - where she holes up in her late Aunt Bernice’s thatched cottage hoping that her heartache seeps away.

Rosie doesn’t know what to do with herself in the tiny hamlet of Brampton where there’s only the village shop, the village fête for entertainment. But then she discovers her Aunt’s illustrated recipe journal entitled ‘Bake Yourself Better’. Not only is the diary crammed with beautiful drawings of flowers and herbs, it is also contains recipes to ‘bake yourself better’. 

She decides to take her aunt’s advice. The first recipe Rosie tries just has to be  ‘Strawberry Tarts for Broken Hearts’ where her aunt has recorded:  
  
‘Strawberries are often referred to as the fruit of love. When the strawberries in this recipe are sliced as directed they appear heart-shaped, bursting with sweetness and zinging with a luscious rich red, the colour of love and passion. They are nutrient-rich and packed with healthy antioxidants, especially if grown in your own garden! Some believe they possess healing qualities and can alleviate melancholy. And if that isn’t enough to tempt you, darling Rosie, the strawberry plant is part of the rose family.’

And she sets to, to bake, bake, bake until she’s liberally doused in flour and sugar and exhausted from her culinary exploits.

There are many other recipes to try out on a wet April afternoon - ‘Fig Delights for Passion-filled Nights’ and ‘Sweet Basil Biscuits for New Love Interests’ - all of which Rosie bakes - with varying degrees of success. 

But will Rosie find the solace she craves? Or the love and happiness her aunt has urged her to find? 

All will be revealed in The Runaway Bridesmaid!

Here is a taster for your blog readers

Sweet Basil Biscuits for New Love Interests:

Ingredients:
150g butter, softened
75g caster sugar
75g ground almonds
150g plain flour, sieved
Large bunch of basil

Instructions
Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the ground almonds and mix. Fold in the flour and knead gently. Wash the basil and dry with a paper towel. Remove stalks and chop. Roll the basil into the mixture until it resembles a speckled green sausage 8-10 cm in diameter. Wrap in cling-film and refrigerate for ten minutes whilst you clear up. Cut into biscuits approx. 1 cm think and place on a greased baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden (gas mark 6, 200˚C). Cool on a wire rack.

I’d love to hear from readers who’ve tried out any of the recipes in The Runaway Bridesmaid - either via Facebook or Twitter or Instagram - and photos would be a bonus!!!

Here are my links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009889775019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/daisyjamesbooks

Thanks ever so much for having me, Rachel.
Happy Reading Everyone.

Daisy

Thank you very much to Daisy, for that great recipe and in-depth look at The Runaway Bridesmaid. I am already looking forward to reading it.

The Runaway Bridesmaid

Amazon UK

What a girl wants…

Squeezing herself into a frothy, flouncy, bubble-gum pink dress, Rosie Hamilton thinks that being a bridesmaid for her spoilt little sister Freya can’t get any worse.

But discovering her boyfriend in bed with the bride, ten minutes before Freya is due to say ‘I do’, is the icing on the sequinned wedding cake – and Rosie’s cue to pack her bags.

Swapping her Louboutins for Wellingtons, Rosie throws her bridesmaid bouquet in the air and flies from bustling New York to sleepy Devon. Her late Aunt Bernice’s cosy countryside cottage is the only place that’s ever felt like home.


Now, for the first time in her life, and with the help of her beloved Aunt’s diaries, Rosie must put herself first for a change – and decide what she really wants…



About Daisy James

Daisy James is a Yorkshire girl transplanted to the north east of England. She loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. Her husband and young son were willing samplers of her baking creations triple-tested for her debut novel - The Runaway Bridesmaid. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something pink and fizzy or indulging in a spot of Afternoon Tea - china plates and teacups are a must.

Daisy would love to hear from readers via her Facebook page or Twitter feed, especially if they have given any of the recipes in her book a whirl - photographs are very much welcome.

Book Review - Appleby Farm by Cathy Bramley

Amazon UK

Title: Appleby Farm

Author: Cathy Bramley

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Corgi

Publication Date: 13th August 2015 

Rating: 5 Stars

Freya Moorcroft has wild red hair, mischievous green eyes, a warm smile and a heart of gold. She’s been happy working at the café round the corner from Ivy Lane allotments and her romance with her new boyfriend is going well, she thinks, but a part of her still misses the beautiful rolling hills of her Cumbrian childhood home: Appleby Farm.

Then a phone call out of the blue and a desperate plea for help change everything…

The farm is in financial trouble, and it’s taking its toll on the aunt and uncle who raised Freya. Heading home to lend a hand, Freya quickly learns that things are worse than she first thought. As she summons up all her creativity and determination to turn things around, Freya is surprised as her own dreams for the future begin to take shape.

