ramblingmads

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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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.

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.

A girl looking for love…

When Jane, a broke dog-walker newly arrived in town, meets Eddie Rochester, she can’t believe her luck. Eddie is handsome, rich and lives alone in a beautiful mansion since the tragic death of his beloved wife a year ago. A man who seems perfect…

Eddie can give Jane everything she’s always wanted: stability, acceptance, and a picture-perfect life. A wife who just won’t stay buried…

But what Jane doesn’t know is that Eddie is keeping a secret – a big secret. And when the truth comes out, the consequences are far more deadly than anyone could ever have imagined…Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books for young readers, and her work has been translated in over a dozen countries.

She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama with her husband and son.

The Wife Upstairs is her first adult novel.

My thoughts:

I have a lot of issues with Jane Eyre but knew that Rachel Hawkins was a cracking writer and if anyone could redeem that awful, frustrating book, then it would be her, and I was not disappointed.

Her Jane is a lot smarter, savvier and less of a drip that Brontë’s, who quite frankly I have always wanted to shake and tell her “he’s nuts, run woman!” but there we go. Wide Sargasso Sea on the other hand is an excellent book and should be more widely read, so read that, then this.

Modernising and moving the story to the US, 21st Century Jane is walking dogs for uptight, rich housewives, who quite honestly have time in their days to walk their own dogs, when she meets Eddie, supposedly mourning his wife’s death in a terrible boat related accident.

Following the basic plot of the original novel but with updates and twists, in the style of a thriller, this is a lot of fun and with a much more satisfying ending. I really enjoyed it and would love for the author to tackle some more problematic classics – Wuthering Heights next perhaps?

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