BOOK REVIEW HOW TO BE BRAVE BY LOUISE BEECH

Stunning debut novel – a mother connects with her seriously ill child through the medium of storytelling, and a haunting tale from the past

This is a novel about how stories bring magic to our lives. Natalie and Rose are transported to the Atlantic Ocean in 1943, to a lifeboat where an ancestor survived for fifty days. Natalie struggles when nine-year-old daughter Rose is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and refuses her life-saving injections and blood tests. When they begin dreaming about and seeing a man in a brown suit who feels hauntingly familiar they realise he has something for them – his diary. Only by using her imagination, newspaper clippings, letters and this diary will Natalie share the true story of Grandad Colin’s survival at sea, and help her daughter cope with her illness and, indeed, survive. This is a haunting, beautifully written, tenderly told story that wonderfully weaves together a contemporary story of a mother battling to save her child’s life through the medium storytelling with an extraordinary story of bravery and a fight for survival in the Second World War

Firstly a big thank you to Karen at Orenda books for sending me a copy to review . I had heard rave reviews already from authors and bloggers alike but in all honesty I wasn’t sure what to expect .

The cover doesn’t give much away adding to the intrigue .This storyline is very original and one that will stay with you long after you finish the last page .

Beautifully written especially as a debut book ,it is part biography and part fiction and I love that idea .I think if I was ever brave enough to wrote a book I would weave my life story amongst some imaginary worlds too .

This exceeded my expectation and was a deeply touching read about a mothers love,family history and above all bravery .

You can feel how painful it is both for Natalie and Rose as their worlds are turned upside down ,both headstrong which reminded me of my daughter and I .

The love of books and stories runs through the pages so I could relate to the characters and I love the idea of a book nook ,and just like this family my family all escape through books 🙂

By the end of the book you have to ask who is it who needs to be brave ? And how can we be brave in our own life’s challenges .

It captures the history at the right amount which adds to the delight of the book .

Cleverly written and  a exceptional debut novel and look forward to book 2!

BLOG TOUR AND BOOK REVIEW I HOPE YOU DANCE BY BETH MORAN

Ruth Henderson has moved back in with her parents – something she swore she would never do, especially not at the age of thirty-three. But in the face of the mountain of debt left by her late-partner and the fact that her teenage daughter, Maggie, is expressing her grief through acts of delinquency, there was really only one option.Returning to a house Ruth swore never to set foot in again is bad enough. Add to this an estranged father, whirlwind mother, and David – the boy next door who broke her heart – and it is little wonder Ruth can barely make it out of bed. But then, reunited with her old friend Lois, Ruth is persuaded to go along to a monthly girls’ night. Here she meets a bunch of incredible women and for the first time since leaving home at eighteen, Ruth begins to make some genuine friends. She also has her first ever date – with the charming Dr Carl Barker. However, after a disastrous dinner, and a fraught Maggie still struggling with her father’s death, Ruth promises her daughter she won’t go out with any other men. A promise she quickly regrets when David, the boy next door, asks her to dance…

Firstly a big thank you to Rhoda at Lion Hudson for sending me a review copy and I’m pleased to be part of the blog tour .

Everything about this book is brilliant and charming and I loved it so much I shed a tear or two at the end .

The cover is beautiful and really sets the scene for the story 🙂

I could relate to Ruth being a single mum and all the pressures that come with that including putting her own happiness to one side for the benefit of her teenage daughter . There were many lines that could have been me talking which was enlightening .

This is  a story about love ,loss ,family and friendship but also about finding who you are again.

However alongside the beautiful story there are serious darker tones and it did leave me shaken just reading it as was quite unexpected ! There’s also a family rift and resentment  which look to affect Ruth’s ability to really move on .

I adored Beth’s writing ,I was completely whisked away with Ruth and her mishaps ,many times It made me laugh . I really look forward to reading more from this author and really recommend this book .

Here are the details for the rest of the blog tour 🙂

BOOK REVIEW DARK WILD NIGHT BY CHRISTINA LAUREN

Book 3 in the Wild Seasons series that began with New York Times bestseller Sweet Filthy Boy. When three besties meet three hot guys in Vegas, anything could-and does-happen. Moving from college into the real world has never been so crazy …or fun. Let the Wild Seasons begin. In Dark Wild Night, now that they’re only friends, kissing Lola is all Oliver can think about. Trying to forget her with a wild, anonymous hookup, he’s simultaneously thrilled and torn: Is this his chance to get over her? Or will this new stranger only pull him in deeper?

Firstly a big thank you to Hayley at Simon & Schuster for sending me  a copy to review .I have heard so much about this author who is in fact the work of 2 authors combined ,yet this is my first book of theirs to read. Though after completely devouring this last night in one go I am off to buy all their books .

One word ….wow….another word ….HOT!

I absolute loved this book and the characters …Oliver is the ultimate sexy geek .Intelligent caring sensitive romantic and knows his way with a woman .

Lola struck a chord with me as I’m very similar with how she thinks and feels so I could really connect with her .

A great storyline and steamy with a capital S!

Its been a  while since I have lost myself in a hot book and this was the perfect remedy of that .

I was hooked pretty quick into reading this and could not put it down .

Their friendship /relationship is adorable yet turns intense ,you can almost feel the sexual tension while reading.

You will swoon hard and want your very own Oliver .

I can not wait to read more of their books .

BOOK REVIEW MONSTER BY C J SKUSE

At sixteen Nash thought that the fight to become Head Girl of prestigious boarding school Bathory would be the biggest battle she’d face. Until her brother’s disappearance leads to Nash being trapped at the school over Christmas with Bathory’s assorted misfits.

As a blizzard rages outside, strange things are afoot in the school’s hallways, and legends of the mysterious Beast of Bathory – a big cat rumoured to room the moors outside the school – run wild.

