Book-Mad-Mum

Christmas at the Chalet by Anita Hughes My rating: 4 of 5 stars Felicity Grant is a wedding dress designer from New York who is spending the week between Christmas and New Year in St Moritz with her business partner Raj for her bridal fashion show, leaving her boyfriend Adam back at home. After slipping over in the snow Felicity meets Gabriel, a doctor, who comes to her rescue. This was a nice, pleasant read and got me in the mood for Christmas with its twinkly lights, and the fantastic description of St Moritz in wintertime. I particularly loved the story of Nell's rowing parents...Nell is one of the models who secretly invites both of her divorced parents to join her in the resort to try and resolve their differences so they both attend her wedding. A lovely, festive read. View all my reviews

The Plus One by Sophia Money-Coutts My rating: 4 of 5 stars Polly is a thirty-something journalist who works for a magazine called Posh. Her job is to interview the Duke's and Duchesses of the UK. For one assignment she is sent to interview a playboy marquess with a bad reputation with the ladies! Polly certainly didn't expect to fall in love with the marquess Jasper Milton. Friends Lex, Lala, Joe and best friend Bill, all try and make Polly see sense, but love is blind as they say. Has she finally found her "happy ever after" with Jasper? I loved this book, it was laugh out loud funny and I raced through the pages, enjoying every single word. I must admit though, I did blush when I was reading the very graphic sex scenes, but this was mainly because I was reading it on the train, and was worried that someone was reading it over my shoulder!!! I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest and open review...

One Day in December by Josie Silver My rating: 5 of 5 stars There's no such thing as love at first sight according to Laurie, a cynic when it comes to l'amour! That is until one evening in December whilst traveling home on the to deck of the bus, she gazes out the steamed up window and locks eyes with a handsome stranger sitting at the bus stop. In a moment of madness she wills him to get on the bus, but when it drives away without the handsome stranger, Laurie realises he might just have been the man of her dreams. She then spends the next year, alongside her best friend and flatmate Sarah unsuccessfully searching for Bus Boy. The following Christmas at their annual Christmas party, Sarah introduces Laurie to her new boyfriend Jack who turns out to be....BUS BOY! Unable to tell her best friend the truth and shatter her dreams, Laurie keeps the secret to herself, and there follows years of friendship and heartbreak. I absolutely loved this bo...

One Enchanted Evening by Anton du Beke My rating: 4 of 5 stars Anton Du Beke has his finger in many pies, professional dancer, singer, entertainer and now he can add novelist to the list. One Enchanted Evening is set in the ballroom of a London hotel in the 1930s and tells the story of Raymond De Guise, the principle dancer, chambermaid Nancy, and porter Billy who all work downstairs, behind the scenes of the hotel. As you would expect dancing is a big feature in this book, but also surprisingly was the politics of the time, which I found added another dimension to the story. If you like Downton Abbey or The Halcyon (the ITV drama set in a hotel) or Upstairs Downstairs, you will love this book. An enjoyable debut novel from Mr Du Beke. View all my reviews

Love at the Northern Lights by Darcie Boleyn My rating: 5 of 5 stars Frankie is a runaway bride – fleeing from Rolo, a man she doesn’t love, but who she feels duty bound to marry, to please her grandmother. After running out on the wedding, she’s not sure what to do, and ends up at the airport. Making an impulsive decision, she books a flight to Norway to track down her estranged Mum, a mum who walked out on her when she was a very young baby, and who ended up living in Norway. One day, Frankie encounters a Norwegian stranger Jonas and they quickly develop a friendship, and together they find her mother. All too soon Frankie has to return to her privileged life in London, but where will fate take her? Darcie Boleyn has become one of my favourite authors, and I didn’t think anything could beat the Conwenna Cove series, until I read this! I absolutely adored this story– the description of Norway was enchanting, and the whole tale was captivating and th...

