Review: The Cat Who Caught a Killer

Being a mystery fan, and one who enjoys some that are on the cozier side, how could I not be intrigued by a book that features a former cop and a TALKING CAT!? I heard about the Conrad the Cat Detective series when book two was released last year and since I was interested, PGC Books sent me the first book, The Cat Who Caught a Killer, to check out. L.T. Shearer’s first offering in the series should have been a winner but there was a lot that just didn’t land well enough to make me love it.

Here’s the book’s description:

Meet Conrad the cat. You’ve never met a detective like him before.
Neither has Lulu Lewis when he walks into her life one summer’s day. Mourning the recent death of her husband, the former police detective had expected a gentle retirement, quietly enjoying life on her new canal boat, The Lark, and visiting her mother-in-law Emily in a nearby care home.
But when Emily dies suddenly in suspicious circumstances, Lulu senses foul play and resolves to find out what really happened. And a remarkable cat named Conrad will be with her every step of the way...

The writing in this book…well, it left a lot to be desired. I found it to be repetitive in a lot of places. There were words that were overused but also plot points. We learned about a lot of things that are toxic to cats. We were also told about people’s auras (something cats can see, apparently) all…the…time. And if I had to hear Lulu’s former colleague complain about how he couldn’t say things like he used to be able to (you know, in the “good old days”) and that the force thought he was a “dinosaur”, I was going to throw the book out the window. Poor, middle-aged white man, thinking the world is out to get him these days. Oh and we can’t forget that Lulu has a lot of money and doesn’t have any financial worries.

I don’t always mind when I can figure out where the mystery is going but I saw the end of this one coming from a mile away. And it (the mystery, not me figuring it out) made me so mad. I wasn’t particularly enamoured with Lulu but I didn’t dislike her and I hated that she was dealing with such terrible circumstances and news. I wasn’t satisfied at the end when everything was revealed because I hated the pain that was caused and I wasn’t surprised.

I don’t know if it’s because the audiobook narrator didn’t sound old enough but I was constantly forgetting that Lulu was probably in her late fifties, early sixties. Or maybe older. I’m really not sure. Should that have mattered? Nope, not at all. I didn’t mind that she was an older main character. I minded that it didn’t really seem like she was older.

The other thing that really shouldn’t matter but does - there is zero information on L.T. Shearer so it’s clearly a pseudonym. Which is fine. But the little biography that is available is extremely careful about avoiding all gendered language. And not in the way that we should all be careful by not assuming gender or using harmful language. It makes me wonder if it’s a male author which would kind of make sense based on Lulu’s colleague’s attitude and how Lulu didn’t really seem like a fully formed character.

So, no, The Cat Who Caught a Killer was not a winner for me. I kept listening to the book in part because the narrator, Imogen Church, was delightful. There was just enough of a hook in L.T. Shearer’s novel to keep me reading it but I don’t feel the urge to pick up the next book in the series. Not even a talking cat will entice me!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributors, PGC Books, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: What Would Jane Austen Do?

Happy Austen August! I’ve had a lot of fun reading Jane Austen’s novels and any that are inspired by or adaptations of her novels every August since 2020 with my friend Victoria. When I had the chance to take part in a blog tour this month for Linda Corbett’s new novel, What Would Jane Austen Do?, well, it felt like I had no choice but to jump at it! This novel was an absolute delight and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

Here’s the book’s description:

It's a truth often acknowledged that when a journalist and Jane Austen fan girl ends up living next door to a cynical but handsome crime writer, romantic sparks will fly!
When Maddy Shaw is told her Dear Jane column has been cancelled she has no choice but to look outside of London’s rental market. That is until she’s left an idyllic country home by the black sheep of the family, long-not-so-lost Cousin Nigel.
But of course, there’s a stipulation… and not only is Maddy made chair of the committee for the annual village literary festival, she also has to put up with bestselling crime author –and romance sceptic – Cameron Massey as her new neighbor.
When Maddy challenges Cameron to write romantic fiction, which he claims is so easy to do, sparks fly both on and off the page…

There’s an argument to be made that Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was one of the first novels to employ the enemies to lovers trope. You may know it’s not a trope I love as I can’t always understand how the couple ends up being attracted to each other. Elizabeth and Darcy aren’t so much enemies as…two prejudiced individuals who don’t take the time to really get to know the other before forming a less than flattering opinion of them. Corbett has her characters acting in quite the same manner. Maddy and Cameron don’t really know each other so there’s no hate but they each assume things about the other based only on a short interaction. But the fun is in reading as they realize their misconceptions and work to actually get to know each other. And, surprise, fall in love!

The premise of this rom com was just bonkers enough to allow for drama and intrigue but not so far-fetched to have me rolling my eyes at the coincidence of it all. Or maybe I was extra indulgent because I read the book while on vacation. *shrugs* Whatever the reason, it was much fun to read as Maddy realized she had suddenly inherited a house - and a literary festival - from a cousin she had never met before.

