One Day in Winter - Shari Low

About the book

On a cold December's morning...

Caro sets off to find the truth: has her relationship with her father been based on a lifetime of lies?

Cammy can't wait to surprise the woman he loves with a proposal. All he needs is the perfect ring.

Lila can no longer hide her secret. She has to tell her lover's wife about their affair.

After thirty years, Bernadette knows it's time. She's ready to leave her controlling husband... and never look back.

Over the course of twenty-four hours, four lives are about to change forever...

My Review:

A captivating story with themes built around trust, betrayal, family values and friendship. The story is told over the period of one day, which I found interesting and although at first, I thought the pace felt slow, it was setting the scene and building up what was to come! We have four characters that are seeming to go about their own lives but bit by bit we see how connected they are and how the smallest of actions can have farther reaching effects.

Whilst not all the main characters are exactly likable – Shari Low gives us circumstances that we can connect with and don’t we all love to hate some characters anyway!  I think many parts of One Day in Winter will be relatable for so many readers.

My advice is not to feel overwhelmed by the long list of characters at the beginning – they soon make themselves known and it is easy to follow. Bernadette is my favourite, out of everyone I wanted her to find the happiness she deserved.

This is an intense, emotional story but it does include many moments that gave me the odd chuckle. I was glad of the light and shade, it made it a book I became deeply engrossed with. I love a book that is deep and meaningful, Shari Low beautifully gives us that with this read.

As the stories develop there is no way you will be able to put this book down! A fantastic read – highly recommended. 

About the author

Shari Low is the No1 best-selling author of over 20 novels, including One Day In Winter, A Life Without You, The Story Of Our Life, With Or Without You, Another Day In Winter and her latest release, This Is Me. 

And because she likes to over-share toe-curling moments and hapless disasters, she is also the shameless mother behind a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. 

Once upon a time she met a guy, got engaged after a week, and twenty-something years later she lives near Glasgow with her husband, a labradoodle, and two teenagers who think she's fairly embarrassing except when they need a lift. 

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KIuWlD

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2YIDbIn

iBooks: https://apple.co/2H3NhIS

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2Kw7cm1

BLOGTOUR - Victory for the East End Angels - Rosie Hendry

Victory for the East End Angels

The war is almost over - and it's up to the East End Angels to keep the home fires burning!

Frankie's fiance, a doctor, is away looking after the troops in Europe - will he return safely home?

Winnie has a happy secret - but can she carry on at Station 75 when she's going to have a baby?

Bella is intrigued by her new friend, a Polish airman.

As the war ends and victory is in sight, what next for the girls of Station 75?

A gorgeously uplifting saga for fans of Ellie Dean and Donna Douglas

My review:

What a charming tale of spirited, strong and determined women doing their best through the trying circumstances of the end of the war.

I read this book having not read any of the previous ones in the series and it does work well as a standalone but I do believe you’d possibly have more of an emotional connection to the characters if you had ‘lived through’ their past. I was truly swept into their world, but I believe if you are a fan of any series you are bound to be closer to the characters.

Bella, Winnie, Rose and Frankie are the East End Angels and they are all part of Station 75, working as ambulance drivers and attendants. They have been through a lot during the war but as the end approaches so do the introduction of the devastating V1 and V2 rockets – causing more destruction and carnage. These are some strong women – testament to what people really did do for the war effort, it really does serve as a reminder to appreciate those that risked everything for us today.

This book gives us highs and lows – love, heartbreak, death, marriage and fresh hope in times of darkness. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions for all involved. We see how, even with the end of the war, lives couldn’t automatically go back to how they were before and for many it was a bittersweet time. I think it was great we saw each of the characters approach the way ending differently; how they had been a solid team, always there for each other and being the ones they relied on and at the end  they all seemed to part (whilst remaining the greatest of friends).

I think the writing is wonderful, very descriptive and emotive – the way the devastation was fully described yet without being too much or not in keeping with the style of the book. The pace was quick, with short chapters and it progressed nicely.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will  be interested in catching up on what I missed from earlier in the series. Thank you to Rosie Hendry and Rachels Randoms Reviews. 

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victory-East-Angels-Rosie-Hendry-ebook/dp/B07N6DVRD4

US  - https://www.amazon.com/Victory-East-Angels-Rosie-Hendry-ebook/dp/B07N6DVRD4

About the Author: 

Rosie Hendry lives by the sea in Norfolk with her husband, two children, chickens and a snake. She's worked in a variety of jobs from fruit picking, waitressing, teaching and as a research scientist but has always loving reading and writing. Starting off writing short stories for women's magazines, her stories have gradually become longer as her children have grown bigger.

Listening to her father's tales of life during the Second World War sparked Rosie's interest in this period and she's especially intrigued by how women’s lives changed during the war years. She loves researching further, searching out gems of real-life events which inspire her writing.

When she's not working, Rosie enjoys walking along the beach, reading and is grateful for the fact that her husband is a much better cook than her.

Website: www.rosiehendry.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RosieHendrybooks/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/hendry_rosie