Make or Break by Catherine Bennetto My rating: 4 of 5 stars If you’ve had a staycation this year and fancy the feeling of warm sun on your bones, then plonk yourself down on the sofa, pull the curtains to hide those drab, Autumnal evenings and settle down with Make Or Break – you won’t be disappointed. Jess, the main character, is a 29-year-old human form of Chicken Licken! She gets whisked away by her steady boyfriend Pete to her best friend’s wedding in South Africa. Dreaming of returning to London with a rock the size of Table Mountain on her third finger, left hand, the romantic holiday didn’t go exactly to plan! Worse still, when Jess returns to home, she finds her whole life has turned upside down! Initially I have to say that Jess drove me mad – her anxiety I saw as negativity, but she was written in such a way that it was impossible not to care for her and want life to turn out ok. The setting of the book was amazing, and in my head, I could ...

Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café by Milly Johnson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Connie and Jimmy have been married for years...together they built a successful cleaning business called Diamond Shine, but nowadays Jimmy ran the business and Connie was a frumpy, overweight housewife. When Connie discovers that Jimmy has been unfaithful to her during most of their marriage, she decides that things have to change, and she sets about seeking revenge and forging a new life for herself. I have to say I adored this book, although the title is a little deceiving, as not much of it takes place over Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café, but it was still a brilliant book. This is a real feel-good book to snuggle on the sofa with during the forthcoming Autumn months. Milly Johnson is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. View all my reviews

Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland My rating: 2 of 5 stars I listened to this recently on holiday via Audible, and although it was a light and fluffy listen as I was sitting around the pool, I honestly don't know if I would have preserved had it been in the written form. The story is based around Robin Wilde who is a single mum bringing up her daughter. I just feel at the moment, that the book market is saturated with single parents and I got bored by this story as it didn't bring anything new to the market and certainly didn't have any plot twists or wow moments. If I'm honest, I knew nothing about the author ahead of listening to it, but I've since googled her, and she's a massive blogger, so I think perhaps the book deal is based on her blogging success and not for her literary ability. (Sorry if that seems harsh!) View all my reviews

This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay My rating: 4 of 5 stars In 2004 Adam Kay became a junior doctor and this book is a diary he kept during his training and placement years. In some parts this book is laugh out loud funny, and you'll hold your tummy with laughter, and then suddenly boom! You're faced with heartbreak from both the doctor AND the patients point of view. It was lovely to hear that doctors get upset when there is no "happy ever after" and although they put on a brave face on their emotions, privately they get upset by events...they're not robots afterall. I listened to this book on Audible with Adam reading it, and he takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, although I personally thought he sounded like Will from The Inbetweeners, but it was a really lovely listen. View all my reviews

One Thousand Stars and You by Isabelle Broom My rating: 5 of 5 stars Alice and her girlfriends are fast approaching thirty – with a steady (boring) History teacher boyfriend Richard, and an over-protective mother it seems that Alice’s life is all mapped out. Until one of her best friends Maureen suggests that the friends go on holiday to Sri Lanka for one last hurrah! On arrival, the girls chance upon two other travellers Max and Jamal and soon they all buddy up and travel together. After a catastrophic, life changing injury, Max is determined that life should carry on as normal. Forming a friendship with Alice, she then starts to view life through different eyes, and realises that she doesn’t have to accept what life has thrown at her. This is the first Isabelle Broom book I’ve read, and it certainly won’t be the last. She made the colours, sights and sounds of Sri Lanka lift off the page. I quickly found myself absolutely absorbed in the story, and...

This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell My rating: 5 of 5 stars On a girls night in and as a joke Essie writes an honest, open round robin, which is never meant to see the light of day, but when her brother returns from the pub with a friend and sees it sitting on the laptop it gets sent to everyone in Essie's contacts. When the email goes viral, Essie loses her boyfriend, her home and her job, but when she encounters Zillah life changes in many different ways. I love Jill Mansell's books, and she has been a favourite author of mine for a number of years and she never fails to disappoint with any of her novels. The characters are truly believable, and I quickly found myself absorbed in their lives, and I wanted to buy a house in the square so that Zillah would be one of my neighbours! If I'm honest the only problem that I had with this book is that it had to end! View all my reviews

It Started With A Tweet by Anna Bell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Daisy works in Marketing, and leads a high pressured, fast paced lifestyle, her face constantly starring at her phone screen, her life completely controlled by social media. After accidently sending a personal explicit tweet from her work account, which then starts trending for all the wrong reasons, Daisy is fired from her job. With no employment prospects, no home of her own and no boyfriend, her sister Rosie suggests they both go to Cumbria for a Digital Detox, however, not everything is as it seems, but can Daisy survive a week with no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat? I loved this book, and could really identify with the characters. I read it whilst on holiday in Cyprus where the internet signal was patchy to say the least, and where the most reliable signal seemed to be in the restaurant, but only if the wind was in the right direction, and you stood facing north east on one l...