I liked that Maddy was given a solid BFF in Alice, even though the pair spend the majority of the novel apart. It allowed the reader to know that Maddy had someone in her corner, rooting for her unconditionally, while also allowing her to get to know the folks in her new town. It’s a small thing but, thinking back, it was impactful. Having a best friend (or two) makes a world of difference in a girl’s life!

Speaking of Maddy’s new friends, the townsfolk of Cotlington were TOO FUN. They were a perfect mix of kind and quirky, each managing to steal the show during their scenes but without taking over the whole story. They, and the town, provided a wonderful burst of colour (sometimes literally with Sam and her love of pink) as Maddy worked to figure out what her life was going to look like.

I have a few minor quibbles with the book - mostly to do with how things were wrapped up, or not. There’s a storyline with a celebrity ghost hunter that I feel was fun and helped with the story but I’m left with a ton of questions. What happened with the payment and the deductions? Was Randall really going to just expose Cameron and then move on and present at the festival like nothing had happened? And what about Sam’s feelings for him and someone else’s feelings for Sam? I also wasn’t totally sold on Maddy’s journalistic leanings and how the story she did about Cameron was published. No journalist is going to allow the subject (or their agent) the chance to read the article before it is published. Or maybe they would with famous people. But the average journalist absolutely does not and I didn’t love that implication.

While this novel is not at all a retelling of any of Jane Austen’s novels, I liked that Corbett sprinkled the book with references to Austen’s books, including quotes at the start of each chapter. I loved Maddy’s love for the author - and definitely wish I had a few of her Austen-esque shirts!

What Would Jane Austen Do? was so incredibly fun to read. Linda Corbett’s novel is a must read for those who like sweet romances with a dash of Jane Austen, a sprinkling of small town charm, and a pinch of bookish adventures.

About the Author
Linda Corbett lives in Surrey with her husband Andrew and three permanently hungry guinea pigs. As well as being an author, Linda is treasurer and fundraiser for Shine Surrey – a volunteer-led charity that supports individuals and families living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. For many years she also wrote a regular column for Link, a disability magazine, illustrating the humorous aspects of life with a complex disability and she is a passionate advocate of disability representation in fiction. Love You From A-Z was her first published novel.

Connect with the Author
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Goodreads

*A copy of this novel was provided by Austenprose via NetGalley for the purpose of a review as part of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: One Good Thing

I stumbled upon Alexandra Potter’s Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up back in 2020 and absolutely loved it (review here). When I saw she had a new release coming this year, I knew I had to read it. One Good Thing was full of good things and I really, really enjoyed reading it.

Here’s the book’s description:

In life, nothing is certain. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something can happen to change the course of everything . . .
Liv Brooks is still in shock. Newly-divorced and facing an uncertain future, she impulsively swaps her London Life for the sweeping hills of the Yorkshire Dales, determined to make a fresh start. But fresh starts are harder than they look and feeling lost and lonely she decides to adopt Harry, an old dog from the local shelter, to keep her company.
But Liv soon discovers she isn’t the only one in need of a new beginning. On their daily walks around the village, they meet Valentine, an old man who suffers from loneliness who sits by the window and Stanley, a little boy who is scared of everyone, hides behind the garden gate and Maya, a teenager who is angry at everyone and everything. But slowly things start to change…

At 35, I’m still sort of the right age for most rom coms, but I have to come to grips with the fact that I am getting older and, with that, comes the appreciation of reading about older heroines. While I can’t recall if we ever learn exactly how old Liv is, I do know Liv has lived a good chunk of life and life has not been the most kind to her lately. We’re meeting her at pretty much the lowest point of that life as she’s buying a total fixer upper in the middle of nowhere after her divorce. But you just know that reading as she figures out this newly single life is going to be so rewarding. And it really was.

I was initially wary of all the different characters mentioned in the book’s description. I kind of just wanted Liv’s story and didn’t want all the confusion of other characters muddying the waters. However. The stories of Valentine, Stanley, and Maya are so important to Liv’s own story that it wouldn’t be the same novel without them. And, really, it still is Liv’s book. The other characters only have the odd chapter dedicated to them but it helps make the overall story stronger.

Another reviewer on Goodreads said that this book is a like a “snuggly blanket”, and I couldn’t agree more. Potter has written a book with all the feels that leaves the reader feeling warm and happy and so very comfortable. That’s not to say there aren’t hard moments in the book, because there definitely are. She runs into her ex at a party, her home renovations aren’t running smoothly, Valentine’s wife’s dementia is getting worse, and there are tricky family secrets that come to light. But Potter makes everything alright in the end, just as life should be. It’s lovely.

Alexandra Potter has become a must-read author for me. I really enjoyed One Good Thing and highly recommend it for anyone looking for a great read.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Last Dance of the Debutante

I first read Julia Kelly back in 2020 when I devoured her novel The Whispers of War. Her latest offering was The Last Dance of the Debutante which was released in Canada in November of last year. I didn’t have the chance to read it until earlier this year but it was a perfect book to read in a month that seemed like it lasted forever. It’s a slow paced historical fiction but it was a delight to read.