Yet when the girls’ Matron goes missing it’s clear that something altogether darker is to blame – and that they’ll have to stick together if they hope to survive.

Firstly thanks to Cara for sending me a review copy .I haven’t read any of her books previosulit so wasn’t sure what to expect .I feel this can be described as a grown up darker version of enid blyton naughtiest school girl which I had been reading to my son .

There are some funny typical teenage moments in this book but covered with darkness and secrets .Theres rivalry  and whos going to win the role of top dog /head girl .

The book starts with the girls on opposite teams and not liking each other but in the end they have to work together to achieve one goal …to survive .

What they fear and visits them in their nightmares is nothing compared to what they should be fearing .

A fast paced thrilling ya read and I would like to read more from this author .

Published 24th September 2015

BOOK REVIEW THE MISTAKE I MADE BY PAULA DALY

We all think we know who we are.

What we’re capable of.

Roz is a single mother, a physiotherapist, a sister, a friend. She’s also desperate.

Her business has gone under, she’s crippled by debt and she’s just had to explain to her son why someone’s taken all their furniture away.

But now a stranger has made her an offer. For one night with her, he’ll pay enough to bring her back from the edge.

Roz has a choice to make.

I literally jumped ion this when I saw it in my library,i absolutely adore this genre and Paula is one of the best around .

This is only her third book but you could easily mistake it for her 10th ,its chilling gripping and deeply addictive.

With all her books you are hooked instantly and  this one was even more like that .

I whizzed through this as I couldn’t put it down .

Being a single mum I could relate to Roz so of course questions she was asking herself I put myself in her shoes .

Quite early on you can tell this almost easy set up is not going to end well but at what cost ?

Brilliant storyline which is believable in that it could happen to anyone or someone you know but Paula gives it that extra edge to make it a gripping read .

If you are yet to discover her writing you must ,….I insist !

Next book please can not come quick enough .

BOOK REVIEW LETTING YOU GO BY ANOUSKA KNIGHT

What if a tragedy occurred and you only had yourself to blame? How do you move on from the past?

Alex Foster lives a quiet life, avoiding the home she hasn’t visited in eight years. Then her sister Jaime calls. Their mother is sick, and Alex must return. Suddenly she’s plunged back into the past she’s been trying to escape.

Returning to her hometown, memories of the tragic accident that has haunted her and her family are impossible to ignore. Alex still blames herself for what happened to her brother and it’s soon clear that her father holds her responsible too. As Alex struggles to cope, can she ever escape the ghosts of the past?

Firstly a big thank you to Cara at Mira books for this beautiful review copy.I had the chance to review her last book which I loved and was one of my favourite reads of the summer .

This book seemed to take a while for me to get into and does have a different feel to her last book and I found that difficult to adjust to .

This is quite a dark read and you can feel everyones anguish and pain which makes for intense atmosphere .

People are living in the past and struggling to live for the present until something happens which puts a stop to it .

When someone you love is ill it makes you see things in a different way .

BOOK REVIEW AFTER THE CRASH BY MICHEL BUSSI

On the night of 22 December 1980, a plane crashes on the Franco-Swiss border and is engulfed in flames. 168 out of 169 passengers are killed instantly. The miraculous sole survivor is a three-month-old baby girl. Two families, one rich, the other poor, step forward to claim her, sparking an investigation that will last for almost two decades. Is she Lyse-Rose or Emilie?

Eighteen years later, having failed to discover the truth, private detective Crédule Grand-Duc plans to take his own life, but not before placing an account of his investigation in the girl’s hands. But, as he sits at his desk about to pull the trigger, he uncovers a secret that changes everything – then is killed before he can breathe a word of it to anyone . . .

Thank you to Rebecca at Orion books for seninding me a me  a copy to review .This was voted as Waterstones thriller of the month so I was very excited to start .

I really enjoyed this book and was filled with intrigue and mystery .

This is a slow burner but not in a dull way ,it grows with suspense and action as you read more .

I must say I did work out one of the begging questions as to the identity of the baby that survived the crash.

At times I did get lost as to whether I was reading the narrative or the journal .

This is a different type of book for me and not one I would have chosen myself and that’s the great thing with being a book blogger is the opportunity to be experimental.

Towards the end I found it got more addictive as I needed to know answers !

There is a mix of characters in this book who all make it that bit more interesting .

A clever well written book and I will definitely be interested in reading more from this author .

BOOK REVIEW ASKING FOR IT BY LOUISE O NEILL

It’s the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O’Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident.

One night, there’s a party. Everyone is there. All eyes are on Emma.

The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She can’t remember what happened, she doesn’t know how she got there.

She doesn’t know why she’s in pain.

But everyone else does. Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night.

But sometimes people don’t want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town’s heroes . . .

This is the book for 2015 when it comes to a rollercoaster of a read .I sat and read this in a fedw hours and genuinely felt like id been chewed up and spat out.

This book will make you think and feel so many emotions and is a must read for everyone .

This author is in a league of her own  when it comes to pushing the boundaries .

Her debut novel only ever yours was a disturbing and chilling read which both me and my daughter loved .

She is a force to be reckoned with in the YA genre ,but I believe her books are important to be read by everyone .She deals with huge issues that need and should be talked about.

In asking for it you are hit  with some uncomfortable reading and like many bloggers before me I did have to pause and take a deep breath .I have  a teenage daughter so this hugely affected me but also as a woman in her own right .

This is a shocking read that hits you hard and will leave you with a heavy heart and thick head .

Louises writing is blunt and direct, also her endings leave with many unanswered questions .

Go read and force yourself to reassess past and present opinions you have had on rape .

What can we expect from this author in the future ?

Highly powerful and hard hitting book .