Why Mummy Swears by Gill Sims My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's the start of the summer holidays, and six long, expensive weeks stretch out ahead of Ellen as she struggles to think of cheap and stimulating ways to entertain her children Peter and Jane. Without much support from her husband Simon (who I didn't initially warm to!) who says things like "you expect me to look after the children?" she gets on with the job in hand, but slowly simmers with resentment. For anyone who has primary school age children this book will make you hold your sides with laughter as you will relate to countless stories. For me, it was the PTA (I didn't last as long on it as Ellen!) as I couldn't understand why people take the task of organising a school disco as seriously as if they were organising the next World Summit Meeting!! You are in complete danger of laughing out loud when reading this book, so beware in open spaces!!! I also found myself s...

Grace After Henry by Eithne Shortall My rating: 5 of 5 stars Grace and Henry are a couple, and are ready to buy their first home together in Dublin. One evening, after work, whilst cycling to a house viewing Henry is tragically killed by a lorry. Grace goes ahead with the purchase of "their house" but is left bereft and alone struggling to function with everyday tasks until a few months after his death, Grace starts to see Henry - in a graveyard, around town, and even in the restaurant where she works. One evening, "Henry" calls round to fix her boiler, and he then becomes part of her life. Except this isn't Henry, and Grace realistically knows that, but it is someone who looks exactly like him. Although the main plot of the book is about the death of a loved one, and a fair bit of it is placed in a graveyard, it isn't all doom and gloom. Yes, there are dark moments, when I wanted to lie next to Grace on the coats in the h...

California Summer by Anita Hughes My rating: 4 of 5 stars Rosie and Ben have been together for a decade, a young couple intent on hitting Hollywood and wowing the glitterati with their film making skills - he's a director and she's a producer. When Ben hits the big time, Rosie discovers that her lover, friend and colleague has been unfaithful to her, and the bottom falls out of her world. She decides to leave the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood Hills, and goes to stay with her friends parent's in their sprawling mansion in Montecito. In the little town, Rosie soon blends in and makes new friends with Rachel who owns the chocolate shop, Morris the butler, and Josh the surfer. Taking to the kitchen to cook her anxieties away, Rosie discovers it’s a place she feels happy and relaxed in, and when everyone raves over her fish tacos, the idea of opening her own shop grows from a seed of an idea to an actual thing! This is a novel about frien...

The Man Who Didn't Call by Rosie Walsh My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sarah bumps into Eddie whilst out walking one day, and they go to the pub for a drink, which then turns into six glorious days together before Sarah has to return to her home in LA and Eddie has to go on holiday to Spain. They have fallen in love, and neither of them have been so certain of anything else in their lives. Eddie promises to call from the airport, but he doesn’t call, and all contact ends. Sarah’s friends told her to forget him and move on but she just can as she knows something must be wrong. Then Sarah discovers why Eddie didn’t call. This is an amazing book. All the way through it I thought I’d sussed out several different scenarios, and I was wrong about every single one!! It had more twists and turns than a roller coaster at Thorpe Park, but I still encountered a knot in my stomach, and on several occasions, I read pages and pages whilst holding my breath. Rush out a...

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan My rating: 1 of 5 stars What complete and utter drivel this book was! Believe me, I really tried to like it, but if I'm honest, the only bit I liked were the six pages at the end. We meet the two main characters of the book, Florence and Edward in their honeymoon suite at a hotel on Chesil Beach in Dorset. It is 1962, and the world is still innocent when it comes to sex. The book then centres on the next two hours of their lives. ...And that's it! Ian McEwan managed to eek two hours out into a 166 page novel with the last six pages crammed with the next two decades! In fact, I felt the last six pages should have been the start of the novel. I was really looking forward to this book, as I was keen to go and see the film, but having read the book, I certainly won't waste any more time going to see the movie. If you haven't got a paint patch to watch dry, then certainly pick up this book, but watching the pa...