Here’s the book’s description:

When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsy to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society.
In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite. But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family.

I think this one will really appeal to fans of The Crown, especially the first couple of seasons. England has emerged from war and is rebuilding. Times are changing and the “way things have always been done” isn’t cutting it anymore. The way Lily and her friends view society is vastly different than how their parents look at the world and I enjoyed reading as the young women found each other and started to form (and vocalize) their own opinions.

I just know that some people will say that this book is boring and “nothing” happens. The story is a bit slower, to be sure, but this isn’t a historical fiction set in wartime. The tensions present in the plot are a bit different than fighting for your life. But that doesn’t make the story less important. Kelly provides an incredibly interesting and well researched look at what life was like at a very specific time and place in history.

The “devastating secret” that Lily learns was a bit…much, perhaps. I think this was Kelly trying to up the tension and I don’t know if it quite accomplished her goal. It allowed for Lily to get some answers which she desperately needed and there was a satisfying, “Oh!” moment as it all came together. It added to Lily’s growth, which I was really invested in. I loved her as a character and that really helped me enjoy the story overall.

If you want a historical fiction novel that offers a glimpse of a time in history that isn’t often explored, The Last Dance of the Debutante is for you. I enjoyed Julia Kelly’s novel and am so excited for what she writes next.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Noble Ambitions

I’ve been trying to read more nonfiction for the last few years because I just don’t tend to gravitate towards them. There’s no real reason why. I just…don’t! With that in mind, I thought I would try the audiobook of Noble Ambitions: The Fall and Rise of the English Country House After World War II. I was pretty captivated with Adrian Tinniswood’s book and narrator Roger May was excellent.

Here’s the book’s description:

A rollicking tour of the English country home after World War II, when swinging London collided with aristocratic values
As the sun set slowly on the British Empire, its mansions fell and rose. Ancient families were reduced to demolishing the parts of their stately homes they could no longer afford, dukes and duchesses desperately clung to their ancestral seats, and a new class of homeowners bought their way into country life. A delicious romp, Noble Ambitions pulls us into these crumbling halls of power, leading us through the juiciest bits of postwar aristocratic history—from Mick Jagger dancing at deb balls to the scandals of Princess Margaret. Capturing the spirit of the age, historian Adrian Tinniswood proves that the country house is not only an iconic symbol, but a lens through which to understand the shifting fortunes of the British elite in an era of monumental social change.

Raise your hand if you watched Downton Abbey. *looks around* Yes, I thought there were a few of you. You know how Lord Grantham, Mary, and the rest had to find a way to save the house? And how the real life owners of the house it’s filmed at, Highclere Castle, also had to find a way to save their house and did so by opening it up for filming? This book essentially told the real life story of people just like the Crawleys. It shared how the houses fell into disrepair after years of glory and then started to become popular and established once again. Some of the stories were absolutely mindboggling and I can’t believe what some of the owners went through to try and keep their home.

May was a great narrator and I could have listened to him talk about just about anything for much longer than 13.5 hours of this audiobook. His tone was more conversational than lecturing, which I appreciated.

I have to say, though, as much as I loved the audiobook and narration, I couldn’t help but wish I could have seen all the photos of the houses (that I assume are in the print edition). Tinniswood talks about SO MANY houses that it was hard to keep straight and seeing it in writing and in photos may have helped a little bit.

It was interesting to read this one and feel so much sympathy for the owners of these massive houses. You can’t really help it because, for a lot of them, they were losing their family's homes because of taxes and death duties and the sheer expense of the upkeep of a crumbling stone house. But on the flip side…some of those families were at the tippy top of the elite and some of the Haves did nothing to help the Have Nots. Tinniswood doesn’t get into the social divide too much – other than to talk about the servants and how they left service because there were other options available to them. All of it gave me something to ponder as I listened to the descriptions of the opulence that was once seen – and then seen again – at these houses.

Those who enjoy history, and English history in particular, will like Adrian Tinniswood’s book. There are tons of interesting facts – and equally interesting gossip – in the pages of Noble Ambitions that made for an enjoyable read.

*An advanced audiobook copy of this novel was provided by Hachette Audio in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A Brit Player

I first read Brenda St. John Brown back in 2018 when I picked up A Brit on the Side, the first in the Castle Calder series. I loved the setting she created in small town England and the characters she wrote. I haven't read books two or three but when I had the chance to read book four, I was happy to do so! I knew this isn't a true series and I could read the books in any order so I wasn't bothered by jumping back in with A Brit Player. I was rewarded with a steamy second-chance romance that I really enjoyed reading.

