Book Review - The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry

 

The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry

Published: 10th September 2015

Publisher: Headline Review

Pages: 383

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Everyone remembers their first kiss. But what about the last?

1961. Journalist Rosamund Bailey is ready to change the world. When she meets explorer and man about town Dominic Blake, she realises she has found the love of her life. Just as happiness is in their grasp, the worst happens, and their future is snatched away.

2014. Deep in the vaults of a museum, archivist Abby Morgan stumbles upon a breathtaking find. A faded photograph of a man saying goodbye to the woman he loves. Looking for a way to escape her own heartache, Abby becomes obsessed with the story, little realising that behind the image frozen in time lies a secret altogether more extraordinary.

 

Review

The Last Kiss Goodbye is the latest novel by Tasmina Perry and I think it is her best yet. This novel like her previous novel The Proposal (I’ve still to read this one yet…my bad) is written with a dual time aspect, which is a different style to her previous high glamour novels but done in the usual addictive Tasmina Perry writing style.

The Last Kiss Goodbye starts in 1961 with Rosamund Bailey, a young activist set on changing the world, until she meets Dominic Blake political journalist and born explorer. As two fall in love and begin to plan a future together tragedy strikes the unlucky pair.

Fast forward to 2014 and Abby Gordon an archivist is putting together an exhibition of British explorers when she discovers a photograph of two young lovers saying goodbye. Deeply moved by the photograph Abby sets out to discover who the people in the photograph are. She then meets Rosamund Bailey, the woman in the photograph and sets out to discover what exactly happened to Dominic Blake after that last kiss goodbye.

Abby was a character who instantly made her way into my heart, she’s suffering from heartbreak after discovering husband Nick has an affair and I think she was determined to use the photograph as proof of everlasting love to sooth her broken heart. I was longing for her to give Nick another chance and let them become a family again.

Rosamund came across as slightly harsh with her opinions in the 1961 chapters. After she meets Dominic you can begin to see her soften a little as she falls in love and who can blame her – if a handsome man whisked me away to Paris I’m sure I’d fall for him in such a romantic place.

I found this novel to be beautifully written and the romance in it is subtle but so moving, I think it will be hard to read without feeling a little pull at the heart strings. The ending was perfect and I think captured the overall essence of the story wonderfully.

I’m really excited to see that one of my favourite authors has taken the leap into historical fiction as dual time frame novel are my favourite to read and The Last Kiss Goodbye is a perfect example of this. I’m quite glad I still have The Proposal to read as I know I’m going to love it! I can’t wait to read Tasmina’s next novel as I’m sure it will be brilliant.

Thank you so much to Headline and bookbridgr for sending me a copy to review, I adored this book and give it 5/5.



Book Review - The Wedding Cake Tree by Melanie Hudson

 

The Wedding Cake Tree by Melanie Hudson

Published: 7th  April 2015 (Paperbacck Edition)

Publisher: Choc Lit UK

Pages: 384 pages

Available on Kindle and in Paperback

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Can a mother’s secret past provide the answers for a daughter’s future?
Celebrity photographer Grace Buchanan has always known that, one day, she’d swap her manic day job for the peace and quiet of her beloved childhood cottage, St Christopher’s – she just didn’t expect it to be so soon.
At the reading of her mother’s will, she’s shocked to learn that she hardly knew Rosamund at all, and that inheriting St Christopher’s hangs on one big – and very inconvenient – condition: Grace must drop everything for two weeks and travel the country with a mysterious stranger – war-weary Royal Marine, Alasdair Finn.
Caught in a brief but perfect moment in time, Grace and Alasdair walk in Rosamund’s footsteps and read her letters at each breathtaking new place. As Grace slowly uncovers the truth about her mother’s incredible life story, Alasdair and Grace can’t help but question their own futures. Will Rosamund’s madcap scheme go to plan or will events take an unexpected turn?
An emotional, fun-filled and adventurous journey of a lifetime.

 

Review

The Wedding Cake Tree is Melanie Hudson’s first novel and I thought it was brilliantly written in a very evocative style which left me hooked until the end.

Grace Buchanan is a commercial photographer, longing for the day she can settle down in her childhood home St. Christopher’s, a cottage hidden away from the outside world. Sadly for Grace this day comes a little too soon as her mother Rosamund passes away, but before Grace can claim her inheritance she must embark on a journey planned by her mother, taking with her hunky military man Alasdair.