The Single Mums' Mansion: For all fans of Motherland, Allison Pearson and Hurrah for Gin by Janet Hoggarth My rating: 4 of 5 stars Amanda and her husband Sam live with their three children under five in a large Victorian house in London which is in need to love and attention, but it would seem that the house is not the only thing in need of a bit of TLC, when Sam declares he’s “lost the love” and walks out. A few months later, while Amanda is nursing her broken heart, her heavily pregnant friend Abi crashes into the kitchen saying that her husband is about to do the same. Once the baby is born, and with no where to live, Ali moves into Amanda’s attic with baby Grace. When long lost friend Jacqui appears back on the scene, also a single mum, she pops in daily for updates and chats and now the house is complete. I had never read a book by Janet Hoggarth before, and I was hooked initially, relating to the story as I too was once a single mum, so I f...

What Holly's Husband Did by Debbie Viggiano My rating: 4 of 5 stars What hasn’t Holly’s husband done?! All is revealed at the end, but you’ll have an enjoyable time getting there, and when you do, you’ll gasp! Holly has been married to dentist Alex for 15 years and they have one teenage daughter Sophie. Last Christmas when Alex popped out to get some milk for the custard, Holly discovered some suggestive texts on Alex’s phone. Every bone in her body was chilled when she read them, and when she confronted him, he explained that it was a patient who was sending the texts, and he was keeping them on his phone in case things escalated. But Holly couldn’t move on and kept looking for signs that her husband was having an affair. Deciding to take her mind off things, she throws herself head first into planning a surprise 40th birthday party for Alex at the local golf club. That in turn presents more problems. With the help of her best friends Jeanie and...

One Way or Another: An absolutely hilarious laugh out loud romantic comedy by Colleen Coleman My rating: 2 of 5 stars Katie Kelly is the main character of this book, and we meet up with her when life has gone wrong. She’s split up from her boyfriend Ben, her restaurant which was her pride and joy has gone bust, and now to make ends meet she’s working in a kitchen at an old people’s home, while sofa surfing on her friend’s couch. One of the residents Martha, suggests that Katie applies to work for one of the best chefs in the country, and so she starts to go through the application process when she discovers a fellow contestant, is her ex Ben, but there can only be one winner. I am going to start by apologising, as I know that books are difficult things to write, and an author will pour their heart and soul into it and lay themselves bare for everyone to either love or hate you, (preferably love you!) but I didn’t like this book at all. To begin with,...

Forever at Conwenna Cove by Darcie Boleyn My rating: 4 of 5 stars In this book, we return to Conwenna Cove, my favourite fictional holiday resort! This time we are introduced to Zoe with a secret past that she is coming to terms with but who has found sanctuary in the little village. As the owner of the local diner, and a lover of greyhounds, the story starts with Zoe grieving for the loss of her rescue dog, Raven. Local surfer Nate wants to experience life before it’s too late. He wants to surf the waves in Oz and see the world. With a reputation as a lady’s man, when he teams up with Zoe to organise a fun raising event for the local greyhound sanctuary, she keeps him at arm’s length, but destiny has other ideas. I am a massive fan of this series of books, because each one feels like a holiday. The descriptions in the book are fantastic, and really lift off the page, this isn’t a travelogue, it’s a story told from the heart. As for the characters yo...

You Me Everything by Catherine Isaac My rating: 5 of 5 stars When writing a book review, I never know where to start - with this one, I know exactly what to say at the beginning, and really, it's all you need to know about the book IT'S BLOOMIN' BRILLIANT!! I've read many books this year, and I always finish them and think "that's my favourite book so far this year" but honestly - this one is up there in my top 5, but a good indicator is that it only took me three days to completely devour this book. The story starts with young Jess giving birth to her son William, with her Mum at her side as her partner Adam, the baby’s father, is off galivanting with another woman. Then we roll forward ten years, Adam and Jess have gone their separate ways, she now lectures at a Sixth Form College and Adam has moved to France, where he has bought a run-down Chateau, renovated it, and turned it in holiday accommodation. With her mum now...