Here's the book's description:

Whoever said taking a second chance on your first love was a good idea obviously had nothing to hide…
They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. But shagging a guy with a “Bad Decision” tattoo is never a good idea. It’s a warning label. Trust me.
So when a friend coerces me into taking part in a charity dating auction, I jump at the chance to leave London - and my bad decisions - behind for a weekend.
But Max Foster is there and he’s bidding on me like it’s his job. Max isn’t just a guy. He’s THE GUY - my first love who I haven’t seen since the day he left high school to go play professional football in Spain.
I shouldn’t see him again, never mind want to. Because letting him find out about the secret I’ve kept from him these past twelve years? That has “bad decision” written all over it.

My mid-thirties old lady feeling self was a bit...concerned that the initial relationship between Tara and Max happened when they were sixteen. You cannot fully know yourself at sixteen but you can have intense emotional connections. And the pair had that. Of course you're not going to forget someone like that over the last decade plus. Neither Max nor Tara expected the other to be exactly like their teenaged self (ugh can you imagine if you reconnected with someone in your twenties and they were exactly the same as they were in high school?) and they did seem to want to get to know the person they had become. That helped with my "ahh they were so young" feelings. Plus you could just tell they were meant to be together so I put my old lady judginess away and went along for the ride.

There are triggers in this book and two of them I feel I can't mention because they're central to the plot how the story is told. If you want to read this and are really concerned about what they are, please DM me on Instagram! (@KaleyS23, if you're not following already!) I will say they are relationship based and do not include abuse. Other triggers could include feelings of abandonment, being unable to commit, and a second chance at a relationship. 

It had been awhile since I had read a true romance (true = the end goal is a Happily Ever After (or a Happily Ever After For Now) where the two main characters end up together in coupled bliss) that was also on the steamier side. Yes, please, doors open sex scenes. There's a place for all kinds of sex scenes, of course, but sometimes you want to actually see (er, read) the sexual attraction instead of just imagining it. (Which, I guess, you're still technically doing while reading it...) Anywho. St. John Brown wrote the scenes really well and you could feel the pent up emotions between Tara and Max just leaping off the page.

Tara and Max were lovely characters to read about. Sometimes when a friend of a friend type series gets into the later books, the characters might not be as engaging or entertaining as the author might have hoped. I liked reading about both past and present day Tara and Max and were rooting for them, both as a couple and for Tara personally as she worked on her issues. 

I think I know who might be the stars of the next book and I'm excited to see if I'm right.

If you're a romance reader, I encourage you to check out Brenda St. John Brown's novels, especially her Castle Calder series. A Brit Player was just the book I needed at the time and I flew through it. I'm looking forward to finding the time to go back and read the books I've missed and check out some of her others.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the author via Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

I missed out on reading Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material, though it's on my ereader waiting for me to make time for it, but given how many trusted friends enjoyed it, I knew I needed to read Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. An #OwnVoices rom com set in England and taking place at a televised baking competition? Sign. Me. Up.

Here's the book's description:

Following the recipe is the key to a successful bake. Rosaline Palmer has always lived by those rules—well, except for when she dropped out of college to raise her daughter, Amelie. Now, with a paycheck as useful as greaseproof paper and a house crumbling faster than biscuits in tea, she’s teetering on the edge of financial disaster. But where there’s a whisk there’s a way . . . and Rosaline has just landed a spot on the nation’s most beloved baking show.
Winning the prize money would give her daughter the life she deserves—and Rosaline is determined to stick to the instructions. However, more than collapsing trifles stand between Rosaline and sweet, sweet victory.  Suave, well-educated, and parent-approved Alain Pope knows all the right moves to sweep her off her feet, but it’s shy electrician Harry Dobson who makes Rosaline question her long-held beliefs—about herself, her family, and her desires.
Rosaline fears falling for Harry is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Yet as the competition—and the ovens—heat up, Rosaline starts to realize the most delicious bakes come from the heart. 

I have to discuss the love triangle first and it's going to be a bit spoilery so if you hate that, please move onto the second paragraph! I hated what happened between Rosaline and one of the men. Absolutely hated it. It was gross and uncomfortable and I didn't like reading it. It felt like I was misled and betrayed a much as Rosaline was and while I appreciate that Hall used it as an opportunity to have really important conversations about gender and sexuality...I really, really wish it hadn't happened. 

Onwards!

I absolutely LOVE Great British Bake Off. So so so much. It is hands down my favourite reality show because it is so soothing and lovely and full of baked goods! So, it was super fun to have Rosaline take part in a GBBO-esque show. My sister told me long ago about how she had read that the hosts will sometimes start swearing or saying brand names when a contestant is having a rough time because then the footage becomes unusable. Hall uses that in the story and I actually laughed out loud. It really added to the feeling that this is what GBBO is actually like and I adored it. 

Related to the baking show, the novel is set up by weeks, just like the show is. Contestants go to the filming location every weekend to compete in their themed weekly challenges. I don't know if the format would work for everyone but I really enjoyed it. I found it kept things moving and focused all the action during the times when all the action was taking place. It just made sense to me!

