Release Tour – The Stranger’s Voice – Grace Harper

 

 

THE STRANGER’S VOICE

by Grace Harper

Genre: Contemporary Romance

“Can you hear me?”

Adaline Starling needs a new tenant for the flat above her store, and Callum Hague needs somewhere to live.

Adaline is a genius, hiding in a magazine store, she has never opened. She is trying to convince the world that she is whole, that there is nothing wrong with her.

Callum Hague likes to fix things, preferably thousands of miles away from his hometown. He’s returned from a year long project in Nairobi where he has built a school.

They both have hidden imperfections that have shaped their lives from childhood. If they were left to their own devices, they would both become reclusive.

Their best friends think they would be perfect for each other and set about fixing them up.

It takes a serious incident for them to confess their invisible flaws, but will they accept each other’s hidden imperfection?

With supporting characters that include a cheeky apprentice and an overbearing charity chairwoman.

Will Adaline turn a deaf ear to everyone’s advice to own her imperfections?

“Sod him. Does that mean your flat is available to rent?” Steph asked me, she stared intently on my reactions. I made a fish impression, trying to break her scrutiny, she only lasted thirty seconds before breaking into fits of giggles. I raised my eyebrows still making the fish an impression with my lips. My cheeks hollowed out, and I increased the tempo of my lips moving up and down. Steph threw her cloth napkin at me, and I grinned.

“Why do you want to know?” I leaned forward, my eyes wide, raising one eyebrow. I knew what she was up to, she reeked of a cunning plan. It was written all over her sheepish looking face. I threw her napkin back at her, folded my arms under my breasts and waited for her to answer.

Steph straightened up and took a deep breath. “Eliott’s best friend has just come home from overseas. He stays with us, but after a day, he feels uncomfortable imposing on us. We’d have him there forever, but he thinks because we’ve been married less than a year, we should have the freedom to have sex wherever and whenever we feel like it. He thinks that him being around will dampen our sex life.

“That’s pretty considerate. Is this person good looking?” I asked. I don’t want a hot guy moving into the flat opposite mine. I don’t need the distraction. I’d never met a handsome man who wasn’t an arsehole.

“No, I don’t think so,” she frowned and looked up to the sky for divine help. “No, definitely not handsome.”

“You’re a shit liar. Is he rich?”

I thought rich, handsome men were the worst kind. I should know, my university was full of them. Steph had fixed me up on a few dates with her friends. All of them stunning in the looks department and had a decent bank balance. All of them rude, arrogant and self-centred. I had no interest in those kinds of men. Give me a poor, plain looking man, any day of the week. So long as he had rugby player thighs.

“Um,” she pondered this question, looking left and right. Who, she thought was going to help her with the question I had no idea. Unless she hoped the seagulls sauntering around our table knew the answer.

“Let me make this easier. Is he richer than the Beckhams?”

“Um,” she paused again.

“Bloody hell Steph, you had to think about that? Why the hell would you be trying to get him to rent the flat if he’s minted?” Irritated temporarily I took a swig of my latte, only to find it freezing cold. Politeness dictated that I swallowed the liquid. My upbringing would have had me spitting out on the paving stones next to us. The term, dragged up, applied to me.

“He is really down to earth, normal like you, Eliott and me. You won’t regret letting him move in, I promise.” Steph commenced fluttering of her eyelashes, blowing me smooch kisses and clasping her hands in a begging motion.

“I want to interview him first, if he passes my strict questions, then he can move in. But, the flat is a state. Jeff left it in a real mess, the doors are hanging off the hinges in the kitchen, the carpet needs replacing. None of which I can afford. The shop is a money pit too. I need to sell a decent comic to finish the renovations.”

“Did I mention, he’s a carpenter?”

Amazon ✯ Amazon Int’l ✯ B&N ✯ iTunes ✯ Goodreads

British author who loves to write about strong women and handsome men. She writes steamy romance novels that will warm your heart.

Writer of the Brodie Saga and the Geary Series, Grace immerses you in stories of love, or rather, love’s pursuit to bring together two people who were meant for each other. It’s not always quick or easy but it will happen eventually.

When Grace is not writing, she can be found mooching about in stationery stores. Grace might have a Maltesers addiction but is not ready to stand up and own that just yet.