The Sunday Lunch Club by Juliet Ashton My rating: 4 of 5 stars Every few weeks, Anna and her siblings, their partners and sometimes ex-partners meet for Sunday lunch. They talk, sometimes they fight, sometimes they interfere in each other’s business, but they always eat. When Anna unexpectedly falls pregnant during a one-night stand in her gay brother’s Utility Room, she has to come to terms with impending motherhood at the age of 40. Sitting at the lunch table wedged between her ex-husband Sam, his new girlfriend Isabel, Anna’s new partner (not the father of her child!) Luca, things could be awkward but also at the table are her ageing grandmother, her promiscuous, hippy sister, her flamboyantly gay brother, his lovely partner Santi and their adopted daughter Paloma. A letter has been hand delivered to Anna's house that is going to change the family forever and will make Anna face up to her painful past. I will admit and say that initially I was...

Me Mam. Me Dad. Me. by Malcolm Duffy My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the wonderful debut novel by Malcolm Duffy who tells the story of 14 year old Geordie Danny who lives with his single Mum in a flat in Gateshead. On the internet she meets Callum, who has a fast car, and an even faster fist when it comes to hitting Danny’s mum. In an effort to escape the life that they’re in, Danny goes in search of the dad he never knew, hoping that he’ll be able to solve everyone’s problems. The subject matter of this book is a difficult one to write about but I felt that the author dealt with it really well, and it was touching to read it from the child’s point of view. Domestic violence happens in every town, rich or poor, and it needs to be talked about, and if by telling the story from a different perspective starts a conversation, then it might just save one more life. Bravo Mr Duffy – a fantastic first novel, and I look forward to the next one. ...

The Wildflowers by Harriet Evans My rating: 3 of 5 stars The Wildes are a family of means – father Anthony (Tony) and Mum Althea are both actors, living a glamorous life, but once which is jam packed with adultery. With their children, Cordelia and Ben, they spend their summers in the Bosky – a summer house down in Dorset. It is here that the family meet Mads, a year younger than Cordelia, but who has been abandoned by her own family. Each summer they take Mads under their wing, but it appears that their complicated lives start to unravel. I have to be completely honest and say that I didn’t enjoy this book. The story didn’t really keep me guessing there was no magic twist at the end and one whole chapter towards the finish of the story was of Althea completely repeating what had already happened earlier on in the book. It felt like jury service – you sit and listen to all the evidence twice, once from the opposition and once from the defence, and th...

Skin Deep by Liz Nugent My rating: 5 of 5 stars I am a massive fan of Liz Nugent, and have been since the day I read the opening line of her first book Unravelling Oliver. What makes her books so enjoyable for me are the opening lines which always make me gasp, and this one was no different. I was enthralled from the moment I read “I wondered when Rigor Mortis would set in…” The story starts in the south of France, with Cordelia Russell standing over a dead body in her apartment and wondering what to do. If she ran, where could she go, as she had previously isolated herself from her husband and son, and her family had tragically died in a fire many years before. The story takes you right back to how Delia became narcissistic Cordelia who seemed to ruin the lives of everyone she came into contact with. Usually I have a favourite character, but not so in this book, and not because they were unbelievable, but because the main focus of this story is Deli...

Him & Me by Jack Whitehall My rating: 5 of 5 stars I listened to this book on Audible, and I absolutely loved it!! It is read by both Jack and his father Michael. I must admit that I went into the book blind, as I didn't know anything about the story, but my teenage son listened to it, and I could hear him laughing out loud, so once he'd finished, I couldn't resist giving it a go myself, and I'm so glad that I did. This isn't an autobiography, it just felt like a father and son sitting reminiscing about family stories...holidays, schooling, sports and girlfriends, and it was hilarious, real laugh out loud funny. They didn't edit out the mistakes either, so mispronunciations, and fluffs are left in which makes it feel more personal. I struggle to sleep, so listen to audio books on my i-pillow, and it was brilliant, however, it did the opposite effect and actually kept me awake, because I wanted to hear more of their anecdot...