Rosaline has, as is customary for rom coms, a journey in this novel and she really grows as a person. She's always been a great person, you can just tell, but she becomes so much more confident in herself throughout the course of the show and it's so lovely to see. 

Amelie, Rosaline's daughter, is an absolute hoot. She's a precocious kid (about seven or eight) and she would tell you she was because she has a very extensive vocabulary. Funnily enough, this was the second book in a very short period of time where I read about a single mom/mum with a feisty and wicked intelligent daughter around the same age. Given I have absolutely no desire to have children of my own, I sometimes avoid single parent rom coms but this is a reason you should always read a little outside your norm because both books portrayed single parenthood really well and I enjoyed them. Back to Amelie...I absolutely loved that she called Harry Mr. Viking and he called her Prime Minister. Their instant connection was so cute.

There's a lot of discussion about gender roles, sexual preferences, sexism, and classism in this book. That may sound like a lot of Topics for some people (and if it is...um, pay attention to the world because these are important things) but Hall weaves it together so well and in an entertaining and educational way. It's clear that Hall isn't trying to have Rosaline speak for all women or all bisexuals but by having her have these important discussions, it can help the reader identify problem spots in their own thoughts and behaviours and can, hopefully, correct them in the future. 

All in all, I had a grand time reading Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. I do think my expectations were a touch high and they weren't quite met but I'll definitely be reading Alexis Hall's previous book and whatever comes next. I laughed and swooned and had a lot of other emotions and that made for a good rom com in my books.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, HBG Canada, via Netgalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Rose Code

Oh my good gracious, this book. I very much enjoyed Kate Quinn's last two novels so I assumed I would like The Rose Code. Um, I LOVED IT. I was invested from the start and could not stop thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. I listened to the audiobook, which is still a new-ish thing to me, and found myself  trying to squeeze in listening time as often as possible. Then, when it was done, I was at a loss. Now what is there to do except wait for Quinn's next novel?

Here's the book's description:

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart. 1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer...

As I said, I listened to the audio for this book. The narrator was Saskia Maarleveld and she was phenomenal. She was able to create an ever so slightly different voice for each of the three main female characters and her male voices weren't irritating in the least. (It's something I've found annoying with audiobooks when narrators have to voice the opposite gender - it's not always done well.) I could have listened to her for ages and will definitely take a look at what other novels she narrates! If you're an audiobook fan, definitely think about getting this one (and may I suggest from Libro.fm where you'll support an indie bookstore of your choice?).

There was a lot happening in this book (it's over 650 pages and almost 16 hours on audio) but it all ticks along, never really seeming like it was too much. Of course, I'm a big fan of WWII era books and found the history of Bletchley Park incredibly fascinating so I wasn't bored at all. That might not be true for all readers, of course. I didn't know ton about BP, as the characters called it, but knew enough that there were codebreakers and an intense amount of secrecy which meant it wasn't discussed at all for decades. I have watched The Imitation Game (Turing makes a few appearances in the novel) but now I'm on the hunt for more books and movies (fiction or non) about the group of men and women (so many women!) who worked in the small town in England. Suggestions welcome!  

The story goes back and forth starting in 1940 and moving through the war and 1947, in the days before Princess Elizabeth's wedding on November 20th. There are alternating chapters told in third person POV from Beth, Osla, and Mab. The past (the time at BP) and the, well, more recent past are clearly defined and it was not hard to follow at all. I didn't find myself frustrated with wondering why someone was locked in an asylum and when it would all be revealed. I trusted Quinn and she gave me a magnificent, mysterious tale that when it was revealed, it was immensely satisfying.

I cared about each and every character. The three women were so different but still managed to form a friendship in the most unlikely of situations. They were found family and went through some absolutely horrendous times both together and apart. They were bound by the Official Secrets Act and even though they couldn't tell each other everything, they were still in the BP bubble together and no one outside that bubble could ever really understand what that was like. And even while that bonded them, it also, ultimately, tore them apart. Because I cared about them so much, I felt every emotion each of them was feeling. They had some terrible feelings at times so it was tough to read at some points. But there were moments of levity as well and I appreciated Quinn's talent of balancing the horrors of war with the everyday things people still had to deal with.

The Rose Code is, by far, my favourite of Kate Quinn's novels. It was well-written and entertaining and perfectly hit the kind of history I was really interested in. I highly encourage every historical fiction fan to pick up a copy of this one.

*An advanced listening copy (ALC) was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Blog Tour: The Lost Apothecary

Every once and awhile a story comes along that reminds you about how much history has been lost over time. Sarah Penner's debut novel, The Lost Apothecary, was one of those stories. She writes of how a woman in the present tries to unravel the mysteries left behind by two women living centuries ago. 

Here's the book's description:

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary…
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.
Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.
With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time. 

