Skip to main content

Review: The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson

The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson
Published by Avon Books
4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐


51735102. sy475

New Mum Orla and Party girl Kate have been best friends forever and so with Orla adapting to motherhood, and Kate facing a messy divorce, they decide to have a girl’s weekend away in Lisbon.

Kate has booked the perfect apartment, complete with hot tub and they kick the weekend off in style with champagne, a fancy dinner, and drinks at a trendy bar.

Returning to the apartment that evening Orla feels a bit woozy and goes to bed but the next morning, she wakes up very groggy and is convinced that her drink was spiked and she tries to piece the night back together again. When she checks on her friend, Kate is not in the apartment, and hasn’t left a note – she has simply disappeared. As Orla frantically retraces their steps she makes a series of discoveries that may change her life forever.

The main character in this book is Orla who is been married to Rob, together they have baby Marlow who they conceived with IVF. I instantly connected to her as a character, and the love that she had for her baby and husband. I could understand why the thought of a weekend away sounds, on paper, like a wonderful idea but in reality, it takes so much planning, and then when you’re away, you just want to be at home, smelling your baby’s hair after their bath and that last snuggle before bedtime is so precious, so I completely got Orla.

Kate on the other hand seemed like a little diva, and I couldn’t understand how the two of them could be best friends when they seem so different, I don’t think I would want a night out with Kate – I don’t think I could cope!!

There were elements of this book that I’d felt I’d seen in films before, however, when I was reading it was like a film of its own playing out in my head so it would be really nice to see it on the big screen in the future.

A lovely, enjoyable read and just when you get to the point in the book when you think everything has been explained, Sarah throws in a curve ball!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW: Moonlight Over Studland Bay by Della Galton

  Moonlight Over Studland Bay – Della Galton published by Boldwood Books Samantha Jones works as an audio typist for a local company in Dorset. However, it’s not her dreams job. She wanted to devote, and expand, Purbeck Pooches, her pet sitting service. When best friend (and housemate) Abby has a baby boy Sam’s priorities change and she realises she wants more from her life. Does she want life to continue as it is or does she want to look for the perfect sperm donor – on a drunken evening Abby and Sam draw up the perfect "daddy" list. Sam’s world is soon rocked when her boss Rex accuses her of moonlighting and her parents who have run a B&B locally for years make a shock revelation. I’m going to say it from the start…I loved this book! Sam is a relatable character who knows what she wants from life, but she doesn’t want to upset, hurt or trample on people to get it. She’s just an all-round good egg!! There were times in the book when Abby made me laugh but a

Review: One Enchanted Evening

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

Diva written by Daisy Goodwin and published by Aria and Aries

  Opera singer Maria Callas known as “ la divina” with her fabulous voice was born with note only a gift of singing, but also the drama and beauty needed to succeed on the worldwide operatic stages. Sadly, liked a bird in a gilded cage, Maria’s life is lonely, and although surrounded by people and her husband she feels isolated. When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she's found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. And then, suddenly, it's over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces. This is a fictional account based on true events, think of The