Single

Tonight is one of those nights im feeling restless and I suppose a bit lonely.

Probablty the come down effect of such a busy emotional week .

Me and kids had a lovely chilled sunday in pjs roast dinner and films 🙂 bliss.

Just found I had my thinking head on about kids growing up Christmas etc .

Usually im very content with tv bath etc but the odd night I do feel realy single lol

Also even the kids keep talking about me meeting someone .Its been 4 years since my last serious rship and a year since any dating etc .

I think with the approach of festive season its a reminder you are single .

I am very happy single and realy too busy but occasionally I just miss having someone to chat to ,txt ,hug and laugh with.I miss being noticed for me as a woman rathr than just mum cook cleaner etc.

We don’t know what the future holds and I will continue growing as a strong woman and a mum but it would be nice to fins someone .

BOOK REVIEW ONE STEP CLOSER TO YOU BY ALICE PETERSON

After Polly ends her relationship with the father of her young son, Louis, she is determined to move on. All she wants is to focus on her job, her friends and to be a good mum. No more looking over her shoulder. No more complications…

Then Polly meets Ben.

Ben is guardian of his niece, Emily. They become close, with Polly teaching Ben how to plait Emily’s hair, and Ben playing football with Louis. Their friendship is unexpected. Polly’s never been happier.

But when Louis’s dad reappears in their life, all Polly’s mistakes come back to haunt her and her resolve weakens when he swears he has changed.

Will she give herself a second chance to love?

Thank you to Sharon a fellow book blogger who sent me this in exchange for a book I sent her .

I have not read any of Alice’s books before but had heard good things about this book .

The blurb already had me hooked and knew I would relate in some ways .However I could have been reading my own thoughts and feelings in many parts of this book .

Alice deals with many sensitive subjects in this book ,2 that are close to my heart addiction and abusive relationship .She writes in such a heartwarming genuine way .Once I had the time I flew through this book .

I loved Ben and the positive effects he has on Polly and the new adventures they have together to erase their troubled past and addictions .

Alice managed to capture the raw emotions that are felt in these situations .

A beautiful and touching read with a  added unexpected  twist .

I look forward to reading many more from this author .

BOOK REVIEW AND BLOG TOUR THE BOY WHO LOVED RAIN BY GERARD KELLY

Colom is the teenage son, and Fiona the wife, of David Dryden, pastor of a high profile church in London, who is admired for his emphasis on the Christian family. But all is not well. Colom’s erratic behaviour causes a great deal of family stress. When a commitment to die is discovered in Colom’s room after the suicide of a school friend, David finds himself out of his depth – and Fiona, in panic, takes Colom and flees… A wonderful, intelligent and searching novel about the toxic nature of secrets, and the possibility of starting again.

 

Today I have the pleasure of kicking off the blog tour for this book .

Thank you to Rhoda at Lion fiction for sending me an advance copy to review .

I had abandoned 2books from the library that just weren’t hitting the spot so picked this up and was very pleased when this had me hooked instantly !

This book covers a wide array of sensitive issues and its a layered book . What you think  is happening isn’t and the story is unravelling the whole time .

I could relate to this book both as a parent and as a child who was adopted .

I really enjoyed the quotes from various literature at the top of each chapter ,im intrigued as to why the author did that ?

This book is set in different locations which added to the mystery of what was really happening .The author made it very easy to invisage the settings which always adds to the enjoyment of a book .

A really enjoyable deep and moving book with lots of secrets and revelations so you are kept hooked and eagerly turning the pages .

I look forward to more from this author .

Here are the details of the blog tour 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW I WILL MARRY GEORGE CLOONEY (BY CHRISTMAS) BY TRACEY BLOOM

A brand new very funny Christmas novel, from the bestselling author of No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday and Single Woman Seeks Revenge.

There comes a time in every woman’s life when the only answer is to marry George Clooney.

For Michelle, that time is now.

Slogging her guts out in a chicken factory, whilst single-handedly bringing up a teenager who hates her, is far from the life that 36-year-old Michelle had planned.

But marrying the most eligible man on the planet by Christmas could change all that, couldn’t it?Sometimes your only option is to dream the impossible – because you never know where it might take you…

This is a fun, completely fantastical novel featuring George Clooney, and has not been authorised or endorsed by the wondrous man himself.

Firstly thank you to Rose  for sending me a copy to review .

Her books have caught my eye as love the titles and the cover so was eager to dig into this.

Its been a manic week for me so a slow reading week but delighted that an time I had I was reading this .

This had me hooked preety much instantly ,tracy writes with such humour and wit but also managed to capture the mind of a single mum excellently .I could really relate to some parts and how much her daughter doing well meant to her .