Facebook ✯ Website ✯ Twitter ✯ Goodreads ✯ Amazon

 

 

 

Review – Me Before You – Jojo Moyes

Summary:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.

Review:

This is one of those books I have been told to read time and time again, but I’ve put it off as books have a habit of not living up to the hype of others. In fact, I only picked it up after all this time because I saw the trailer for the movie. Now, why the hell did I wait so damn long?

On the surface, this book is inoffensive chick lit, the kind of book you read when you have a free afternoon while it rains outside, and you don’t particularly want to have to concentrate on anything too taxing. Yet, once you start reading, it becomes more than this, much more.

Louisa is happily stuck in a rut. She enjoys her job at a small cafe in her small hometown. The only blip in her life is Patrick, her boyfriend who seems to prefer going to exercise than spend time with her. (I must admit, I thought their relationship was heading in a different direction than it did). She’s perfectly happy going to work, then going home and basically doing nothing with her life. All that changes when the cafe closes and she’s forced to find other work.

Then she gets a job working for the Traynors. A six month contract as a companion for their quadriplegic son, Will. Sadly, he’s rude, abrasive, sarcastic, and refuses to interact with her. At first… It’s obvious he has never coped with the loss of the use of his body. As someone who lived a full and active life, he is struggling to deal with the changes he’s has had to overcome. And let’s be honest, who could blame him?

Without giving too much away, Lou becomes aware of a situation that the family are trying to keep quiet and decides she can help. Slowly, she and Will do more together, other than just sitting inside watching movies. She wants him to appreciate being alive, regardless of how limited his movements are. It looks like it’s beginning to work, particularly when they go on holiday together.

Now, I was warned that I would cry buckets during the reading of this book, and I admit I didn’t. I kind of guessed how it would end, and to me it wasn’t sad – it was inevitable. In my eyes, I felt the ending was the only possible way for this story to finish and if another ending had happened, it wouldn’t have felt real to me.

Moyes deals with the subject matter brilliantly. It’s not gratuitous or done for shock value. It’s sensitive, it’s sweet, and most of all, it’s real. I will certainly be reading the second book, and I will most certainly watch the film (Which I will probably cry at)

 

Review – Radio Silence – Alice Oseman

Summary:

What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong?

Frances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university. Nothing will stand in her way; not friends, not a guilty secret – not even the person she is on the inside.

But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken.

Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’ dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past…
She has to confess why Carys disappeared…

Meanwhile at uni, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets.

It’s only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it’s only by being your true self that you can find happiness.

Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has.

Review:

I honestly don’t know what I think about this book. It’s very well written, I can’t deny that, and the characters are well rounded, likeable and relateable. Having said that, I didn’t love this book.

My favourite aspect of the book is the way the characters present themselves to others. For most people, Frances is this studious girl with her goal firmly fixed (Cambridge), yet at home, the reader learns she is completely different – and she’s not the only character like this. This, for me, is what made the characters so believable, because let’s face it. Everyone does this.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Frances and Aled, even though it often felt a little one-sided at times. They complemented each other very well, and often brought the ‘real’ person out in each other. This was often compromised when other characters were with them as they often felt they had to hide who they were when it wasn’t just the two of them, talking about what they loved.

However, there were far too many things going on in the book for me to truly escape into the world Oseman has created. Carys running away, Aled’s mother, Aled’ secret identity, Frances applying to university etc etc… Admittedly, a lot of these storylines merged together towards the end of the book, but up until then, it felt rather bitty and disjointed. It was hard for me to keep up in places.

Also, I understand that these kids are on the cusp of adulthood, and many of they things they did in the book, I did at that age (getting drunk, staying out all night etc), but Frances’ mum seemed much too accepting of things, particularly with the build up of exams and university applications. That bugged me slightly.

Overall, I didn’t dislike the book, but thanks to the overload of subplots and storylines, I didn’t love it.

