BOOK REVIEW THE SECRETS WE SHARE BY EMMA HANNIGAN

Emma Hannigan, much loved author of The Summer Guest, will delight fans of Patricia Scanlan and Cathy Kelly with her big-hearted novels of Ireland.

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

Clara Conway is a woman with secrets.

But consequently, Clara’s family is falling apart. Her son Max emigrated to the US years ago and she has yet to meet her teenage granddaughter, Nathalie…because Max and his mother no longer speak.

Meanwhile Clara’s daughter Ava is fighting for a piece of happiness. When Clara unexpectedly reaches out to Nathalie and her niece comes to visit, Ava’s thoughts turn to Max, the brother she loved and lost. The brother whose abrupt disappearance left the Conway family heartbroken. When Nathalie finds a pile of torn, faded letters, she unlocks the door to Clara’s past. Can Nathalie’s time with her grandmother start to right some very old wrongs? And can Clara find a way to reach out to Max and thereby begin to heal the whole family once more?

After all, some secrets are meant to be shared…

Firstly as ever a big thanks to the lovely Frances at Headline for sending me  a proof copy.

The cover is eye catchingly beautiful and sets the scene for a  perfect summer read . I adore emmas winter books where we meet the craig family and never want to leave .

Well this book is just as good if not better in my opinion …I adored it and couldn’t put it down but then making myself slow down t prolong it ending .It exceeded my expectations completely and each character is so vital to the book all wih their own personal dramas and inner demons .

My favourite charatar is without fail clara who is just a incredible woman  and you will fall in lve and want her as you grandma ‘oma’ her stories of her childhood and that of her families will warm your heart.

This book has everything in it and it would be easy to dismiss this as a light easy read but believe me it will be a emotional ride .

It sets the scene and imagination and makes me want to visit Ireland even more .

This book captures the importance of family and love and rebuilding relationships and healing old wounds .

Hugely recommend especially if you haven’t read any of her other books .

MARCH WRAP UP

Well its bit late but hey you know life got kind of poo .

Heres what I read in March

1.  Summer at little beach street bakery by Jenny colgan .competition win and reviewed https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/book-review-summer-at-little-beach-street-bakery-by-jenny-colgan/

2.The crooked house by Christobel Kent sent to review by publishers https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2015/03/07/book-review-the-crooked-house-by-christobel-kent/

3.How I lost you by Jenny blackhurst sent to review by publishers https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2015/03/09/book-review-how-i-lost-you-by-jenny-blackhurst/

4.The secrets sisters keep by sinead moriarity purchased and reviewed https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2015/03/09/book-review-the-secrets-sisters-keep-by-sinead-moriarity/

5.Hopeless by colleen hoover  .purchased

6.Fragments by sarah foot sent to review by publishers https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/book-review-fragments-by-sarah-foot/

7.Hausfrau by jill alexander essbaum sent to review by the publishers https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2015/03/22/book-review-haus-frau-by-jill-alexander-essbaum/

8.The secrets we share by emma hannigan sent to review by publishers review to follow

9.Alys always by harriet lane library book

10.That girl from nowhere by Dorothy koomson sent to review by publishers https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/book-review-that-girl-from-nowhere-by-dorothy-koomson/

11.His other life by beth Thomas competition win and reviewed https://charlenejess.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/book-review-his-other-life-by-beth-thomas/

BOOK REVIEW DISCLAIMER BY RENEE KNIGHT

What if you realized the book you were reading was all about you?

‘DISCLAIMER stealthily steals your attention and by the end holds you prisoner – a searing story that resonates long after the final page. The best thriller I’ve read this year’

Rosamund Lupton, bestselling author of Sister

When an intriguing novel appears on Catherine’s bedside table, she curls up in bed and begins to read.

But as she turns the pages she is sickened to realize the story will reveal her darkest secret.

A secret she thought no one else knew…

I have just finished this book and had to write this review instantly so I can get across how amazing it is .

Thank you to Alison at Transworld for sending me a copy to review ,the blurb sounding intriguing but the content exceeded my expectations completely!

This is dark mysterious with layers of secrets and lies about the past which are starting to affect the present and the future .

I was hooked from first few chapters,its intriguing and incredibly cleverly written .

You are kept guessing all throughout the book then you think ah that’s happened for it to be spun on its head and your left baffled  again and hooked even more .

This book is a story that shows not things are not always as they seem on the surface and what happens when someone comes and digs that surface bringing the truth up ?

Such a genius concept for  a thriller and this will be up there with the other top psychological thrillers of 2015 such as the girl on the train .

Its unpredictable  ,tense and disturbing…all the ingredients you need for a gripping read .

Published 9th april

BOOK REVIEW THAT GIRL FROM NOWHERE BY DOROTHY KOOMSON

From the bestselling author of The Ice Cream Girls, The Woman He Loved Before and My Best Friend’s Girl, an emotional story about love, identity and the meaning of family.

‘Where are you coming from with that accent of yours?’ he asks.

‘Nowhere,’ I reply. ‘I’m from nowhere.’

‘Everyone’s from somewhere,’ he says.

‘Not me,’ I reply silently.

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

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

Firstly thank you to the publishers for sending me a coy to review which I relieved my birthday week and im not ashamed to say I squealed ! I have been a huge fan of dorothys books for many years and urge anyone to read them if they haven’t yet .All authors are amazing but she is in a select few favs of mine that manage to capture emotions and make you think so beautifully you are left in awe.

This book is no exception ,I think this is my favourite of hers .There’s a personal reason for that and I cried when I finished this which happens to be my birth mothers birthday .

I was adopted and have read many stories where adoption is featured but this ….wow ! I had to read this slowly to prevent being a emotional mess because this really touched my heart and my soul. Its almost like I was reading my thoughts ,I have felt a sense of loss and not fitting in all my life so clem could be me .There were extracts I had to reread as couldn’t believe how accurate they were and I want to thank Dorothy for this and she has gained even more respect and admiration from me .

Its a beautiful emotive powerful book with layers and a variety of characters and family members .

I don’t want to say to much to ruin your reading enjoyment but also feel I cant do it justice .

I cant wait for other booklovers to discover and get discussing That girl from nowhere .

Published 9th April 2015