Mango Bay - Serena Fairfax

 

Jazz clubs, yacht clubs, aunty bars and a Bollywood beauty shadowed by her pet panther. This is glamorous Bombay in the late 1950s.

Love has blossomed in London between vivacious Scottish Presbyterian, Audrey, and clever Indian lawyer, Nat Zachariah.

When the happy newlyweds move to Nat’s exotic homeland and the striking family villa, Audrey must deftly navigate the rituals, secrets, intrigues and desires of his Bene Israel Jewish community, and adjust to perplexing new relatives.

In time, the past unlocks, old family ties unravel, lies are exposed and passions run high as different generations fall out. Then something shocking happens that undoes everything. Will this marriage that has crossed boundaries survive?

 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mango-Bay-Rituals-secrets-intrigues/dp/0957040563

My Review:

As a reader new to Fairfax’s work I was excited about reading Mango Bay and I was not disappointed at all. The story, a gorgeous romance set in Bombay during the 1950’s, is of Audrey and Nat, who meet, quickly fall in love and get married in a bit of a whirlwind before eventually moving to Nat’s homeland.

We soon see that wedded bliss is not all that Audrey expects it to be, Nat is not the same and we are taken on a journey of the lows and turmoil surrounding these two characters but they do have highs and happiness. How long does that happiness last? Well I will leave that for you to discover but to say things and people are not always as they seem. We read how this family lives with the situations they find themselves in and how differing cultures may play a role in the marriage and family dynamic.

Very well written, Serena Fairfax transports you to another time and place, full of culture and difference. As someone who loves India and has spent time there this book took me straight back, I could feel the atmosphere, imagine the smells, and sounds and I was engrossed.

It’s a beautiful book that will sweep you up and keep you reading for hours. Highly recommended. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Serena spent her childhood in India, qualified as a Lawyer in England, and worked in a London law firm.

Some of her novels have a strong romantic arc although she burst the romance bubble with one quirky departure. Other novels pull the reader into the dark corners of family life and relationships. She enjoys the challenge of experimenting and writing in different genres.

Her short stories and a medley of articles, including her reviews of thrillers and crime fiction, feature on her blog.

Fast forward to a sabbatical from the day job when Serena traded in bricks and mortar for a houseboat that, for a hardened land lubber like her, turned out to be a big adventure.  A few of her favourite things are collecting old masks, singing and exploring off the beaten track.

Serena and her golden retriever, Inspector Morse, who can’t wait to unleash his own Facebook page, live in London.

www.serenafairfax.com

 Twitter @Sefairfax

One Family Christmas - Bella Osborne

 

A big family. A whole lot of secrets. A Christmas to remember…

This year, Lottie is hosting one last big family Christmas at the home she grew up in – just like her Nana would have wanted.

But when her relatives descend on the old manor house, Lottie gets more than she bargained for. Every family has its secrets, but in this family, everybody has one!

So, between cooking a Christmas dinner, keeping tensions at bay and a stray dog out of mischief, she has plenty on her plate and not just misshapen sausage rolls and a frozen turkey. And then her first love shows up – nine years after he walked out of her life.

Can Lottie make their last family Christmas one to remember… for the right reasons?

Purchase Links

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085XQXDB9/

Universal Amazon link - http://mybook.to/OneFamilyChristmas

KOBO - https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/one-family-christmas

My Review:

Time to get festive and for Lottie that means upholding long standing traditions, at least this one final time. Determined to uphold her Nana’s customs and Christmas traditions she sets about playing host before a surprise visitor leaves her feeling on edge, a houseful of family drama and a cat and dog that cause drama every way she turns.

What an absolute hoot, I loved this from beginning to end. Littered with sentimentality for years gone by and missed loved ones, it has plenty of laugh out loud moments that highly entertained – usually involved one furry friend at least. I really loved this family and fair play to Lottie – she really works hard to make everyone happy.

Her kitchen disasters are appreciated even if sounding inedible. I loved her relationship with her brother, he is always on her side which is good as at times I felt like she was treated like some servant catering to everyone else’s whims and fancies.

What I really enjoyed about this? Is that I could identify with parts, some of the mishaps and funny moments. I think this is what will appeal to so many readers, we aren’t given the picture-perfect Christmas that although often cute, just isn’t realistic. One Family Christmas is bound to remind most people of their own unique family Christmases.

So many characters can sometimes be confusing, but each had their own unique personality and place in the book it felt like you were right in the middle of this crazy but equally lovely family. I could see this as a fun filled, comedy Christmas film!

Family relationships are tested but this heart warming read will show that through all the ups and downs family can be there for each other. It’s a gorgeous, cosy read that will have you laughing one minute and feeling reminiscent the next. With forgotten love, missed family members and new chances at love being offered, this wonderful read can tick all the boxes.

I highly recommend this fun filled, festive treat! 

Author Bio:

Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. Since then she’s written six best selling romantic comedies and she’s been shortlisted three times for the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Bella's stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She lives in The Midlands, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. When not writing Bella is usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.

For more about Bella, visit her website at www.bellaosborne.com or follow her on social media.

Social Media Links:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/osborne_bella

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BellaOsborneAuthor/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bellaosborneauthor/