 

Cover Reveal – GirlsQuad – J. A. Heron

☆•°*”*°☆COVER REVEAL & PRE-ORDER☆•°*”*°☆

Amazon UK ~ http://goo.gl/XjtmhE

Amazon USA ~ http://goo.gl/u3zIfr

Add to your Goodreads TBR ~ goo.gl/hxFEIU

 

Published by: Gone Writing Publishing

Author: J A Heron

Release Date: 30^th November 2015

Genre: Chick lit – Rom/com

Synopsis:

*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ GirlsQuad*´¨)

 ~ A Best of Friends Series: Book One. By J A Heron

 

They say, ‘opposites attract’.

Some would disagree, but these four women couldn’t be more different if they tried.

These best friends have different lives, different aspirations and different outlooks on life and the way it should be.

However, they do share a few common denominators – they all work together. Every day, they earn their living by working in a hair and beauty salon, where fun is the top style of the day.

They also live in the same little village; quiet, peaceful and where not a lot happens.

They’re all feisty and love each other fiercely. 

Clarissa

This lady is sweet, kind and extremely loving. At thirty-nine years old, she is still looking for love and hopes to find the love of her life and have children before it’s too late. She’s the salon owner, a business woman and everyone adores her. 

Brenda

A feisty and fun loving forty-three year old. The oldest of the group is married to her soul mate and has three children. She’s not one for mincing her words or holding back on her opinions. 

Carla

At twenty-seven, this lady is known as the serial man-eater. Her lifestyle frustrates the rest of the group, but they love her even though she spends her weekends with a different man in her bed. She believes in sex without strings or commitment. 

Davina

The baby of the group. This nineteen year old is a little ditzy, crazy and loves easily. She has a way of making the rest of the group laugh without even trying. Her comments and attitude towards life are innocent and admirable. 

Follow these ladies through a journey that’s packed with fun, happiness and heartache. This story will leave you smiling, feeling happy and grateful for the life you have. GirlsQuad is coming for you, and you will be able to relate to at least one of these characters, if not all of them. Everyone has a friend like Clarissa, Brenda, Carla or Davina.

What is the most important thing in life? The answer is friendship.

 

Review – GirlsQuad – J. A. Heron

Summary:

They say, ‘opposites attract’.
Some would disagree, but these four women couldn’t be more different if they tried.
These best friends have different lives, different aspirations and different outlooks on life and the way it should be.
However, they do share a few common denominators – they all work together. Every day, they earn their living by working in a hair and beauty salon, where fun is the top style of the day.
They also live in the same little village; quiet, peaceful and where not a lot happens.
They’re all feisty and love each other fiercely.

Clarissa
This lady is sweet, kind and extremely loving. At thirty-nine years old, she is still looking for love and hopes to find the love of her life and have children before it’s too late. She’s the salon owner, a business woman and everyone adores her.

Brenda
A feisty and fun loving forty-three year old. The oldest of the group is married to her soul mate and has three children. She’s not one for mincing her words or holding back on her opinions.

Carla
At twenty-seven, this lady is known as the serial man-eater. Her lifestyle frustrates the rest of the group, but they love her even though she spends her weekends with a different man in her bed. She believes in sex without strings or commitment.

Davina
The baby of the group. This nineteen year old is a little ditzy, crazy and loves easily. She has a way of making the rest of the group laugh without even trying. Her comments and attitude towards life is innocent and admirable.

Follow these ladies through a journey that’s packed with fun, happiness and heartache. This story will leave you smiling, feeling happy and grateful for the life you have. GirlsQuad is coming for you, and you will be able to relate to at least one of these characters, if not all of them. Everyone has a friend like Clarissa, Brenda, Carla or Davina.
What is the most important thing in life? The answer is friendship.

Review:

I was given a copy of this book by the lovely J. A. Heron in exchange for an honest review. I’ve known the author for a while now, having met online, and finally in person, but that doesn’t make me bias in any way.

I have to admit, when I started this book and saw that it was split over four different character point of views, I was worried. A lot of authors who write multiple POV often confuse the reader, but Heron didn’t. She somehow, from the very get go, managed to give each woman her very own voice and personality. It was easy to read the book without having to constantly check who was narrating which chapter. It’s not easy to do that, so kudos!