Hetty’s Farmhouse Bakery by Cathy Bramley My rating: 5 of 5 stars Hetty lives with her husband Dan, and daughter Poppy on a sheep farm in Cumbria. Life is ideal, but money is tight, and every penny must be accounted for, but the three of them live a happy life surrounded by friends and family. However, Hetty has occasional pangs that life might have passed her by, so when her sister-in-law secretly enters one of Hetty’s pies into a local food competition, life changes for entire Greengrass family. I fell into this book and absolutely adored it. Being a complete townie, I have always fancied the idea of living in the country, and the beauty of this book is that I was able to live that dream without having to step outside of my house! I didn’t warm to Dan, Hetty’s husband, I thought he was incredibly selfish, but I must admit that I thawed towards him at the end. Hetty was my absolute heroine, I adored her, and could see myself sitting around the farmh...

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow! This book rocked me to the core! I got it as a Christmas present, and have been itching to read it since. I’m a member of an online book club, and everyone there was absolutely raving about it and they weren’t wrong! Eleanor Oliphant is quirky (think Roy Cropper from Coronation Street). She lives alone, dresses in a dowdy fashion, has worked in the same job in a finance office for all of her life, and she has no social skills. She is one of life’s loners, and every Friday evening, on her way home from work, she buys enough vodka to see her through the weekend until Monday morning comes along. One day a set of events changes Eleanor, and the way she looks at life, and puts her on a different path. To begin with, I wasn’t sure about her! I struggled with the first 40 pages and didn’t actually like Eleanor as a character. I took her brashness personally until I realised th...

Anna: One Love, Two Stories by Amanda Prowse My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have read loads of Amanda Prowse’s books now and would call myself a massive fan of her writing. I always joke that I think she has my house bugged with hidden cameras because I can relate to her books in some way or another, and that has happened yet again in this book. Anna lives with her Mum and older brother Joe in Honor Oak Park, South London, and although the family are poor, Anna and her mum are happy, older sibling Joe struggles with life and his drug addiction. Anna simply idolises Joe, and one afternoon she plans her wedding to him, lining up her cuddly toys as wedding guests, and with a pillowcase on her head to act as a veil, she proudly tells her mum that they will have two children Fifi and Fox. But after one row too many for Joe’s liking, he leaves and Anna is left with her mum. When Anna was nine and at school one day, she was taken to the Headteachers office where...

Letters to My Daughters: A mother's love always lights the way home by Emma Hannigan My rating: 5 of 5 stars I purchased this book when I heard the terrible news that Emma's long fought battle with cancer was coming to an end, and I was in the middle of another book when I heard the news that she had passed away, and so I put that book  down, and started this as a tribute to a wonderful, young courageous woman. Letters To My Daughters tells the story of Martha and Jim and their daughters Beatrice, Jeannie and Rose. Martha, a midwife, and Jim who ran his own interior design business in Dublin, retire to Connemara for a quieter life. The girls were bought up by Nanny May as Martha's job as a busy community midwife was very important to her, often more important than her own children. During  their childhood, Nanny May became an integral part of the girl's lives, giving cuddles and showering them with love when they fell over and grazed knees, to prepar...

The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell My rating: 5 of 5 stars Shaun Bythell owns a second-hand bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland. The shop is one of the largest second-hand book shops, and they also hold an annual book festival which is the highlight of Wigtown’s calendar! In his book, Shaun gives us a written commentary on what its like to own and run a bookshop, and if like me, you thought that meant engaging with people similar to yourself, and reading loads of books, then think again!! One of the most surprising thing I learnt whilst reading this book was that Shaun says that he reads fewer books now than he ever did before he owned the shop. We are introduced to some lovely characters who I felt a great deal of fondness for. Eccentric, ski suit wearing employee Nicky who delves in the Morrisons skips for treats for “Foodie Friday”, and Sandy the tattooed pagan who trades carved walking sticks in exchange for books on Celtic Mythology. At first ...