Grace reluctantly sets off on the journey which takes her to across England, Scotland and even Europe, at each destination Grace learns more of her mother’s past through letters Rosamund has written and slowly she begins to piece together the mystery of her mother’s life and who her father was.

As Grace and Alastair begin their journey they are quite hostile to each other but like any good romance as they begin to get to know each other they begin to have more feelings for each other which eventually become passionate. I loved the way these two interacted with each other, they didn’t want to grow emotionally attached to each other but could only fight their feelings for so long. However their road to romance wasn’t exactly smooth but one which I found very enjoyable to read about.

I think the thing I love best about this novel was the descriptions of the places visited by Grace and Alastair, it was so realistic. I have never been to Scotland and climbed a mountain but while reading about these two doing just that I felt that I had been there too. I loved the twist at the end too, which was unexpected but I think worked really well in helping Grace to finally settle in life.

The Wedding Cake Tree is a lovely novel about going on a journey to discover who you really are and where you belong in the world. I thought this was done really well and the simmering romance between Grace and Alastair was perfectly pitched to fit with the story. I’m interested to see what Melanie Hudson’s next novel is like and if she can again capture the essence of many places in one book.

Book Review - Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis

 

Second Chance Summer ( Cedar Ridge #1) by Jill Shalvis

Published: 30th July 2015

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Pages: 368

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Lily's been back in Cedar Ridge for less than ten minutes when she bumps into Aidan, the former love of her life. So much for sneaking back into town unnoticed. And thanks to frizzy hair and armfuls of junk food, she's turning his head for all the wrong reasons.

No one knows why Lily is home after ten years, and she's determined to stay no longer than the summer. But Cedar Ridge and Aidan have other ideas. As they set about persuading Lily to give them a second chance, she finds herself falling under the spell of the Colorado mountains ... and the one man she could never forget.

 

Review

Second Chance Summer is the second novel I’ve read by Jill Shalvis and initially I was a little disappointed as it seemed to mirror the other Jill Shalvis book I have read which was Simply Irresistible. In both of these books the main heroine returns to her hometown after many years away, they then bump into an old boyfriend/ very hot guy and become overcome with lust. Luckily after a few chapters Second Chance Summer became its own story and one which I began to really enjoy.

Lily Danville has returned to Cedar Ridge her childhood home after ten years away. She’s not happy about having to return but an incident with her old job as a celebrity stylist means she’s been blacklisted almost everywhere, until her old friend Jonathon gives her a job at the Cedar Ridge resort salon. The resort is owned by the Kincaid family, one of which Lily had a huge crush on in her younger days and is now desperate to avoid. So who is the first person Lily runs into…literally...yes you’ve guessed it Mr Heartthrob himself Aidan Kincaid and almost instantly the sparks begin to fly.

All Lily wants is to hide away and battle with her guilt from her past but the more she sees Aidan the more obvious that there is some major chemistry between these two. Eventually she gives in but will she be able to conquer her feelings of guilt and will Lily and Aidan get the happy ever after that we are all hoping they will?

I loved the chemistry between the characters in this book. Lily and Aidan obviously had loads of chemistry sizzling between them and it was lovely to see Lily begin to loosen up let Aidan into her heart. I also loved the chemistry of other characters in the book, my favourites having to be the silly antic between the Kincaid brothers, I just loved the scenes with the fancy pants they made each other wear. I also enjoyed the friendly banter between Lily and Jonathon and was lovely to read about two friends so comfortable in each other’s company, even after ten years apart.

Although this is predominantly a romance novel I really enjoyed the background story that was being created around Cedar Ridge and its residents, which has left us with many questions for future books, what has happened to Jacob Kincaid? Will the Kincaid family keep their resort? What is Kenna’s background story? All of these I’m sure will be answered in future books in the series, which I am really looking forward to reading.

Second Chance Summer is a lovely romantic novel sizzling with chemistry and funny moments. It’s a story of romance, friendship, family loyalty and most of all being able to let go of the past and living for today.

I really enjoyed reading this novel and am eagerly awaiting the next Cedar Ridge book My Kind of Wonderful which is released at the end of this year.  I would rate the book 4 out of 5.

Thank you to Headline Eternal for sending me a copy to review.

Book Review -The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth

 

The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth

Published: 27th September 2015

Publisher: Pan

Pages: 336

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

What if those you cherish harboured a secret that could break you?