Each woman come of the page as real. Real in the sense that she has faults, she has vices, she has her little idiosyncrasies, and her good side. These women are just like any of your friends (or their wives) who you’d go to the pub with, or out shopping. They are REAL PEOPLE and that’s the draw of this book. Clarissa’s the ‘boss’ – in that she runs the salon they all work in, but she’s a worrier. However, she’s much stronger than she thinks. Brenda’s the hard talking mother of the group. She doesn’t suffer fools, but makes some mistakes – especially towards the end of the book – for the right reasons. Carla’s the maneater- she’s looking out for number one, and enjoying the ride as she goes along. Davina is the only real ‘cliche’ in that she’s a ‘dumb blonde’, but she’s such a sweetheart, it’s hard to look at her in a cliche way.

The pace of this book is great and there are never any moments where the reader thinks ‘oh just get to the good stuff’ which kept me reading whenever I had the chance. In fact, the only real complaint I had was that sometimes the book was a little detail heavy, but with four women, what do you expect. Let’s face it, we notice EVERYTHING!!

The dialogue, while a little over formal in places, was great, and really showed the friendship and love these women shared, especially when they are facing real problems. They support and are there for each other, but aren’t afraid to put one another in their place when needed.

A great read, and I can’t wait for book two!

 

 

 

 

Release Tour – Until it Doesn’t – Zoe Marshall

 

UNTIL IT DOESN’T

AUTHOR: Zoë Marshall

GENRE: Romantic Comedy

PUBLICATION DATE: June 19, 2015

Bailey Swanson is relentlessly addicted to ice cream, hates jeans – yet thinks leggings are basically just colored sausage casings – and would be completely lost without her best friend Mark. He’s the only one that gets her, and sees through her difficult-to-love exterior.

Mark has known Bailey since they were both children. As her manager, he handles her failing acting career and is always there for her. As her friend, he’s held her hand through her most recent break up, all the while wondering if she’ll ever be whole again.

But Bailey is a disaster when it comes to romance — and while she’s trying to move on from her cheating ex, she can’t drown her sorrows forever in Ben & Jerry’s. She knows she has to get past this eventually… right? Unless a happily ever after just isn’t in the cards for her, in which case her plan to swear off all relationships forever is a good one.

Or maybe the answer is right in front of her face. Things aren’t always as they seem when it comes to the heart. That fickle little thing tends to get the best of all of us at one point or another…

“I feel better,” he says as he gets up from the swing and stands facing me. He’s standing so close, it feels like something has shifted, as if the balance has been tipped slightly in an unexpected direction. Wait a second. What am I even thinking? This is Mark, for Christ’s sake.

I take a step back and let out a deep breath. The smell of the flowers surrounding us washes over me and I feel a weight lifted. “So, where does that leave you guys? Are you going to try to be friends?”

He looks up at the sky. “We’ll never be friends. I don’t think any exes ever are. There’s always something there, lying in wait. It can be disguised, but never destroyed. You can pile as much shit on top of it as you want, but in the end, it’s always there.”

I smile at Mark. “I’m proud of you, kid.”

He rolls his eyes and replies. “Who do you think you’re calling ‘kid’? I’m four months older than you are. You’re the kid.”

“Ok then. I’m proud of you, old man.”

He laughs and walks over to me, then gives me a playful punch on the arm. “Well, I’m proud of you too, jerk.”

We spend the next few minutes standing next to each other in silence, staring at the few visible stars. That’s something I love about Mark. We can be silent together. No matter how crazy fast the world is spinning, we can always just stand still. Together.

Amazon US

Zoë was born in Santa Rosa, California, but spent the majority of her “growing up” years in San Francisco. After high school, she attended University of California, Santa Cruz, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management Economics and Accounting. She tried the corporate thing, working at two of the Big Four accounting firms, but cubicles just weren’t her thing. She’s currently living the ultimate cliche- an aspiring writer working two jobs, one as a server and one as a bartender. She’s living in San Ramon, California, spending her limited free time reading and writing. Her biggest vices are pizza and ice cream, which is why she lives in yoga pants and leggings. And she thoroughly believes jeans were invented by the devil.

 

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Review – Fix You – Carrie Elks

Summary:

You’ve found the one, but what if life has other plans?

London, 31st December 1999
At a party to toast the new millennium, Hanna meets Richard. He is a gorgeous, wealthy New Yorker. She is a self-assured, beautiful Londoner with no interest in clean-cut American men. They are from different worlds and have nothing in common… except for their instant – and mutual – attraction to one another.
As the clocks chime midnight it is a new year and the beginning of a wonderful romance.