Well, if you're reading this perhaps you've now developed cabin fever? I always said to my other half that I could quite happily live in a log cabin in a forest  in the middle of nowhere as long as I had  himself, our dog, my son, (notice the dog came ahead of the teenage son in the list - that's teenagers for you!) my Kindle, wifi,  and an endless supply of coffee and perhaps wine?! Well, this week that dream has been tested to the limits and I can now safely say that the first thing I'd do to keep warm is burn that bloody log cabin down!!!  I 've only been out of the house once all week, and that was yesterday to accompany the other half to a doctors appointment, and it was so bloomin' cold that I proclaimed that I'm not going out again until it's spring!! So it could be some time!!  I've got rubbish piling up in the kitchen, as even going out to the bins involves putting on thermals, three jumpers, two pairs of socks, hat, scarf, coat, gloves...

The Year that Changed Everything by Cathy Kelly My rating: 4 of 5 stars Three women, Ginger, Callie and Sam are all at different stages of their lives. Callie, a 50 year old trophy wife, has her life turned upside down during her party to celebrate her milestone when her husband goes on the run from the police for fraud, leaving Callie and their teenage daughter Poppy behind to face the consequences and a completely different life. Sam is a veteran mum-to-be. After years of fertility treatment, she falls pregnant and eagerly awaits the arrival of her new baby. On her 40th birthday, her waters break and baby India enters the world kicking and screaming and upsetting the serene balance of Sam’s pre-baby world. Sinking lower and lower into depression, Sam feels like the world is swallowing her up and she can’t bring herself to admit motherhood isn’t quite what she thought it would be. Thirty-year-old virgin Ginger, is a larger than life journalist who h...

Coming Home by Fern Britton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Coming Home is a stand alone story set in Cornwall which tells us the story of Sennen a young teenage Mum who runs away from her two young children, leaving them with their grandparents. She travels to Santander in Spain, along with her friend Rosemary, in search of their father, who she is naively convinced is in love with her, and will want to raise the children together as a family. When that doesn’t happen, and homesick Rosemary returns to Cornwall to face the music, Sennen knows that she can’t just return home after all the upheaval she caused, and so she continues running. Many years later a letter from Cornwall finds its way to her in India where she is now settled and she knows that she has to return home. I love Fern Britton books, they are always warm and inviting and so well written that you are transported to Cornwall, and the characters are like friends and neighbours. I especially loved Ella, the very...

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne My rating: 5 of 5 stars As a member of an online book club, everyone was absolutely raving about this book, and I felt that I jumped on the band wagon a little later than everyone else...but what the heck does that matter if the book is as brilliant as this one? If I'm honest, I've only read one other John Boyne book "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas" which literally had me sobbing on a packed commuter train at the end, so my expectations from Mr B were high...he didn't disappoint. It's 1945 in a small West Cork town called Goleen, where a young, single, pregnant woman, Catherine Goggin is literally kicked out of the parish by an evil, vindictive priest. Heading on a bus to Dublin, with just her growing bump and a few pennies in her pocket, she befriends Sean MacIntyre who offers her shelter with him and his friend Jack Smoot. One dark rainy evening, when Catherine is 9 months pre...

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks My rating: 3 of 5 stars I listened to this book on Audible and was very excited as Tom Hanks was reading it, however it was really disappointing. Its a series of short stories, all with a common thread typewriters, a passion of Tom Hanks. Sometimes, it felt that the thread was shoe-horned in, and other times a typewriter was constantly mentioned. The other thing that really annoyed me was the product placement. In one story alone, Johnny Walker Red Label was mentioned five times, which made me wonder if he was paid to advertise things within the stories. On a positive note, Hanks is a nice story teller, and I wouldn't mind reading a full novel of his, but for me, this series of short stories lacked substance. I couldn't relate to any of the characters, and they were instantly forgettable. View all my reviews

Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon My rating: 3 of 5 stars I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book, as I hadn’t read the blurb, or any of the press or social media posts about it…it was a conscious decision to go into it blind. Florence is living in sheltered accommodation and as the story progresses, herself and her friend Elsie unravel a mystery that went back years concerning an old acquaintance, Ronnie Butler. Ronnie has now appeared as a new resident at the sheltered, and it has baffled both Florence and Elsie, because Ronnie died sixty years ago, although he is now living under the pseudonym of Gabriel Price. I hate to say it but this book didn’t do anything for me, and if I’m completely honest, I was bored by it. It just felt that it could quite easily been a short story, but was padded out to make a novel. I hate it when I don’t enjoy a book, because I know that writing a novel takes blood, sweat and tears for the auth...