In the past, I hadn't really thought too much about the process of finding a historical artifact and researching and so on. Probably more than the average person, of course. I do read a ton of historical fiction and watch movies set in the past so, yeah, I'd say I'm interested in how the truth is found. But for the last almost year I've worked at a community museum as a fundraiser. I've learned from my colleagues (curators and archivists) and my own research on how museums run and I couldn't help but wonder how damaging some of Caroline's behaviour would be to the history she found and why she was choosing to withhold some of the information. I can't mention one particular thing because spoilers but there was a moment at the end where I was just about screaming at the book, wondering what the hell she was thinking. All that being said, I could totally identify with her wanting to get to the bottom of the historical mystery. I was fizzing with excitement right alongside with her as she and Gaynor unearthed research and secrets. I also hoped she would realize that she was doing what she was meant to and would change her life so she could keep going along that path.

A bit more about Caroline...she was so very bland. I didn't find myself caring too much about her apart from her being the vehicle that allowed the mystery of the lost apothecary to come to light. I could, to a point, understand why she would have pushed her dreams aside but...I was annoyed too. Her husband had been so selfish as to kind of persuade her to stay and get married instead of pursuing further education after they finished college. Was he that insecure that he couldn't handle her being away for a year when they were in their early twenties to further her career? Was she that blind that she didn't realize that it was totally possible for her to still do her schooling and go back to him? Especially when he said he didn't want kids until he was more on partner track? I couldn't help but feel more frustration than empathy when it came to Caroline. She was fine but she'll be the most forgettable part of this whole story.

I think this also reads a lot like a debut novel. It kind of felt like a bit of an info dump, especially at the start, and I was impatient for the story to get moving. That said, Penner does do a really good job of keeping the suspense and unraveling the mystery. Until the end when it was kind of just...done. Satisfying, mostly, but I find I'm left with a few niggling questions. I liked that Caroline's chapter's didn't reiterate what I had just read from Nella's or Eliza's points of view as that kept the plot going and kept the story from being repetitive.

Nella's and Eliza's stories were the most intriguing and I enjoyed the historical part of the story the most. I don't spend much time reading about the late 1700s but it was an interesting time. Women didn't have a lot of options and lower class women had even fewer. I appreciated that Nella used her registry not just to write down the poisons and remedies sold but also as a record of the women she interacted with. As she said, these women would otherwise be forgotten by society and their names would never be recorded anywhere else. It was a powerful reminder that, while we still have a lot to do to have equality, things have come a long way.

The Lost Apothecary was an enjoyable read but might not be one that stays with me for too long. Sarah Penner's debut novel was interesting enough and I did feel the need to keep reading until I finished the story and figured out the mystery behind the apothecary. 

About the Author
Sarah Penner is the debut author of The Lost Apothecary, to be translated in eleven languages worldwide. She works full-time in finance and is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Women's Fiction Writers Association. She and her husband live in St. Petersburg, Florida, with their miniature dachshund, Zoe. To learn more, visit slpenner.com.

Connect with the Author
Website * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter

Buy the Book
Bookshop.org * IndieBound * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Audible * Apple Books 
Kobo * Google Play * Books-A-Million * Target * Libro.fm

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Park Row Books/HarperCollins, via NetGalley in exchange for a review for the purposes of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Confessions of a Forty-Something

 

I'm not sure if I ever would have picked up Alexandra Potter's new book, Confessions of a Forty-Something, if I hadn't been offered it for review. And you know what? That would have been an absolute shame. I loved this book so much and it will probably end up being one of my top reads of 2020.

Here's the synopsis:

Nell Stevens' life is a mess.

When her business goes bust and her fiancé with it, Nell's happily-ever-after in California falls apart and she moves back to London to start over. But a lot has changed since she's been gone. All her single friends are happily married with children, sky-high rents force her to rent a room in a stranger's house, and in a world of perfect Instagram lives, she feels like a f**k up. Even worse, a forty-something f**k-up.

But when she lands a job writing obituaries, Nell meets the fabulous Cricket, an eighty-something widow with challenges of her own, and they strike up an unlikely friendship. Whereas Nell's friends are all busy with their families, all Cricket's friends are dying off. Together they begin to help each other heal their aching hearts, cope with the loss of the lives they had planned, and push each other into new adventures and unexpected joys.

And because Nell is determined, she's going to turn her life around. This time next year things are going to be very different. First though, she has a confession...

One of the reasons I was initially wary about the title, when I came across it for the very first time, was simply this: I'm not a forty-something (I'm a thirty-something). I wondered if it would be alienating to me and my generation or if there would be pockets of the story I would be able to identify with (not that you have to identify with every story). What drew me in was that I knew I could understand how it would feel to be a childless woman in a world where it seems like everyone I know is becoming a mother or has plans to become a mother in the next little while. That's not a world I understand, since my plan is to stay childless. So, I thought, why not give Nell's story a try? Thank goodness I did!