Love makes the world go round, according to Freya. Not money. But will saving Appleby Farm and following her heart come at a price?

Appleby Farm was originally released as 4 separate parts in ebook format, however I decided I wanted to hold off so I could it read it all in one go. I prayed that it would be released as a fully combined book, and my wishes were granted. And I am so glad I had my eye on this release as its a fantastic book, it is heart warming and utterly lovely. 

Freya has always had itchy feet, and moved from job to job at fairly regular intervals. When we meet her she is working in a cafe near the Ivy Lane allotments (featured in Cathy Bramleys previous book Ivy Lane, and this does feature some recurring characters), and she seems happy enough. Until Freya receives a phone call from her Aunt Sue, informing her, that her uncle has had an accident. 

Freya races up to the Lake District, and is reminded of how beautiful her childhood home Appleby Farm is, and just how much work it is. She decides to help her aunt and uncle to try and turn the farm's fortunes around. 

There is a great feeling about of trying to triumph over adversity, and saving a failing farm from ruin and developers. It was fascinating to hear about modern farming practices, and the ideas Freya has for saving Appleby Farm, and trying to ensure her relatives can retire too, are innovative and I found myself willing Freya to succeed. 

Freya's love life is present in places, and the early scenes with Charlie and Ollie are loveable, and I found myself hoping they would be together forever. Until Freya returns to Appleby Farm, and sees her childhood best friend is still working on the farm next door...

I can understand why this was released in four parts, as the book is separated into four very distinctive sections, each with a different focus in the journey.

I loved watching Freya slowly grow in cofidence at the farm and start to have belief that her plans will work. She makes new friends, both animal and human, and also attempts to mend some of her own cracked family relationships. 

This was a wonderful book to read at a weekend, and made me long to live a simpler life myself, and to get together with the great outdoors. There are even a whole bunch of recipes at the back of the book, for added content. 

This is a brilliant story, which left me smiling, and I can't wait for Cathy Bramley's next combined book release in January, Wickham Hall. 

Book Review - Techbitch by Lucy Sykes & Jo Piazza

Amazon

Title: Techbitch

Author: Lucy Sykes & Jo Piazza

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 19th May 2015

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Imogen Tate, editor-in-chief of Glossy magazine, is a legend in the fashion world. But when she returns from a sabbatical to find her twenty-six-year-old former assistant, Eve Morton, behind her desk, she realises times are changing.

Armed with a business degree, naked ambition and an iPhone, Eve announces she has been brought in to turn Imogen's beloved magazine into an app. With herself at the helm.

In this terrifying new world, Imogen is almost invisible. In place of her team of dedicated staff is a constantly evolving line of twenty-something bloggers at their desks day and night ('Only losers need sleep!'), amateur snaps instead of elegant photo shoots, and a URL address in place of Imogen's glossy pages.

But Imogen isn't ready to give up her hard-earned career without a fight. Where Eve has Twitter followers, Imogen has experience, talent and real relationships, and she's prepared to fight for the fashion world she knows and loves. Even if it means going to war with a ruthless Techbitch . . .

This book feels like an incredibly up to date The Devil Wears Prada, brought right into the digital age, and dealing with everyones obsession and reliance on social media. 

Imogen Tate is the editor-in-chief at Glossy magazine, and she is returning to work after a six month sabbatical to no longer recognize her work place. Her old assistant Eve, has been through Harvard business school and is determined to do away with the print version of the magazine and make Glossy an app, where everything you see is available for purchase instantly. 

Imogen has never really been good with technology, and struggles to come to terms with this new world order. For the initial part of the book you really feel for her, as a slightly older woman, trying to deal with all this change, and having many conversations where she doesn't understand half the words being said. 

She soon realises she needs to fight back and watching her come to grips with twitter is hilarious, and then instagram is impressive. Eve however is determined to make Imogen's and the rest of her colleagues lives a misery, and she is a devil of a boss to work for. 

If you have ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of various social media options available nowadays then you will completely empathise with Imogen's position. If you thought you knew some technological things (like me), you may still be confused by the sheer quantity of things mentioned, but yet once you get past the initial section, you have a fabulous story. 

There are quite a few elements to this story, which deals with both cyber and workplace bullying. The workplace bullying is truly terrifying, but I can unfortunately believe that it does go on to that extent. 

