Category: reviews

books, reviews

Book Review: Goodbye, Orchid – Carol Van Den Hende

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From 14th February the publisher is offering Goodbye, Orchid at a special price. So keep an eye out if you want to treat yourself.

GOODBYE, ORCHID is one of the most anticipated 2020 fall reads: Buzzfeed l Parade l Travel+Leisure and featured in Popsugar, Bookstr, Frolic, LA Times, Chicago Tribune and more.

Winner: 2020 American Fiction Award l Pinnacle Achievement Award l IAN Best First Novel 50-80K words l Royal Dragonfly.

“Page-turner” “Breath of awe” “Tugs on your soul”

What happens when an entrepreneur suffers an accident that changes him forever and he has to decide: to love his woman, will he need to leave her?

One July morning in Manhattan, handsome athlete and entrepreneur Phoenix Walker accompanies his love, half-Asian beauty Orchid Paige, to the airport. Neither believes today is goodbye.

But soon after Orchid leaves, disaster strikes.

Phoenix wakes in the hospital, broken, forever changed.

Now, he’s faced with the hardest decision of his life. Does he burden the woman whose traumatic childhood makes him feel protective of her? Or does true love mean having to say Goodbye, Orchid?

Rising from ashes is hard. Leaving the one you love is harder.

CAROL VAN DEN HENDE is an award-winning author who pens stories of resilience and hope. Her novel Goodbye, Orchid has been recognized as the 2020 American Fiction Award winner for urban fiction, and 2020 Pinnacle Achievement Award winner for multicultural fiction. Plus, it’s been named one of the most anticipated fall reads by Buzzfeed, Parade, and Travel+Leisure.

She’s also a speaker, strategist, Board member and Climate Reality Leader. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous husband, fun-loving twins, and rescue cat, who prove that love really does conquer all.

Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at carolvandenhende.com/contact or linktr.ee/cvdh

My thoughts:

I was kindly sent a copy of this book to review by the author but all opinions remain my own.

This was an interesting read, especially for me.

About two years before we met, my now husband had an accident and broke his spinal column, leaving him a paraplegic, reliant on a wheelchair to get around. He doesn’t like people feeling sorry for him and his injury hasn’t stopped him living his life at all. He plays a full contact sport, works, drives, travels and got his Masters degree.

So seeing how much Phoenix struggles to come to terms with his injuries in Goodbye, Orchid, was different. Through my husband I’ve met lots of disabled people, mostly his teammates, and none of them are still wrestling with their disabilities, most of them have moved on from that point.

I can understand Phoenix’s reticence to involve Orchid in his life after the accident, it can be a lot and some people don’t handle it well. Your whole life shifts and not everyone can adjust to the new reality. But Phoenix was wrong – Orchid proves to be a stronger person than he gave her credit for. Yes she still carries the trauma of her parents’ death in a car crash, but she also has strong feelings for him and wants to be in his life.

We can’t read each others’ minds and Phoenix isn’t a great communicator – preferring to shut down. Once he realises he needs to be open, then he and Orchid can fall in love again.

A moving and engaging story about love, thinking you’re protecting someone and getting it wrong.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Crow Folk – Mark Stay*

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Faye Bright always felt a little bit different. And today she’s found out why. She’s just stumbled across her late mother’s diary which includes not only a spiffing recipe for jam roly-poly, but spells, incantations, runes and recitations… a witch’s notebook.

And Faye has inherited her mother’s abilities.

Just in time, too. The Crow Folk are coming. Led by the charismatic Pumpkinhead, their strange magic threatens Faye and the villagers. Armed with little more than her mum’s words, her trusty bicycle, the grudging help of two bickering old ladies, and some aggressive church bellringing, Faye will find herself on the front lines of a war nobody expected.

Mark Stay co-wrote the screenplay for Robot Overlords which became a movie with Sir Ben Kingsley and Gillian Anderson, and premiered at the 58th London Film Festival. He is co-presenter of the Bestseller Experiment podcast and has worked in bookselling and publishing for over twenty-five years. He lives in Kent, England, with his family and a trio of retired chickens. He blogs and humblebrags over at markstaywrites.com.

My thoughts:

This was a great fun read, I really enjoyed it. Faye was a relatable protagonist, of course she wanted to know more about her mum, and I imagine it would get frustrating when everyone else doesn’t seem to be able to see the things you can.