Dreaming of Florence by T.A. Williams My rating: 4 of 5 stars Debbie is an English teacher in a Foreign Language school in Cambridge when at the end of a busy day, as she is cycling home, she literally falls at the feet of a handsome Italian doctor called Pierluigi Masino. After a brief romance, Debbie decides to persue her dream of living in Florence, and accepts a job at an English school and she starts living the dream, until reality sets in!! I have had a love of all things Florentine for years, but have never been to Florence itself (it's on my bucket list) so without having to book a cheap flight, endure the check-in queues, the screaming child on the flight or even packing a bag, I was taken on a lovely, heart warming journey through the pages of this story instead. If you liked The Rome Affair by Karen Swan, you will love this book. I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest and open review. View...

This year I set myself the challenge of reading 52 books, one per week, easy peasy, or not as it would appear!! I failed by six books, however, what I did manage to achieve was a wonderful world of reading. My favourite books of this year took me on several journeys, some more difficult than others. I have been in love with Italy since I was a young girl and we used to visit the south of the country every summer for three weeks, however, we never took in the sights. My dad insisted that we went to the south where little, or no English was spoken, and we had to try and navigate our way around with a basic knowledge of Italian, so reading The Rome Affair by Karen Swan and Love At The Italian Lake by Darcie Boleyn fed not only my love of Italy and all things Italian, but it also took me to parts of the country that I've never been to. The Art Of Hiding by the wonderful Amanda Prowse was a difficult journey to make - looking at life through the eyes of a young widow, facing a compl...

Recipe for Life by Mary Berry My rating: 5 of 5 stars I listened to this book via Audible, and it was narrated by Patricia Hodge, but after a while, I was convinced that it was Mary Berry herself who was telling the story. I will admit at the start, that I've never been a massive Bake Off fan, or a fan of cokkery or baking shows, but for some reason, I was drawn to this book, and I wasn't disappointed. I learnt a few new things about her, I didn't realise she sadly lost a son, and although I knew she was a brilliant cook, I didn't know that she studied Cordon Bleu cookery in Paris either. By the end of the book, I was completely and utterly in love with Mary - and I now live my life thinking "What would Mary do?" I even made her meringue wreath for my New Years Eve dinner, which was a show stopper! (And I've never made a meringue in my life before!) The only criticism I have with the audio edition of this book is that at...

I f you liked Bridget Jones' Diary, and you are either Irish, or from Irish descent, chances are you are going to LOVE this book!!! Both my parents were Irish but lived in London for longer than they have ever lived in Ireland, but the Emerald Isle was always referred to as "Home". As children, the Hillman car would be packed to the rafters(imagine cars have rafters for the sake of my writing!) and the roof rack would be perilously attached to the top of the car with some bungee cords to secure it and all the cases would be wrapped in an old flannelette sheet which obviously had miracle waterproof qualities that I didn't (and still don't) know about!!! Armed with an never ending supply of Parma Violets (which I still hate to this day but my mum swore where a motion sickness remedy) w would then endure the long drive to Fishguard with mum shouting "don't make too much noise, you'll distract your father", "No!  We're not nearly there yet...

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy My rating: 5 of 5 stars The first book that I ever remember actually wanting to read as a teenager was Light A Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy, and I, along with my fellow convent school friends, devoured it! After that, I simply had to read anything that she wrote, so I was thrilled to find a book of hers that I hadn't read!! A Week In Winter is set in the West Coast Of Ireland (which is where my family originate from) and so straight away, reading Maeve's descriptions, I could image the rugged coastline, and crashing waves of the Wild Atlantic Way. I knew immediately that I was going to love this book, and I didn't...I simply ADORED it!! It was better than anything I could imagine. As ever, Maeve weave's all the storylines together, like a seamstress with golden threads, and the end result is a beautiful patchwork quilt of a book. I don't think anyone can, or will stand up to her writing ability in ...