I loved every second of this book, and found it was become easier to read and more gripping as it progressed and despite being a bit distracted while I was reading this, I didn't really want to put it down at all. This is a very contemporary book, with two different but equally strong female characters, as well as a whole host of other support characters,. In places you will be laughing at loud at the antics, and even some of what Eve makes her colleagues do, if they were isolated incidents could be quite funny.  

Book Review & Giveaway - The Secrets We Share by Emma Hannigan

Amazon UK

Title: The Secrets We Share

Author: Emma Hannigan

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Bookbridgr

Publisher: Headline

Publication Date: 13th August 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Devastated after a tragedy, Nathalie Conway finds herself on a plane to Ireland. She is on her way to stay with her grandmother Clara. The grandmother up until now Nathalie had no idea existed...

As Clara awaits her granddaughter's arrival, she is filled with a new sense of hope. She has spent the last twenty years praying her son Max would come back into her life. Perhaps now her son can find a way to forgive her for the past. And her granddaughter may be the thread to stitch the pieces of her beloved family back together.

The Secrets We Share had me hooked from chapter 2, I was already hooked emotionally and throughout this book there has been elements of deep emotional connection with the characters. 

This is also a book where there are a lot of secrets hidden within a singular family, however due to the fact that they are secrets, I am no t at liberty to divulge what they are, but would recommend diving into The Secrets We Share instead, to find them out yourself. 

What I am willing to say is this is a beautiful piece of women's fiction, a story spanning four generations of one family, where part of it has been splintered for 20 years. 

There is the story of Max who moved to Ireland 20 years ago after a falling out with his family, and is now married and has 17 year old Nathalie. Nathalie suffers a tragedy very soon into the book, and then discovers that she has a grandmother, Clara, in Ireland. 

She is sent to Ireland in the hope this will help her cope with the tragedy she has suffered from, and Clara is a remarkable woman, who I like instantly. Clara is delighted to have discovered the existence of her grand-daughter and is in her own way really helping Nathalie get through this tough time. 

And then there is the story of Clara's parents, which is written in letters which is a heart wrenching and emotionally charged. I was shocked at the content of the letters which take place, during what most would agree is worst period of time in World history. 

There is a lot of ground covered in this book, for all the generations, and they all have unique and different stories to be told. I was desperate to know exactly what it was that causes Max to effectively disown his family for 20 years, just why Ava, his sister was so full of rage towards him, and what the outcome of the letters were. 

I read The Secrets We Share in one evening, and at no point did I want to put it down. It is a powerful book, that I think I will stay with me for a while. This may have been the first Emma Hannigan book that I have read, but I know it definitely won't be the last. I am so glad to have finally read one of her books, and astounded by just how brilliant it is. 

Thanks so much to Frances Gough and Bookbridgr for this review copy of the book. This was my honest opinion. 

Giveaway to win a paperback copy of The Secrets We Share (UK Only)

If  you like the sound of this book, then this is the giveaway for you. I am giving the readers of Rachel's Random Reads a chance to win their own copy of  The Secrets We Share in paperback. 

Giveaway open residents of the UK only, due to postage costs (I will do more international giveaways soon), all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 29/9/2015. 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review - The Misadventures of a Playground Mother by Christie Barlow

Amazon UK

Title: The Misadventures of a Playground Mother

Author: Christie Barlow

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookoutre

Publication Date: 11th September 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

New term. New dramas. New friendships. And that’s just the parents…

After a year of country living, Rachel Young is finally getting into the swing of things. Her four kids are happy and content at the village school, and she’s managed to navigate the choppy (shark-infested) waters of the playground mafia. 

Or… so she thought. 

When playground mum Penelope Kensington moves herself and her kids into Rachel’s home, after discovering husband Rupert has been having an affair, Rachel knows she must ask them politely to leave. The problem is, Penelope never takes no for an answer. 

As Rachel tries to deal with Penelope, she also meets new school mum Melanie. Melanie is a breath of fresh air, but her arrival sends ripples of gossip through the playground. Melanie has a few secrets in her closet, and it seems she’s not the only one… 

Wow this is even better than the first one. This book is a laugh a minute riot that is simply superb. There is something so enjoyable and the reading of this book, from the introduction to the ending, it will have you giggling and there could even be tears. 

The Misadventures of a Playground Mother can be read as a stand alone book, however to do so would mean you are missing out on fully understanding the complexity and ridiculousness that is Penelope Kensington. And if you do decide to read this one first, I would still go back and reading the first just to fully understand Rachel's feelings towards Penelope. 