New York, 12th May 2012
Hanna, the girl who broke Richard’s heart, walks into his Wall Street office – and back into his life – to reveal an explosive secret.

He was sure they were meant to be together forever, but she broke his heart so completely the last time, can he find a way to let her mend the pieces?

Warm, witty and a perfect piece of modern romance, Fix You is a love story to melt your heart.

Review:

I’ve been waiting for this book to re-release so I could read it. So, when I did finally get to it, I managed it in one sitting. I was completely sucked into the world of Hanna and Richard.

Elks has masterfully woven a story that spans many years without it feeling rushed or that it drags at all. This takes real skill, and she makes it seem easy. Usually, when books cover many years, they can often lose momentum, but not once does this happen with Fix You.

I have to admit, more than once, I wanted to hit both Hanna and Richard. So many missed opportunities and silly, petty disagreements, but on the whole they were very likeable. They made mistakes, yet neither of them was perfect. The mistakes, and lessons learned from them, are realistic, and are things I could imagine myself or my friends doing.

I am slowly becoming rather a big fan of Elks’ work, and wait with trepidation to further releases from her.

Review – Fate’s Love – L. A. Cotton

Summary:

When you meet that one person in the world meant for you… you should hold onto them.

Olivia Bannon walked away.

Twice.

When 17-year-old Livy meets Ethan, she can’t deny their inexplicable connection. Lost in his dark, intense eyes and smile-to-die-for, Livy never thought she would feel like this. It almost makes her want to break her childhood vow, but Livy knows happily ever after is just an illusion, and despite her heart wanting Ethan, her head is telling her to stick with the plan. The one that doesn’t include falling in love. Period.

Eight years later, Livy finds herself back in her hometown. After the way she left things, the last time they were together, Livy is anxious about seeing Ethan again. It shouldn’t come as a shock to discover he has finally moved on—but it hurts. A lot. Accepting that she will never get the chance to put things right isn’t easy, but it’s not until life comes crashing down around her that Livy realizes what she could’ve had. Left broken, alone, and depressed, only one person can pull her out—the guy she thought she’d pushed away one too many times.

Livy has finally realized that you can’t fight fate… Some things are just meant to be. Is this finally her time to get it right, or has Livy missed her last chance with Ethan?

Review:

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be your typical YA book about letting your first love go and the regret that follows. I was wrong. While it starts with characters of YA age, it’s much more than that.

Livy has closed her heart to love after watching how her dad leaving affected her mum. Let’s be real, who could blame her in a way? Having said that, she meets Ethan, a boy in her school who she can’t forget, yet nothing happens between them, until prom. After a kiss, Livy leaves Ethan behind her, and moves onto college.

College is a bit of an eye opener for her, but Livy continues on her path, following her life plan. Yes, she dates more, but it’s never anything serious, nothing to disrupt her life. Until one night, her casual boyfriend gets a bit too handsy. Ethan suddenly shows up and the pair of them rekindle what they had in high School, but yet again, Livy runs away from possible commitment. Following on from these events, Livy moves on with her life, mostly following her plan to a tea.

Overall, this books is a good read, easy to slip in to when a reader has a spare hour or two. It’s paced well, and the flow of the story moves really well. The characters are well rounded, likeable and relateable.  Livy’s best friend Sharn had her moments where I wanted to smack her, but her heart was in the right place.

Most of the book is relateable to the readers, who can imagine themselves in Livy’s place, or even empathise with her due to effects in their own lives.

Cotton has captured regret and lost love flawlessly, my only issue was the way Livy constantly refused to open her heart to love, even just a little. She sometimes came across as a little stand offish in places, but it was never annoying, just a little irritating.

I will definitely be reading the second book in the series.

Review – How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in love With You – T. M. Franklin

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Oliver Wendell Holmes (Yes, his parents are just that peculiar, but his brother’s name is Sherlock, so it could have been worse) knows that he’s different. He’s quirky, awkward, and he’s okay with that. Oliver also likes making lists—meticulous procedures for achieving his goals, step-by-step. Whether it’s “How to Get an A in Chemistry” or “How to Get Accepted to MIT,” he has a process, and it’s worked for him so far. He doesn’t even care that the popular kids mock him. Oliver’s got his eye on the prize.

