Book-Mad-Mum

The Assistants by Camille Perri My rating: 2 of 5 stars I had great hopes for this book, after being a personal assistant myself,mi was hoping for the bitchy stories of a corporate office, the politics and the office affairs, but sadly it wasn't the book was I thought it was going to be. Imagine a modern day version of the 9-5 film starring Dolly Parton with theft thrown in...it didn't feel like a new story to be, just an old one with a new twist. Saying that it was nicely written, but not a story I would recommend to my friends. View all my reviews

The Secrets We Keep by Jonathan Harvey My rating: 3 of 5 stars The whole book seems to centre around a left luggage ticket found in a jacket pocket after Danny goes missing five years against. What we do find out is someone has picked up the suitcase, but we don't find out what was in the suitcase or why Mim picked it up. Although I Liked this, there was a point when I felt I was wading through treacle although it did get better, but was a little far fetched at the end. I've read better Jonathan Harvey books. View all my reviews

Holding by Graham Norton My rating: 4 of 5 stars I listened to this book on Audible, with Graham Norton reading it himself, and it was brilliant. Set in the fictional Irish town of Dundeen, local, over weight Gardai PJ Collins is used to the slow sedate village Bobby, eating a fried breakfast, handing over speeding tickets and giving safety talks at the local school until....human remains are discovered when excavation work is being done on a farm. Down go the doughnuts, and PJ Collins has to step up to the plate, and solve the murder. Will the town ever be the same again as secrets are unleashed and we all know that once Pandora's box is open it is very difficult, neigh on impossible to get the lid back on. My family are from West Cork which is where this novel was set, and with Graham reading it, it bought the accents to life and made me giggle..I could imagine the scenery and landscape. Well done Graham, five stars...can't wait for the nex...

The Little Village School by Gervase Phinn My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this book!! I used to work in a school office but not in a village school, but I was interested to read it and I wasn't disappointed!! If you liked the Miss Read books then you will love this as it's just a more up to date version of using on Elisabeth Devine the new headmistress in school. You have all the usual characters that you would find in a village book, the gossip, the doctor and opinionated farmer which makes it sound like a really predictable read, which it probably was, but Gervase transported me from my home in Kent to the wonderful Yorkshire Dales. Really recommend this book. View all my reviews

Christmas Under the Stars by Karen Swan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this book! Initially it was a little difficult to get into, and seems to me to be a little far fetched, but once I got past that I adored every single word! Meg and Mitch live in a wonderfully romantic log cabin in the Rockies and are just a week away from getting married when disaster strikes. Meg has to use the radio to summon help, but she's never used it before...however she manages to make contact with someone, someone who she later finds out is just out of this world! I read this during the Christmas period, so I had my twinkling fairy lights on the tree to add to the romantic nature of Canada in the winter. I love Karen Swan books, and she didn't disappoint me this time either. Recommend it as a lovely, festive read. View all my reviews

The Hotel on Mulberry Bay by Melissa Hill My rating: 2 of 5 stars Well! What can I say? I usually love Melissa Hill books but found this one quite a slog, and felt that a lot of the story was padding. Need and Anna have been married for years and run The Mulberry Bay hotel, she Anna suddenly dies and her daughter Elle returns from London for the funeral to find the hotel run down and ram shackled. Together with her sister Penny they try and find a way to salvage it. The whole Beatles sub plot I found both annoying and boring. All in all I was sadly disappointed in this book as I usually love Melissa Hill. View all my reviews