This had me laughing as its very silly in some bits but just what I needed .

A great read and I look forward to reading her other books .

CHRISTMAS BLOGGER GIFT SWAP

Ive done book swaps before which I have always enjoyed so this really appealed to me .

Details can be found here https://apieceofviola.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/get-involved-christmas-blogger-gift-swap/

As I don’t work I have no secret santa to enter so this is a great way to join in with festivities .

I look forward to finding who my buddy is 🙂

What do you do when you cant get to a appointment that potentially could tell me if I have cervical cancer .

Sat here in tears because still after 2 months after my  smear which come back abnormal I still ahvent had my colposcopy .First appointment was for hosp miles away and at 3 pm which I couldn’t do for obvious reasons .I then had absolte ball ache of rearragngin etc ,it finally had to put through as emergency to a differnet hosp .While doing this I explained about my sitation of no childcare ..for some reason it seems ok to keep asking what you have no one ?? No I don’t deal with it .

So today I received my new appointment ..yes at nearer hosp but still cant go as wont b back in time for school run .

I feel shit because all of this has made me again realise how alone I am and have no support .

If I don’t attned this one it says on letter il b referred again which will be another wait .

When you have a child with autism you cant simly leave them with anyone .He also has only been at new shool since oct so I don’t know any parents and the school has no after school childcare facilities .

I don’t know what to do .Its all very well social sevices getting involved when the ex makes allegiatins about me but when I rang them and explained this situation they couldn’t do anything .

Im worried,scared and you know what im fucked off and angry that im even in this boat .

BOOK REVIEW DYING FOR CHRISTMAS BY TAMMY COHEN

I am missing. Held captive by a blue-eyed stranger. To mark the twelve days of Christmas, he gives me a gift every day, each more horrible than the last. The twelfth day is getting closer. After that, there’ll be no more Christmas cheer for me. No mince pies, no carols. No way out …

But I have a secret. No-one has guessed it. Will you?

Firstly a big thank you to Sarah Harwood at Transworld for sending me a copy. I had the pleasure of meeting Tamar ealier this year so im a huge fan now ive discovered of her books.She has a ability to write such clever mind provoking storlines and this one is no exception.

The blurb is intriguing and the cover draws you in ,I can see a lot of people picking it up to get a closer look.

I now have a difficult job of writing a brilliant review but one that contains no spoilers arghhh!!!

See the book is spilt in 2 halfs and theres a big twist.The first half I felt mentally and psychically disturbed reading and according to my kids I was pulling faces squirming .The writing was so descriptive you could almost feel what was happening .

Then for rest of book my mind was blown and I will admit I had a headache once I finished but in a good way .

This book is dark twisted and psychologically  disturbing .How Tamar sleeps at night I don’t know as her brain and imagination is extraordinary . Her charactars are in a league of their own .

You will be hooked I can assure you from this gripping read .

BOOK REVIEW THE HEART OF WINTER BY EMMA HANNIGAN

‘A writer who understands exactly how women think’ Cathy Kelly

Holly Craig’s family have lived happily in Huntersbrook for generations but when times grow hard, even she must admit defeat and sell off their once-successful stables.

The three Craig children, Lainey, Joey and Pippa find themselves locked in a fight to keep their beloved Huntersbrook; dare they transform it into one of Ireland’s most sought after countryside venues?

Renovation work is well underway when life rears its ugly head and everything stops in its tracks. The Craig family is forced to reassess what matters and although they no longer live at Huntersbrook, can the house work its magic even so … and lead them into the light once more?

Thanks to bookbridgr for sending me a copy to review .

I chose this as for my sunday challenge as the theme was a Christmas book .You can find out about the sunday challenge by visiting @thischickreads on twitter .

I read driving home for  Christmas last year and loved it so was so happy to be reunited with the fantastic charactars ,family and location.

I loved this book and was not defeated by the size of it,it held my attention throughout and I was hooked .

The characters all bring their own storylines and personalities to the book .

Despte its beautiful cover and idealic setting it will surprise you when you are reading about quite sensitive subjects such as drug use and pnd .

My favourite character was pippa who was trying to find exactly her place in the family and also in her own skin .

You get a real sense of family loyalty and love .I could relate to holly due to expiring pnd .

I  disliked pippas friend .. il say no more but you find yourself booing her !

Brilliant read about family,love ,secrets hurt and happiness.

BLOG TOUR THE OYSTER CATCHER BY JO THOMAS

Today its my turn on the blog tour so thank you bookbridgr and Jo Thomas .

I loved this book and you can read my review here https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/book-review-the-oyster-catcher-by-jo-Thomas

Jo is sharing the inspiration between this fantastic debut novel so enjoy 🙂

Where did the idea come from?

