We Belong Together - Beth Moran

Eleanor Sharpley has been living a lie...

Needing to escape her London life quickly, Eleanor throws her things into the back of her car, and heads to her erstwhile best friend Charlie’s family farm.

But Charlie isn’t there. Instead she finds Charlie’s grieving brother Daniel, her eight-month old daughter Hope (a daughter Eleanor had known nothing about), and a crumbling and unloved Damson Farm.

Damson Farm lies at the edge of the village of Ferrington, with the river Maddon flowing at its heart. But Ferrington is a village divided by more than just a river - it is split in two by an age-old feud – between the Old Side and the New Side. Eleanor has run from her problems, straight into a family and a world that has problems of its own.

But Damson Farm has magic too, and as winter gives way to spring, the old farm starts to come to life under Eleanor’s love and care. The orchard starts to blossom with daffodils and bluebells, and the sound of bees busy in their hives fills the warming air.  Can Eleanor bring Daniel and the feuding village of Ferrington back to life too, or will her secrets catch up with her first?

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3g55WF3

My Review:

A jam-packed romance with characters you will love and root for every step of the way! It is a story of personal growth, discovering yourself and dealing with tragedy and adversity. Heartwarming and endearing.

Eleanor is a great character, she is far from perfect, but she is likeable. She faces a lot of challenges and decides to ‘run away.’ Doing so means discovering fresh heartache but also new opportunities and we see how Eleanor makes the most of things, supports herself and takes care of those around her. She builds relationships within the (divided) community in Becky and Alice and makes it her mission to reunite the town and stop all the madness she witnesses during her stay.

Daniel is a brilliant character – he’s grieving and still puts others first. His dedication and love for baby Hope is so sweet. I love the way he helps Eleanor and gently nudges her in the right direction. It isn’t a story about love at first sight by a long way. It’s fair to say things are a little awkward at first but before long Daniel and Eleanor have a lovely bond and easy friendship and have created a great care system for baby Hope. As Eleanor works on making dreams come true, Daniel allows her free reign to do what is needed. How supportive!

When her past starts to catch up with her, Eleanor’s new life may be in jeopardy and the relationships she has nurtured during her stay may be torn apart.

I loved it... and I never read a book set fairly locally (although the town of Ferrington is fictional it is based locally) and there was even a mention for the mighty Mansfield Town FC (Come on you STAGS!)

Cleverly written and nicely paced, there Is so much happening but I felt the story played out in a nice way and I didn’t discover everything all in one go. As a story with multiple threads, they are cleverly woven so that I was always interested and wanted to read more.

I’ve never read anything by this author but I shall be rectifying that pretty quickly. I definitely recommend this fantastic story; romance, drama, humour with a little bit of mystery involved. What’s not to enjoy! 

Author Bio:

Beth Moran is the author of three previous romance novels, including Making Marion. She regularly features on BBC Radio Nottingham and is a trustee of the national women’s network Free Range Chicks. She lives on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest. Beth’s first novel for Boldwood, Christmas Every Day, was published in September 2019.

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The Heights - Louise Candlish

He thinks he’s safe up there. But he’ll never be safe from you.

The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Shad Thames, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren’t standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there – a man you’d recognize anywhere. He’s older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it’s definitely him.

Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years.

You know this for a fact.
Because you’re the one who killed him.

My Review:

The Heights is a fascinating psychological thriller based on how the effects of one incident can tear people apart and how the sense of overwhelming despair and grief can turn into obsession, compulsion and become a desire for the ultimate revenge. It’s dark, emotionally charged and crikey it’s addictive reading, I couldn’t put it down for a second.

The characters in The Heights are intense, but understandably so, I think they were excellently written. Ellen is consumed by the need to have revenge on the person who took away her son. She is a mother on a mission, and I understand her motivation. She is determined to do whatever it may take; her family is the most precious thing to her, and she will not have anyone get away with ruining it.

This story is mostly narrated by Ellen in the form of a memoir, and this really engaged me with how she felt, her side of things whereas just telling this story – I may not have felt so strongly about everything she does. Her ex-partner Vic is also introduced as a second narrator and this allows us to see not only what happens from a different point of view, but we see a different perspective of Ellen.

This book takes you on your own moral journey, looking at what you think is right, fair and if justice is ever deemed as done in a victim (families) eye. Would you be happy with any sentence, would you be compelled to seek your own revenge? Would your emotions drive you to the point of obsession?

The author is a firm favourite of mine, I eagerly await how she is going to thrill us next. I enjoy the characters she creates, the twists and turns she cleverly orchestrates into each storyline so to ensure nothing is ever as straightforward as we assume.

'The Heights' is a fast paced and dynamic, you will be captivated from the start but will be taken on quite the ride. It’s an intelligent, twisty, thriller – I highly recommend, you will not be disappointed.

Patience - Victoria Scott

If you were offered a chance to cure your child's disease, would you take it?

The Willow family have been through a lot together. Louise has devoted her life to her family and raising her disabled daughter, Patience. Pete now works abroad, determined to provide more, even if it means seeing less of those he loves. And Eliza, in the shadow of her sister, has a 'perfect' life in London, striving to live up to her mother's high standards.

Meanwhile, Patience lives her life quietly, watching and judging the world while she's trapped in her own body. She laughs, she cries, she knows what she wants, but she can't ever communicate this to those who make the decisions for her. Patience only wants a voice, but this is impossible.

When the opportunity to put Patience into a new gene therapy trial to cure her Rett syndrome becomes available, opinions are divided. The stakes are high, and the Willow family face an almost impossible dilemma.