I loved Nell. I wanted to hang out with her and be whatever she needed - drinking buddy, sounding board, friend date. I especially wanted to tag along on her adventures with Cricket. I'm seeing more stories focus on a friendship between those in their seventies or eighties and someone two or three decades younger and I'm loving it. It's a subtle reminder that folks that age have a lot more going on than we may think and they definitely have way more stories to share than the friends who are your own age. I don't have any grandparents left so do me a favour and ask yours for some stories, ok? Especially right now.

I don't want to say much about the romance because spoilers but I will say I loved it. It was so real, all the way along, and so perfect.

I could also really identify with Nell's feeling of being a fuck-up. There are a whole lot of us who are going along and aren't really sure what we should be doing. Does anyone? I would say this book shows that no, most people are bumbling along with no idea what they would really like to be doing. You just do what you have to do to be able to live and pay bills and, you know, Adult. I can't imagine how hard it would be to have your dream little business and a great relationship and then *wham* everything blows up. So, all that said, I just loved reading as she sorted things out and started (re)building a life she could be proud of.

Finally, I liked how the story was told. It was divided into sections, one for each month of the year. It had a bit of a Bridget Jones feel but I think it's really just because it was a woman of similar age, it started at the same time of year and was a diary of sorts, and it's also set in England. Plus, it's clever and heart-warming. So there are similarities but Nell is her own character.

Confessions of a Forty-Something was such an enjoyable read and I didn't know what to do with myself when I finished Alexandra Potter's novel. It's actually taken me months to review it because I had such a book hangover when it was done and I just wasn't sure what I was going to say except: READ THIS BOOK. It had everything I was looking for in a novel and I hope others pick this up and love it as much as I did.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Here and Now

Here and Now was my first Santa Montefiore novel. Which, for a reader like myself who reads pretty much anything that stays still long enough, and for an author like Montefiore, who has 21 books (according to her website), is pretty strange. I had been wanting to check out her novels for awhile so when Simon & Schuster offered a copy of Here and Now, I said, yes, please!

Here's the synopsis:

Meet Marigold and Dennis, two happily married empty-nesters in their late sixties. They should be enjoying their golden years in the idyllic English village where they live. But when their two grown daughters, Daisy and Suze, move back into the family home, both mother and father must learn how to deal with the upheaval.
Meanwhile, as Daisy and Suze soak in the familiar comforts of home, they soon discover that their mother isn’t quite the same woman she was a few years ago. Sure, she is still kind-hearted and always willing to help, but something about their mom is different, and it’s becoming harder and harder for the family to ignore. For the first time in their lives, Dennis and his daughters find themselves caring for Marigold rather than the other way around.
Here and Now is a gorgeously evocative novel brimming with characters who are so recognizable they’ll walk right off the page and into your heart. This is a novel about what it means to grow up and to grow wise, and how the new generation learns to carry family memories and hope into the future.

Montefiore's novel falls into that weird genre hole where I can't think of an easy way to describe it. I suppose I could say it's a contemporary family drama. Each family member jumps off the page and you really get a sense of how each of them is coping while they help Marigold come to terms with her memory loss. 

The novel is told in third person but follows both Marigold and Daisy closely. I liked this because it gives the reader a taste of a little bit of everything - a mother's love, a daughter's realization that roles are being reversed, a long marriage, and a new relationship. Plus, while mother and daughter were quite different, you could also begin to see how they were similar. Most importantly in how fiercely they cared for their family, especially in tough times. They just loved a little differently. I definitely enjoyed having the story told from both their perspectives.

I think part of what really endeared me to this novel was the location. Isn't it funny how you sometimes pick up a book that is just exactly what you need even though you didn't know it? It turns out I needed to read about a tiny English village and the interfering (but well-meaning) villagers. I loved that we got a glimpse of the large estate in town where Daisy went to paint as well as the corner shop that Marigold ran. Plus, as a Canadian, I very much enjoyed the connection to Canada and the brief visit to Toronto.

This is a heartbreaking novel with many serious topics addressed. I'd definitely suggest having a mood boosting book or movie lined up for when you're done. It's worth the heartache though because the story really grabs hold of you. And you may find yourself wishing you could hug all of your family members tight (which is especially hard right now, I know). 

While I won't exactly be raving about Here and Now, I did very much enjoy my time spent reading Santa Montefiore's latest novel (and staring at the cover which I find immensely pleasing). I now very much want to read some of her other novels - though she has so many, I'm not sure where to start!

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Whispers of War

 

You know that feeling when you read a new to you author and absolutely adore the book and are so excited because you know they have at least one other book in their backlist you can also enjoy? That happened to me way back in March (remember March?) when I read The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly. I had heard of her Light Over London (I love historical fiction so of course it had been on my radar) but hadn't read it so I jumped at the chance to review her new one, which came out in January of this year (I really don't remember January). And friends? It was so great.