My husband was offered a job on the west coast of Ireland, in Galway, to work on an Irish-language soap opera there. We went over to see the place to decide if we would go as a family. From the moment we arrived it poured with rain. I’ve never known rain like it, and that’s after living in Wales. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. I decided that it wasn’t going to work, until that night when we went to a restaurant; a wonderful place called O’Grady’s. It’s an end cottage in a row of terraced cottages, painted light blue. You walk in and the fire is going, the candles are lit, and you look out over sea. And there I ate pacific oysters. I looked out of the cottage window and thought, OK, I get it. If this is what Galway has to offer, I’m in. And from then on I had some of the most amazing meals I’ve ever had, from wild foraged food, saffron sorbet , and the oysters, just wonderful. I thought, ‘this is sexy’. But it’s such a precarious business. And an idea began to form.

How did you research it?

Well, I started by eating a lot of oysters and going to O’Grady’s a lot. Then I discovered an oyster seller in one of the local farmers’ markets where you could buy half a dozen oysters, and he’d shuck them and serve them to you with a glass of white wine. It was a Friday lunchtime treat. I then went on a seafood cookery course at the Galway Seafood Centre. But it still wasn’t enough. I needed to get my feet wet, literally.  By this time I was living back in Wales. So one dark, cold weekend in November I went with my good friend Katie Fforde to meet an oyster farmer friend of mine in Scotland. We dressed in wet weather gear from head to foot. As soon as we arrived we got stuck straight in and were wading into the water to see the bags of oysters that were being loaded onto the tractor trailer. Within minutes the water had come above the top of our wellies and was trickling down our socks. Then we retired to the pub for lunch. Absolutely soaked. There was steam rising from us as the barmaid stoked the fire for us to sit beside. Our feet didn’t thaw out at all. That afternoon, it lashed down. I’m realising the connection. Perhaps good clean rain helps the oysters. We worked in the shed, by the light of bare bulbs and to the sound of Radio 2 on an old radio, and helped grade and wash the oysters, ready to go to market. We caught crabs, listened for clunkers, and learnt to sniff for dead ‘uns. By the end of the day we were cold, wet, and very tired. We ordered large gins back at the hotel, handed the chef a large box of freshly picked oysters, and headed for our baths.

That evening, we sat by a huge roaring fire in a deep red restaurant room with my friend the oyster farmer, and drank champagne and ate the oysters we had picked from the sea ourselves. Never has anything tasted quite so good. It was perfection.

Here are details of other blogs on the tour

The most wonderful time of the year ?? REALLY ?

So its fast approaching with the shops displays and adverts on the tv .Now im not a scrooge I just think Christmas isn’t this wonderful thing for EVERYONE.I have wrote about it previously and im very honest about my mental health which is worst in the winter .

Society makes you feel like that this one day out of 365 that its going to be PERFECT and FABOULOUS .

We spend days ,weeks and months preparing for it yet it still comes round like a shock . I am quite organised,I have to be due to budgeting and havig estelles birthday in January and in fact I am very nearly done .

People who read my blogs and know a bit about me will know my family is confusing and its preety much just me and the kids .And as one of many single parents across the world we have to do that thing….sharing xmas 😦 its their dads year this year but where he lives so far away and isn’t realy reasonable I don’t even get xmas eve or boxing day .So origionaly they would both be gone over xmas but this year due to lynx no longer going I will have him here .

Estelle has mentioned about not knowing if she wants to go because of leaving lynx but she is also very loyal to her dad and he does have a hold on her .

Xmas will be strange with one child and I don’t know how lynx will take it .

I just find xmas can highlight what you don’t have and why do we need that ?

Especially as a singe parent ,when you have kids you don’t plan on being a single parent .I miss having someone to share moments with  and again xmas is one of those times .

I don’t get presents and im the only one really there to see the joy on kids faces.

When im ever going to be able to accept this is my life and this is how it is ?

Each year I seem to lose touch and fall out with more and  more people and a lot of that is my doing as I just get to my wits end of chasing people,being mucked about and people who should be supportive aren’t . Also I think a lot of damage has been done to me psychologically in reagrds of building and maintain relationships . We cant help be a product of our past and yes we can take control of our futures .But we are allowed to be happy and secure .

Also with lynxs autism I feel a lot of people have drifted off the scene.

On the whole we manage but when events such as xmas come along it is a big reminder .

I think we grow up with a image of how things should be and when they arent we feel we have failed .

Various counsellors have also said that happens and big events are hard for those with depresson

We will have a lovely day but think its important to remember its not this great day for everyone .