So we start 1 day on from where the previous book leaves off, at the start of a new year, and Rachel is hopeful of a less chaotic second year in their new village. Ideally she would love to escape the fun and games at the hands of the playground mafia, and she definitely wants to do remove herself from the friendship with Penelope. 

As you may guess, since this is a book, things don't quite happen as Rachel intends. During the course of this new year there are revelations galore, speed dating, people being caught in compromising positions, a holiday to Spain (which is easily the best section of this book and had me laughing out loud in hysterics), a summer fete, and a new mother in the playground. 

Thankfully for almost everyone, Melanie, the new mum, is relatively normal and is the sort of person who soon strikes up a genuine friendship with Rachel. She does have  a few things hidden in her background, but nothing like some of the salacious details that come out about some of the recurring characters. 

This book was an absolute delight to read, and having vaguely known what to expect from the first book, this one feels a lot more polished, and was great to be able to read more about this wacky set of characters. 

The Misadvenutres of a Playground Mother has turned me into a complete Christie Barlow convert. I can't wait to read her future releases, if they are written with the same level of wit and characterisation as this one. 

Thanks to Bookoutre and Netgalley for this review copy. This is my honest opinion. 

Book Review - How Do You Know? by Meredith Schorr

Amazon UK

Title: How Do You Know?

Author: Meredith Schorr

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Review copy supplied by ChickLitPlus

Publisher: Booktrope

Publication Date: 2nd December 2014

Rating: 3.5 Stars

What if you were approaching the end of your thirties and all of the life milestones you took for granted in your youth suddenly seemed out of reach? 

On the eve of her thirty-ninth birthday, Maggie Piper doesn’t look, act, or feel much different than she did at twenty-nine, but with her fortieth birthday speeding toward her like a freight train, she wonders if she should. The fear of a slowing metabolism, wrinkling of her skin, and the ticking of her biological clock leaves Maggie torn between a desire to settle down like most of her similarly aged peers and concern that all is not perfect in her existing relationship. When a spontaneous request for a temporary “break” from her live-in boyfriend results in a “break-up,” Maggie finds herself single once again and only twelve months from the big 4.0. In the profound yet bumpy year that follows, Maggie will learn, sometimes painfully, that life doesn’t always happen on a schedule, there are no deadlines in love, and age really is just a number. 

In this mature coming of age novel, Meredith Schorr, best-selling author of light women’s fiction, digs deep and raises the age old issue of the ‘proverbial clock’ that haunts many women,in a way that is refreshing and sassy no matter your age or relationship status.

I have a weird feeling I am around 8 years too young to fully appreciate this book, on the grounds that I'm just into my thirties and not quite dreading turning 40 yet. However I can see where Maggie Piper was coming from for the entire book, and I was engaged in the story. 

There was a lot of self-doubt in this book as to whether Maggie had done the right thing of breaking up with her boyfriend of 3 years, and whether she really knew what she wanted in a relationship. She was definitely scared of the big "four oh" and you were reminded of this fact fairly regularly, while discovering her life in he 39th year. 

There are assorted dating mishaps, general clumsiness, a group of very good friends, a close slightly unconventional family, and quite a lot of fun to be had while Maggie tries to work out what she really wants from life. 

I enjoyed reading this book, and the story was good, I just felt like it could have been more gripping, and could have hooked me in a lot further. 

This is a light hearted, amusing romantic comedy, by an author I would like to read more of.

Thank so Chick Lit Plus for this review copy. This was my honest review. 

Cover Reveal - You'll Find Me In New York by Jill Knapp

I am delighted to be able to reveal the cover for You'll Find Me in New York by Jill Knapp. This is the third book in Jill's series featuring Amalia Hastings.

Available for Pre-order at Amazon UK

In the third installment of Knapp's "What Happens To Men?..." series, Amalia and Olivia find themselves at a crossroads. Their last year in their Master's program at NYU is proving to be a trying one, all while Olivia is balancing planning a wedding and managing the unwanted input of her her estranged mother who seems to want Alex out of the picture all together.

Amalia finds herself feeling more lost than ever as graduation approaches and her classmates begin making plans for next year. Something in her life just doesn't feel right, and she can't seem to let herself commit to anything when it comes to her future. Still torn between Michael and Hayden she ultimately makes a final decision that will either box her in, leaving her always wanting more out of life, or finally breaking free to find the happiness and stability she's always needed. 

Don't miss the final installment of Knapp's New Adult series about life, love, and finding yourself in New York City, "You'll Find Me In Manhattan"!

You can pre-order the book now!

Amazon.com & Amazon UK

About Jill Knapp

Jill Knapp, a native New Yorker, is an author of New Adult/ Women's Fiction novels with HarperImpulse, a United Kingdom division of HarperCollins Publishers.