So when he decides it’s time to declare his feelings for Ainsley Bishop, the girl of his dreams, it’s only natural for him to make a list—a point-by-point strategy to win her heart. He knows it will take a grand gesture for her to see all he has to offer, and her approaching birthday provides the ideal opportunity for Oliver to put his plan into action.

Finding the perfect gift is a challenge Oliver meets with his usual dogged determination. He’ll need to watch her carefully for clues to pinpoint exactly what he should give her. And along the way, he might just learn that what Ainsley really needs is not quite what he expected.

Review:

I’m a HUGE fan of T. M. Franklin, and when this book became available on netgalley, I snapped it up! Then, I got bogged down and completely forgot about it. Until yesterday… I started it late in the evening and finished it this morning. I think, overall, it took me about 6 hours to fly through this story.

Firstly… any book where a character is called Sherlock Holmes should be read by anyone. Especially a Sherlock as precocious as this one. Secondly, being given the opportunity to get inside the head of a teenage boy is one any woman has to take, regardless of her age.

Oliver… he’s got his entire life planned (and the lists to prove it). He knows where he’s going to college, he knows what he’s going to study, and he knows that he wants Ainsley Bishop. Problem… She has a boyfriend. Does he back away? No, with the help of Viney, he’s going to make her realise he’s the boy for her. What follows is a funny (yes, I laughed out loud – earning me strange looks from the family) and sweet story about love and trying to get the girl to notice you.

Oliver comes across as a genuinely nice kid, but isn’t annoyingly so. He’s a real character who doesn’t particularly like to piss people off (except Nathan – believe me, the craiglist scene is sheer brilliance). Viney, his best friend, tries to get him to be a little more vindictive, but it never really works. I have to say, the secondary characters in this book are brilliant, and Oliver’s relationships with them come through the words as extremely real! I particularly loved the realtionships with Viney and Hank. They are polar opposites, but they show all sides to Oliver which is great to see.

Ainsley herself is a very relateable character. She’s flawed and has problems that we learn about gradually. At the beginning of the book, she’s high on a pedestal (we’ve all done it with the objects of our crushes), but as the story moves along, she becomes a real person as we sympathise with her and cheer for her as she makes particular choices in life.

Once again, T. M. franklin has sucked me in. I adore her books, yet I did have one niggly problem… As I read this book, I kept expecting a hint of supernatural or paranormal to hit me as all of her other books have this element. But no, as she said to me herself (and this is a direct quote) “the only magic in this one is luuuurve…” Which is not a bad thing, believe me!

Roll on 12 June, so I can get this in Paperback!

 

The Husband’s Secret – Liane Moriarty

Summary:

From the author of the critically acclaimed What Alice Forgot comes a breakout new novel about the secrets husbands and wives keep from each other.

My Darling Cecilia
If you’re reading this, then I’ve died . . .

Imagine your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret – something so terrible it would destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others too. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive . . .

Cecilia Fitzpatrick achieved it all – she’s an incredibly successful business woman, a pillar of her small community and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia – or each other – but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s devastating secret.

Review:

I have to admit, this book started off a bit slow. I often got confused as to which characters I was reading about, but they quickly began to differentiate themselves as their ‘lives’ moved on.

Cecilia was a little irritating in her prefect and organised guise at life, but once things began to unravel for her, she became far more interesting to read. I am the complete antithesis of the domestic goddess that Cecilia strives to be.

Rachel is a broken woman. Understandable considering she’s never discovered the truth about her teenage daughter’s murder 28 years before. Couple this with her beloved grandson is moving across the world with his parents.

Tess was the character I could relate to most of all. Successful at work, but didn’t feel as if she should be worthy of that success. Then, her marriage is destroyed. She does what comes naturally to her, she runs to her mum.

Each of these women has issues,not all caused by their husbands,but mostly. Once it gets going, the story is a tangled weave of inter-crossing lives and histories.  It was a little confusing now and then, but all in all, I was able to keep track.

The book is very well written, even if the pace of the story is irregular, falling to a little bland in places. Having said that,  I will look for more by this author, in fact I have another on order.