Woodville is that very traditional English village, familiar from so many novels (I kept expecting Miss Marple to appear having dropped by from SOE – blatantly where she spent her war, after hearing about some strange things) and a certain Kinks’ song.

But where there are quaint villages, there are witches and magic and odd goings on. As English as tea and scones. And I love it.

I do now need more about Vera Fivetrees, she’s very intriguing.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Yorkshire Dipper – Maria Frankland*

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Read my reviews of The Last Cuckoo, The Man Behind Closed Doors and Left Hanging all by the same author.

Seven drownings. Three months. Who is to blame?

Lauren is fed up with covering local small-town news in Northern England. The bride-to-be and mother-of-one dreams of recognition and accolades as a national journalist.
Yet, the reporting opportunity that lands on her doorstep is one she would never have invited. When it is thrust on her,, she is duty bound, both professionally and personally to investigate.
Lauren is the voice for the women, whose lives have been cut short in the river Alder, and she will not stop until she finds the link that binds their deaths together and gets justice for them.
But she is a lone voice, overpowered by the police and other officials. Lauren has to make herself heard, even when this compromises her own safety. Her police sergeant fiancé begs her to step away and leave it to the police.
Seven drownings, she continues to argue, in three months, warrants blame. How can the deaths of these innocent women be deemed accidental?

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Maria Frankland’s life began at 40 when she escaped an unhappy marriage and began making a living from her own writing and becoming a teacher of creative writing.

The rich tapestry of life with all its turbulent times has enabled her to pour experience, angst and lessons learned into the writing of her novels and poetry.
She recognises that the darkest places can exist within family relationships and this is reflected in the domestic thrillers she writes.
She is a ‘born ‘n’ bred’ Yorkshirewoman, a mother of two and has recently found her own ‘happy ever after’ after marrying again.
Still in her forties, she is now going to dedicate the rest of her working life to writing books and inspiring other writers to also achieve their dreams too!

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My thoughts:

This was a really good crime thriller, with only determined journalist Lauren convinced that this many deaths in the same spot can’t possibly be accidents. The police don’t seem to be making any effort to investigate so she decides to draw attention to the fact and try to solve this herself.

But her fiancé, Mark, a police officer, wishes she wouldn’t make things worse with his grumpy boss DCI Ingham, it’s not helping his career and he’s getting sidelined in the case.

This was a cracking read, and the twists (no spoilers) were the kind that make you audibly gasp. You won’t see them coming.

I liked the juxtaposition of Mark and Lauren’s home life with the crimes they’re both investigating, from different angles. It just reminds you how banal crime actually is, unless it affects you directly, we’re so immune to it in a way. Another excellent book from the pen of Maria Frankland, who goes from strength to strength.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: What Now? – Shari Low*

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Read my review of What If?

The follow-up sequel to the bestselling ‘What If?’ from Shari Low
Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper went on an epic quest to track down all the men she’d ever loved and lost in the hope that one of them was her Mr Right.

Now, two decades and two teenage sons later, she thinks she might have got it all wrong.
As the years have passed, lots of things have changed, leaving Carly asking ‘What Now?’

With a divorce and an empty nest on the horizon, Carly sets off once more to Los Angeles with her band of trusty girlfriends, to find the carefree, wild and adventurous Carly Cooper that she used to be.

On this latest quest, Carly discovers a few home truths and has to decide If her marriage is worth saving or is there a new happy-ever-after out there, just waiting for her…

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Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 25 novels, including One Day In Summer and My One Month Marriage and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So.

She lives near Glasgow.

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My thoughts:

This was brilliant fun. Picking up twenty years after the end of What If? we join Carly Cooper as she has yet another crisis and starts to rethink her past once more.

I laughed so hard (mostly at the marvellous Aunt Val) that my husband asked if I was alright several times, and there were a few tears at one point too. Shari Low has magical powers and really pulls you into her characters lives.

It helps that the cast of characters are so brilliant, Carly has really got lucky with her amazing gang of besties. And reading it in lockdown when I haven’t seen any of my pals in about a year really got to me. I miss their faces.

If you need a great read that restores your faith in people a bit more, then you could do a lot worst than reading this and giving yourself a much needed boost.


*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Not Quite Out – Louise Williamson*

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William Anson is done with relationships, thanks. He’s starting the second year of his medicine degree single, focused, and ready to mingle with purely platonic intentions.

Meeting Daniel, a barely recovered drug addict ready to start living life on his own terms, might just change that.