Originally called "Chase", her novel "What Happens To Men When They Move To Manhattan?" was acquired by Harper, moving her out of the "self-published" scene, and into the word of traditional publishing.

She has currently written two novels in her series about New York City; "What Happens To Men When They Move To Manhattan?" and "We've Always Got New York". The third installment of her series "You'll Find Me In Manhattan" is coming soon.

Before publishing her first novel, she received a Masters in Psychology from the New School For Social Research in Manhattan.

Book Review - Letters From My Sister by Alice Peterson - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #1

Amazon UK

Title: Letters From My Sister

Author: Alice Peterson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Quercus

Publication Date: 19th November 2012

Rating: 4 Stars

Bells is always writing to her sister Katie, but Katie never replies. Preoccupied with her glamorous career in fashion, her busy life and her boyfriend Sam, she just doesn't have the time.

Then Bells announces that she's coming to stay. She's not a secret exactly, but. . . Sam doesn't know she exists.

For Bells doesn't fit into Katie's perfect world.

But when Bells does arrive, everything changes for Katie. Perhaps her perfect life isn't so perfect after all?

Letters From My Sister, originally published as Look the World in the Eye, is a wonderfully funny and moving novel from the bestselling author Alice Peterson.

Letters From My Sister is an enjoyable book of family dynamics, and soul searching, especially for Katie. Katie generally denies that her sister even exists, so when she is forced to have Bells, spend a fortnight with her, in Sam's (her boyfriend) apartment, Katie panics. 

Katie had never mentioned her sister to Sam, and even once she knows Bells is going to visit, she has trouble expressing exactly why she is worried. For you see Bells is a wonderful person, but she was born with a cleft palate and a small amount of brain damage. 

Katie isn't exactly ashamed of her sister, but it soon becomes apparent how little she knows of her younger sisters life. However it is clear though that during Bell's visit, that Katie needs to do some growing up of her own, and their relationship changes. 

Bells is the best character in this book, she brightens up any scene she is in, and is far more complex than she may appear on the surface. Her personality shines through even when the family has problems. 

Katie has always had a fractured relationship with her family, until the incident that changes the family dynamic, and how they see each other. We have occasional flashback chapters to Katie's childhood, and they do make us more sympathetic to what it must have been like for her growing up.

I loved this book, and found it touched on a subject that doesn't come up that often in the books I read, and it was fascinating to read. As always Alice Peterson writes an emotive and interesting story that was gentle to read, and one that kept me thinking about it even, when I had to put it down (due to life getting in the way of reading). 

Thank you to everyone that voted in last week's debut of Rachel Reads Randomly, and for picking this book for me to read. It was definitely a good choice, since I really enjoyed it. If you want to influence one of my books for next week, then please do check out this week's vote. 

Book Review - Then You Were Gone by Claire Moss

Amazon UK

Title: Then You Were Gone

Author: Claire Moss

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 30th July 2015

Rating: 3 Stars

Could you leave the one you love?

Mack was that guy, the one who had it all. The looks, the charm and that twinkle in his clear blue eyes. Yet, after those first few moments of meeting him, Simone just knew he was the one. Four days ago, Mack told Simone he loved her – and then disappeared without a trace.

Now Simone is forced to question everything she ever knew about Mack – and whether it was all a lie. Determined to find him before the trail goes cold, she’ll do anything to uncover the truth. But how do you find someone who doesn’t want to be found?

And what if his secret is best left buried…

I really wanted to love this book, from the blurb is sounds fantastic, but unfortunately I felt it was lacking. It took a long while to get going, and the whole way through I was thinking, I honestly don't care that much for Mack, the man that has disappeared, not was I too fussed about his friends who were trying to find him. 

This was a book that just didn't mesh well with me or my possibly unrealistic expectations. There were parts of the story that had me completely gripped, and those were a pleasure to read. 

I found that when the final reveals were done, a lot of the info I had already guessed at, not necessarily in the exact way or circumstances that were mentioned, but that I had, had the fleeting thoughts of various pieces of information.  I just wasn't shocked. 

Then You Were Gone is a book that promised a lot. Mack not only disappeared but sent letters to his friends to tell them not to look for him as he could be in danger. This being only four days after telling Simone that he loved her. I was curious as to why Mack had disappeared, and then there were a few chapters from a different key persons point of view. Those were to me the best chapters in the book, they had a real feeling within them,  and were different. 

Overall I did like the book, I found the writing easy to follow, and there are some great sections to it. 

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