Neva Bradley, a young midwife, has just learned that she is expecting. She's been present at the magical stages of many women's lives but she is determined to keep the details surrounding her own pregnancy hidden. And the weight of Neva's secret is beginning to bear down on everyone around her . . .

Neva's mother Grace finds it impossible to let the subject rest. But the more Grace presses Neva about the identity of the baby's father, the more withdrawn she becomes.

For Neva's grandmother, Floss, a retired midwife, Neva's predicament eerily mirrors events from her own past. She now must decide whether she is ready to confront a memory she's managed to supress for over fifty years.

As Neva's bump grows, it becomes harder to conceal the truth. Will each of the women reveal what has been buried for so long, or are some secrets best kept hidden?

Review

When Sally’s Hepworth’s debut novel The Secrets of Midwives popped through my letter box I was very excited, this is exactly the sort of story I love to get lost in and discovering new authors is always exciting. After the first couple of chapters I was completely engrossed in the story of these three women and well I lost the rest of the day while I finished it.

The Secrets of Midwives tells us the story of Neva, Grace and Floss who are three generations of a family of midwives. Neva Bradley the daughter is pregnant and at thirty weeks is desperately trying to hide the pregnancy from her family to avoid all the questions and fuss as the baby has no father. Grace, the mother is determined to find out the father of her daughters baby and doesn’t see how her questions are causing rifts between the family members. For Floss the grandmother, Neva’s situation is forcing her to face her past, something she is not certain she is ready to do.

The Secrets of Midwives is told in alternative chapters between these three women as they battle with the secrets they are hiding. I loved that each voice was easily distinguishable, something which I feel was very clever given that the three women are related and are all midwives (or retired midwives) and they do lead similar lives.

I really enjoyed all three of these women and as their secrets came out, some which are expected and some which are not I felt a bond with all three of them. I loved reading about when Floss was younger and the events which led her to keep a secret for almost sixty years…now that takes willpower.

The author obviously knows lot about midwifery and particularly childbirth as there are a couple of scenes which are very detailed, a little too much maybe for the squeamish among us. She has also managed to capture with her beautiful writing just how magical the moments after childbirth are when you finally get to gaze on your little ones face and are filled with love instantly.

I loved everything about this book, the characters are lovely and the descriptions of places and events are very realistic, making me feel like I was there too. I loved that all the way through the book there are questions that need answering such as who is the father of Neva’s baby? And what exactly is Floss hiding? Both which I felt were answered very well right at the end of the book in a brilliant ending to a fabulous book.  I have adored Sally’s writing style and am eagerly going to be awaiting her next novel Things We Keep which will be out in 2016.

Thank you so much to Pan for sending me a copy to review, a well-deserved 5 out 5!

 

Book Review - Stirred With Love by Marcie Steele

 

Stirred With Love by Marcie Steele

Published: 3rd September 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages:300

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Sometimes the best friends can be found where you least expect them …

Still grieving after the loss of her beloved husband, Lily Mortimer is determined to do something with the time she has left.

After the end of her fairytale marriage, thirty-something Kate is trying hard to mend her broken heart.

Chloe, a young woman with the world at her feet, is struggling to know what to do with her life.

When Lily embarks on a new venture in the picturesque town of Somerley, the three women come together to open The Coffee Stop, the most charming café for miles around.

But opening a coffee shop is never as simple as it seems, especially when you add neighbouring competition, local heart throbs and heartbreak to the mix.

When tragedy strikes, can the three women pull together to make the new business fly, or will Lily’s last chance disappear down the drain along with yesterday’s coffee grinds?

 

Review

 

Stirred With Love by Marcie Steele (aka Mel Sherratt of crime fiction fame) is the story of three very different women coming together at crucial points in their lives, and reopening a coffee shop.

 Lily the shop owner has just lost her husband and is looking to revamp her coffee shop for a newer market so advertises for staff to help her run the place, with the promise of good prospects for the right candidate. First comes Kate, a thirty-two year old who’s just split up with her husband and looking for a fresh start in a new town. Then there is Chloe an eighteen year old diva looking for some fun before her A-level results come out and she finally has to decide what to do about her future. This unlikely trio soon find they have formed a strong bond both with each other but also with The Coffee Stop itself, which soon becomes home for them all.