And what is a 'normal life,' anyway? Is Patience about to find out...?

Available to purchase - HERE

Incredible.

What a wonderful debut from Victoria Scott, it blew me away. We are taken into the world of Patience, a young lady with Rett Syndrome who needs 24-hour care, having a caring, compassionate family and support network. This normal, run of the mill family face some of the most difficult challenges in caring for Patience and eventually realise they are struggling to give her the quality of life needed. An opportunity presents itself that tears the family apart, each wanting what is best for Patience but each seeing things from a different point of view.

A chance of a cure via gene therapy seems like a miracle and Patience’s’ Mum is passionate that this is what they’ve been waiting for; her dad however questions if the risks are worth it; he is sure Patience is happy and they are managing.

What a challenging, heart-breaking decision to make. The characters were all so engaging, especially as we knew the inner thoughts of Patience and had that special unique insight her parents etc didn’t. Each character has their own struggles on top of caring for Patience, that adds extra pressures to their lives but also extra complexities to this story.

This book is at times heart breaking but thought provoking, it provides an honest insight into those living with severe disabilities and those who provide their care whilst challenging the perception of what a “good life” may be.

There are moments of light, laughter, and lots of love of all kinds. Victoria Scott has written this with intimate knowledge of living alongside this condition and I know it will provide education for others, like me, who knew very little of this syndrome. Her writing has compassion, heart and humour and it captured my attention from the first page.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Scars - Dan Scottow

 

The wounds you can't see take the longest to heal...

In an isolated cottage on the banks of a Scottish loch, a reclusive couple take on a new live-in carer.

As Lucy gets to know her employers, she realises the house and the people in it aren’t what they seem. Is the house haunted or is something far more sinister living within the walls?

As secrets and lies begin to unravel, Lucy starts to question what is real. But one thing seems certain, if scars cannot heal, people will never forgive…

Purchase HERE

My Review:

WOW!

What an incredible, dramatic read; I was hooked from start to finish. From a dramatic and horrific opening, this thriller will have you eager to read every twist and turn. You will not want to put this down!

This is such a clever story, with details scattered throughout; some red herrings that will throw you off. I’m usually good at spotting things and having these books all figured out, but Dan Scottow stumped me until late on and even then, I was surprised.

I liked the characters; although ‘liked’ may be the wrong word. I liked that in terms of characters I didn’t know who to trust, who to believe, who to pity and who would come out on top by the end.

The location and how well its described adds to the tension; the idea of being so remote and away from things gives me the shivers just imagining.

This is Dan’s third book and the second I have read… his writing is fantastically descriptive and detailed; at one point I didn’t know if I dared switch out the light! The book is intense, with twists and turns galore, suspense and a thrilling finale.

If you are a fan of dark, dramatic, thrillers, I cannot recommend this highly enough. 

Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanScottow

Worn Out Wife Seeks New Life - Carmen Reid

 

Tess Simpson needs a break!

Under appreciated at home, overlooked at work and now her beloved dog Bella has died. Tess has simply had enough!

So in a spur of the moment act, Tess books a holiday of a lifetime for her, her two grown up kids and useless husband Dave. Maybe they can use the break to reconnect with each other?

But when the kids refuse to go, and Dave breaks his leg, Tess’s dream holiday looks seriously in doubt. And then there’s River Romero, the glamourous LA screen writer who is supposed to be house-sitting for Tess whilst she’s away….

Everything about River sounds so much more exciting than Tess’s boring life in Stratford Upon Avon. From her beautiful LA condo and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Tess wonders whether a bit of River’s LA life might be exactly what she needs? So when River suggests a house swap, Tess jumps at the chance!

With Dave happily ensconced in the summer house at the bottom of the garden, the kids not needing mum anymore, Tess packs her bags and heads off for the adventure of a lifetime.

But real life isn’t like the movies, and when Tess arrives in LA, things aren’t exactly as they seem.

Will Tess find what's she's looking for or is getting away from it all isn’t all perhaps not all it’s cracked up to be?

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/34hthhb

My Review:

Having been a big fan of Carmen Reid a long time ago, I was really excited to hear a new book was being released. I couldn’t wait to get stuck in and let me say that it didn’t disappoint.

A great book, interesting, life-affirming for those of an older age, it has moments of comedy but also moments of emotion, heartwarming and probably more serious than I thought would be. It is a rollercoaster and not as ‘cutesy’ as it’s cover may suggest. If you are expecting a light, fluffy rom-com then you will be given more depth and more sentiment, this story does tackle issues that some may find difficult.

Tess is almost fifty and realises she wants more from the wife/Mum life she is living. River is in desperate need of some success in her writing career, being presented an opportunity is finally her chance. Both ladies decide to fly away from home to see if they can find themselves again.

Out of the two main characters, Tess and River, I liked Tess and could sympathise whereas I couldn’t really get on with River’s character. I didn’t warm to her at all, even by the end of the book I wasn’t that bothered… I’m not sure why, I just didn’t connect. Tess really opened up in LA and pushed herself in new ways, I think she really made the most of the opportunity. Her family are out of sorts but they find their way back to each other by the end. 

Well written, I enjoyed the book and recommend for fans of Carmen as well as fans of fiction fans in general. Ups and downs that will entertain for a good few hours. I definitely recommend. 

Author Bio:  

Carmen Reid is the bestselling author of numerous woman’s fiction titles including the Personal Shopper series starring Annie Valentine. After taking a break from writing she is back, introducing her hallmark feisty women characters to a new generation of readers. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in July 2021. She lives in Glasgow with her husband and children.

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