There are two problems.

One: William isn’t out.

What’s the point in telling your friends you’re bisexual when you aren’t going to date anyone?

Two: Daniel’s abusive ex-boyfriend still roams the university campus, searching for cracks in Daniel’s recovery.

No matter how quickly William falls for Daniel, their friendship is too important to risk ruining over a crush.

William is fine with being just friends for the rest of forever.

Well, not quite.

Content warning – This book includes references to abortion, PTSD, drug addiction, abusive relationships, and self-harm.

My thoughts:

I really felt for Will, being 19 and at uni is tough enough without trying to come to terms with your sexuality and come out. I know, I’ve been there.

But I’m now in my 30s so a lot more time has passed, those late teens/early twenties are tough.

Plus Will’s new friend, Dan, has a lot going on too, an abusive hovering ex, a drug habit he’s trying to kick and no family to support him. So Will is trying to provide that support while wrestling with his feelings and worries.

The book is very thoughtful, like its protagonist, and his other friends, Peter, Cas and Lilley are also dealing with the things life likes to throw at you, and uni, so there’s a lot going on around Will.

A sweet, sensitive, heartfelt portrayal of working out who you are, what you want, and where you fit in to the world. Friendship, love, pain, heartbreak and joy are all in the mix.

Really worth reading and then pressing a copy into the hands of a young person you know who looks like they could use some solidarity.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Dream That Held Us – Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang*

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“The Dream That Held Us took me on an exquisite exploration if a love that crosses boundaries of time and culture.” Angela Barton author of Arlette’s Story, Magnolia House and You’ve Got My Number

“Deeply imbued with a certain wistfulness and haunting sense of loss brought out by the end of a glorious summer… Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang’s latest novel is a sensitive andskilful exploration of love, longing, and whether life sometimes relents to give us second chances.” Osama Siddique – author of Snuffing Out the Moon

“This book carries a universal message about love and finding your way in the world. I loved it.”
Angela Barton author of Arlette’s Story, Magnolia House and You’ve Got My Number

Another stunning Anglo-Indian love story from the author of The Last Vicereine, Penguin Random House 2017.

October 1985, Ash Misra leaves a blood-stained Delhi for Oxford University. Haunted by a terrible
secret, he just wants to forget. Music and fresh violence bring him to fellow student and amateur violinist, Isabella Angus, but duty and the burden of history keep them apart.

A quarter of a century later against the background of the global financial crisis, Sir Peter Roberts, former Master of Woodstock College, receives a letter from Ash for Isabella. They are no longer young but they had made a tryst with destiny; old terrors and suppressed desires return.

Amazon UK
Amazon US

Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang is a British author whose work focuses on cultural and historical fault lines
and has strong international themes.

Rhiannon was born and grew up in Yorkshire and has studied, lived and worked in Europe and Asia. She read Oriental Studies (Chinese) at Oxford University and speaks Mandarin and Cantonese.

Rhiannon lives in a former farmhouse in rural England with her
family.

Novels
The Woman Who Lost China, Open Books 2013
The Last Vicereine, Penguin Random House 2017

Short Story Anthology

Hong Kong Noir, Akashic Books 2019

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My thoughts:

This was a beautiful, moving book about a love that spans decades, taking in marriages, divorce, children and heartbreak.

First love can be brutal and so it is for Isabella and Ash – he must return to India and an arranged marriage, devastating Isabella.

Twenty five years later Ash sends a letter via the former master of their college, asking Isabella to see him. Will their love be rekindled, despite her husband and children, despite their very different lives?

Beautifully written and tender, this was a truly touching and sweet read.


*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Art of Death – David Fennell*

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London’s latest art installation is a real killer . . .

An underground artist leaves three glass cabinets in Trafalgar Square that contain a gruesome installation: the corpses of three homeless men.
With the artist promising more to follow, newly-promoted Detective Inspector Grace Archer and her caustic DS, Harry Quinn, must race against time to follow what few clues have been left by a savvy killer.
As more bodies are exhibited at London landmarks and live streamed on social media, Archer and Quinn’s pursuit of the elusive killer becomes a desperate search.
But when Archer discovers that the killer might be closer than she originally thought – she realises that he has his sights set firmly on her . . .
He is creating a masterpiece. And she will be the star of his show.

My thoughts:

This was really good, dark and compelling. The weird “art” installations are a brutal and shocking concept, a killer keen to show off, preening at their own cleverness.