I really enjoyed reading about each of the women’s journeys as they each experienced some highs and lows. I did feel that some of the relationships with Jake and Will particularly were a little rushed and I would have liked a little bit more time to digest what was happening. My favourite character was Lily as she seemed the consistent with her views. Kate was initially wanting to leave her husband and then became upset when he left her which I didn’t understand. Chloe wanted to be treated like a grown up but I felt she showed her immaturity on many occasions.

I did feel that although Stirred With Love has some moments which made me laugh and cry, which I enjoyed, it was just another coffee shop story which I have read many times before and nothing stood out to make this different.

Stirred With Love is an easy read and one which I read over a couple of evenings, it’s a story of friendships, new beginnings and having the confidence to believe you can do what you want.

I would like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for my review copy and I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

 

Book Review - The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies

 

The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jeffries

Published: 3rd September 2015

Publisher: Penguin UK

Pages: 418

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Two newlyweds: practically strangers, deeply in love, and each hiding a secret from the other...

 

Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper steps off a steamship in Ceylon eager to begin her new life as a married woman. But the husband who greets her is distant, secretive and brooding. Laurence is forever away working, leaving his young English bride to explore the vast tea plantation alone. Wandering into forbidden places, Gwen finds locked doors, trunks filled with dusty dresses, a tiny overgrown grave - clues to a hidden, unspeakable past.

 

Gwen soon falls pregnant and her husband is overjoyed, but in the delivery room she is faced with a terrible choice - one she must hide from Laurence at all costs. When the time comes to reveal the truth, how will he ever forgive what she has done?

 

Review

The Tea Planter’s Wife follows the story of Laurence and Gwen Hooper as they return to Ceylon to begin married life.  As soon I began reading this book I knew it was going to be special, the descriptive language used in the first chapter instantly transported me onto the boat arriving in Columbo alongside Gwen. The author has captured the true essence of Ceylon perfectly right down to the cinnamon and jasmine in the air masking the underlying smell of the sewage, which made me feel like I was living the story.

As the newly- weds begin their married life, Laurence becomes distant as Gwen begins to feel uncertain of her future, especially as she discovers things which begin to make her question Laurence’s past – hidden graves, locked rooms, things hinted but left unsaid by her maid and sister in law Verity. Soon Gwen finds herself pregnant and Laurence is overjoyed but on the night she gives birth Gwen gets a terrible shock and is faced with a difficult decision, one which will alter their lives forever.

This book is so much more than just a marital saga it deals with jealously, conflict, prejudices, tragedy and secrets. I particularly loved the way the author has captured the historical elements of the period including the workers unrest on the tea plantations, the prejudices of mixed race marriages and the impact of the 1929 stock market collapse, it really added to the realism of the story.

It’s also a book which affected me with all the emotions in it, Gwen and Laurence are lovely characters and so in love with each other and so eager to keep each other happy that they don’t completely reveal everything to each other, this leads to tragedy that could so easily be avoided if they’d just opened up a little more. I felt my heart breaking along with Gwen’s as she has to decide what to do and so many times I was longing for her to tell Lawrence.

This is exactly the type of book that I adore, it full of romance, with a historical element and elements of mystery all bound together by brilliant writing. The Tea Planter’s Wife is definitely one of my favourite books of 2015 and I cannot wait to read more from this wonderful writer.

Thank you so much to Penguin UK for sending me a copy to review, I loved everything about his book and give it a very well deserved 5/5!

 

 

Blog Tour - The Waiting Game by Jessica Thompson

 

The Waiting Game by Jessica Thompson

Published: 13th August 2015

Publisher: Coronet

Pages: 326

Available now from Amazon

 

Today I'm excited to be part of The Waiting Game blog tour and firstly I have an exclusive extract from the book, followed my review of this wonderful book.

 

 

Extract

The ground seemed to speed up beneath Nessa’s feet. Grass, straw and soil rushed beneath her, faster and faster . . .

She looked up occasionally, terrified she might turn her ankle on a molehill, or a clod of mud. She wasn’t sure if she’d feel it even if she did hurt herself. Adrenaline’s natural painkilling qualities coursed through her limbs.

Nessa had never run this fast in her life. She hadn’t even known she was capable of it. Her breathing had regulated, so she was able to propel her legs forwards, launching herself over obstacles. She bounded forwards, her calves and thighs working like pistons. Faster, faster. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop now, even if she tried.

Is this madness? Is this how it feels?

The field looked as if it might go on forever. The forest was seemingly moving backwards in the distance rather than getting closer, as if it were a cut-out paper prop controlled by a child, gleefully moving the goalposts. Nessa came to a low gate. She didn’t have time to fiddle with it to get it open and then close it behind her again, so she put one hand down on the rough warm wood and launched her legs over it. She landed, surprisingly hard, on some damp soil on the other side. The shock from the landing reverberated up her body so that her teeth smacked against each other, catching the tip of her tongue. It hurt so much it brought tears to her eyes. She could taste the metallic, iron flavour of blood in her mouth, but she didn’t care. She had to keep going. A small group of cows in a nearby field watched on casually, chewing slowly and moving their mass from hoof to hoof, the occasional shake of a tail to bat the flies away.

Eventually, Nessa reached the opening of the forest. She kept running; her feet landed on dried-out twigs and branches that crackled and crunched beneath her feet. The sunshine pierced through the canopy of trees that provided a roof of broken shelter over the forest. The light glittered, shimmering on the ground. She didn’t really know where she was going anymore. She just had to keep going. Where had the tiny figure disappeared to?

‘Jake!’ she yelled, the word booming from her chest. She imagined each letter of his precious name growing wings, rising up and getting tangled in the trees, each singing their own desperate song of a woman who had, quite literally, lost a man.

‘Jake!’ she cried again, louder this time, her eyes still watering with the pain in her mouth. More blood.

‘Jake!’ she cried, as if her life depended on it.

‘JAKE!!’ she yelled again, furiously this time. She hoped that if he might somehow be able to hear her, he would know how livid she was with him.

 

The forest seemed to reduce itself towards a small, dark archway created by a particularly thick group of trees that bent towards each other at an angle. There were two other pathways, to the right and left of this rabbit hole, but she decided to take the central route. She slowed down, but kept running, stooping as low as she could to get into the tunnel. The sunshine barely penetrated this place, and she was plunged into near darkness.

Nessa slowed down, suddenly feeling exhausted, slinking into a fast walk, her breath rattling in her chest. The running and adrenaline had caught up with her. She felt more tired than she ever had.

And then suddenly, as if from nowhere, someone grabbed her from behind, their arms clamped so tightly around her waist, it felt as if they might break her lower ribs. Her feet were swept off the ground, effortlessly.

 

Blurb

Ness Bruce had waited for her husband to return home from Afghanistan for what felt like forever. Now the moment was finally here.

But Jake Bruce didn't come home.

Nessa's life - and that of her rebellious daughter Poppy  - is turned upside downin an instant. What has happened to the elusive man at the centre of their world? They hold onto the hope that he is still out there somewhere, alive...but as time passes by, Nessa is forced to look at her life, at the decisions she has mad and the secrets se has kept. For maybe somewhere within it all lies the answer to the question -  where is the man she loves?

Review

The first thing that drew me to The Waiting Game was its cover. That green metallic is even more gorgeous in real life making this cover one of my favourites from the year so far. I’ve not read anything by Jessica Thompson but have heard great things about her writing I was very excited to review this book for the tour. This book more than lived up to my expectations, it was heart aching beautiful in the way it captures emotion is such a raw way. I simply loved it.

Nessa Bruce has been waiting for her husband Jake to return from armed forces for months and she’s beginning to really struggle with holding it all together. Fourteen year daughter Poppy is pushing her mother to the limits with teenage rebellion, sister Kat is wanting answers from their childhood that Nessa has kept hidden and her mother in law Betsy is needing more emotional support as her husband Mike stoops deeper into the depths of dementia. Nessa is counting down the days until Jake’s return, but then then the unthinkable happens and Jake doesn’t come home. Nessa’s world is rocked to the core as she has to learn to cope on her own.

Initially I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy this book as the plotline seemed very straight forward, however I was unprepared for the wonderful way in  which Jessica’s writing drew me in, so I felt like I was on Nessa’s emotional rollercoaster alongside her. Nessa’s pain got into my heart and I was just longing for Jake to come back and put his arms round her and make it better in the way we know only the one you love can do.

There were some parts of the story which I found to be predictable but then there were also twists which I was unprepared for, one of which felt like my heart had landed in my stomach and had me crying out. Jessica’s writing is very powerful and I can guarantee it will move you emotionally. It is a book which deals with love, loss and finding your inner strength when you’re totally at rock bottom.

I adored this book and cannot wait to read more of Jessica’s books. If you only read one book this summer, make sure it this one as it’s very special.

Thank you to Coronet for inviting me on this tour and sending me a review copy, I rate this book 5/5.