DI Grace Archer is an intriguing character, her back story is never fully revealed but it’s dark and tragic, and the marks of it linger in her panic attacks and claustrophobia. Her team is full of bitterness and secrets, which makes their working relationships awkward and tense, adding complications to their investigations.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Man I Didn’t Marry – Anna Bell*

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Read my review of the author’s We Just Clicked here.

What happens when the man she married can’t remember her?

Ellie has the perfect life: a happy marriage, a gorgeous daughter and a baby on the way. But when her husband Max develops amnesia, he forgets everything about the last five years . . . including their relationship.

Now the man she said ‘I do’ to has become a stranger, and she has no idea why. Yet Ellie is determined to reconnect and find herMax again – he has to be in there somewhere, right?

As they get to know one another afresh, Ellie finds herself seeing Max clearly for the first time. But then she discovers that before his memory loss, Max was keeping a huge secret from her. Will their new beginning prove to be a false start, just as it seemed they might fall in love all over again?

My thoughts:

Halfway through this book, I looked over my husband of two and a half years and said “please don’t ever lose your memory and forget me”, he of course, looked at me like I was crazy.

But the thought of him forgetting even one moment of our 11 years together was horrible.

I know this book is supposed to be a rom com but there is a slight chill to it – Max loses his memory of his wife, his children, everything from the last five years.

I don’t know how Ellie copes, she’s heavily pregnant with their second child, caring for a toddler, and needs her husband around. But suddenly they’re basically strangers again.

It is a lovely and sweet romance as she woos Max into falling in love again, trying to recreate their dates, hoping his memory will come back. But it didn’t half give me a jolt of fear!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Title: Fake – Roz Kay*

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James Cowper-art dealer, gambler, thief-is going straight and on the brink of redeeming himself with his disillusioned wife, Imani. He’s still broke, but all he needs to take care of that is a rare art find. Then trouble arrives in the shape of a scheming landlord and an unwelcome dinner party with his boss. As events spin out of his control it appears that nobody, including Imani, is what they pretend.

And over everything looms one make-or-break question for James: can he get a grip on his exploding life?

Then trouble arrives in the shape of a scheming landlord and an unwelcome dinner party with his boss. As events spin out of his control it appears that nobody, including Imani, is what they pretend.

And over everything looms one make-or-break question for James: can he get a grip on his exploding life?

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Bookshop.org

Roz Kay is a writer and former journalist. Her debut children’s novel, The Keeper of the Stones, was published in March 2020 by Hayloft Publishing and she’s had literary short stories published under the name Roz DeKett. Roz, who now lives in Wiltshire, England, has lived in Ghana, Canada, Malaysia, Brunei, and the United States—including nearly six years in Philadelphia where

Roz, who now lives in Wiltshire, England, has lived in Ghana, Canada, Malaysia, Brunei, and the United States—including nearly six years in Philadelphia where Fake is set.
Fake is her debut novel for adults.

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My thoughts:

This was like an old fashioned farce, especially once the cast assembled for the dinner party from hell. It was darkly comic and thoroughly enjoyable, with some of the worst people I’ve ever encountered on the page – thank goodness I don’t actually know any of them!

James’ wife Imani is probably the best of the sorry bunch and I felt really sorry for her trying to feed the other nightmarish figures, even though she didn’t want them there in the first place.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Asking For a Friend – Andi Osho*

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No woman gets left behind.

Three best friends are going to solve their relationship woes once and for all

Forty-something Jemima’s life is on track – well, sort of, she just need to bat her niggly ex away for good.

Twenty-something Meagan is in the midst of her five-phase plan and is nearly ready for phase three: a relationship.

While thirty-something Simi has had more it’s not yous than any I dos.

These best friends decide it’s time to ditch the dating apps and play the love game by their own rules. They’re going to ask people out in real life…but only for each other. What could possibly go wrong?

My thoughts:

This was a fun, funny and smart book about the power of female friendships, working out what you really want from life and falling in love.

Jemima, Meagan and Simi seem to have their lives together but just like so many women, they’re doing their best duck impression, serenely gliding along but paddling madly underneath, trying to juggle careers, romance and their complicated bond.

I laughed and I recognised these women, I know these women. They’re my friends and probably spark a similar recognition in other readers.

A brilliant first book from a great comedian and highly enjoyable.


*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.