Here's the synopsis:

In August of 1939, as Britain watches the headlines in fear of another devastating war with Germany, three childhood friends must choose between friendship or country. Erstwhile socialite Nora is determined to find her place in the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department, matchmaker Hazel tries to mask two closely guarded secrets with irrepressible optimism, and German expat Marie worries that she and her family might face imprisonment in an internment camp if war is declared. When Germany invades Poland and tensions on the home front rise, Marie is labeled an enemy alien, and the three friends find themselves fighting together to keep her free at any cost.

Featuring Julia Kelly’s signature “intricate, tender, and convincing” (Publishers Weekly) prose, The Whispers of War is a moving and unforgettable tale of the power of friendship and womanhood in the midst of conflict.

I know what you might be thinking, though. Do we really need yet another WWII novel? Haven't we read all the things we could read about that period of time? No, as it turns out. At least, not for me (and remember, every reader is different). 

As is the in thing these days, this book has a dual timeline. Marie's granddaughter, Samantha, tells the story in present day while Marie, Nora, and Hazel each tell a portion of the past. In a way I'm kind of tired of all of the authors choosing to write stories in two time periods but what I really like about it is how it helps me relate to the story a teeny bit more. I don't know what it's like to live through WWII but I'm learning details about it right along with the character in present day. 

What set this book apart from some of the other WWII era books I've read was how much it centred on three female friends. Particularly three women who weren't in active duty. The friendship between Nora, Marie, and Hazel was so delightful to read - how they met and stuck together through some of the hardest years and experiences imaginable. The three of them were found family and they cared for each other deeply and fiercely. One can only hope one finds friends like that in their own lifetime (and I like to think that I have...you know who you are!).

The novel's story was especially interesting to me because it showed what the average woman was doing at the start of the war and how they managed their lives as the war began. Just as I love reading what it was like at home in Canada during the wars, I also appreciate learning what it could have been like for women in England. Not only were the men of London going off to fight but their city would, eventually, be targeted by bombings. They were physically closer to the action and may have felt like they could do more for the war effort than the women in North America.

Finally, I have to note that I was reading this book as the North America was falling apart because of COVID-19. I had been on a last minute vacation to Scotland and was supposed to start a new job on March 17 but couldn't because of said vacation (I started a week later, thank goodness). So, instead of working, I read and The Whispers of War was one of the books I picked up while I had to self-isolate (which was only recommended the week after I returned home and had already been out...it was a weird time). I knew it would be a comforting read but I didn't know how comforted I would be by it. I'm so pleased that I have such a fond memory of this book when everything was such an absolute shitshow.

The Whispers of War will be a historical fiction title I recommend for a long time to come. Though perhaps it might just be until Julia Kelly's next novel, The Last Garden in England, is released next year. I'm already so excited to read it.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Ten Things My Husband Hated

I've been reading Pauline Wiles' Saffron Sweeting series since just after she published the first in 2013. They've always been sweet, entertaining, heart warming, and placed in just the cutest little English village that I always enjoy revisiting. I haven't loved any quite as much as the first, Saving Saffron Sweeting (review here), but each one, including the latest, Ten Things My Husband Hated, have been a joy to read.

Here's the synopsis:

Maggie Moone is happily divorced.

And with her talent for fixing things, she’s perfectly content with her mundane life in the sleepy English village of Saffron Sweeting. That is, until one humiliating March evening when she learns everyone else assumes she’d love to mend her broken marriage.

Determined to prove them wrong, Maggie and her friends concoct a list of ten ways to assert her independence and live large. But her mission to move on leads to unexpected encounters, and Maggie soon finds herself mixing business with pleasure. Is the attractive young Irishman just another item on her list, or is he something more?

Before long, unresolved issues from her past begin to clash, and Maggie is forced to wonder if antagonising her ex-husband was such a stellar idea.

No sooner does she begin to understand what’s important to her, than she stands to lose everything that truly matters.

Maggie has a good life even if it hasn't turned out exactly the way she planned. But when we meet her, a few things are happening that make her doubt her happiness and wonder if she should be doing more. Plus, some idiot townspeople are convinced that they know everything and that she's actually still in love with her ex-husband, Colin. This infuriated me right off the bat and it was really hard to rein in my annoyance at the busybody folks in town as well as Maggie who is far too kind and couldn't figure out how to get her point across to anyone. 

Maggie's friends were definitely well-meaning as they worked with her to create a list of ten things her ex hated. Things like, pink houses, tattoos on women (ugh, makes me want to smack the man), and dogs. The idea was it was a sort of bucket list of things Maggie could do to show that she was totally over Colin. Her friends were completely in her corner, although I think a few of them may have thought like the rest of the town - that Maggie was still in love with her ex and that she had been far to kind and accommodating towards him since the split. But really, when there's no real animosity and someone is as kind as Maggie, can you not realize that of course she's going to continue to be nice towards someone, even if that someone is her ex-husband?

Amelia, one of Maggie's friends, is the first to spot how talented Maggie is with home repairs (how they're just realizing this, I know not). Colin was a builder but never had time to fix up their own house so Maggie learned how to make basic repairs and then some not-so-basic repairs. Amelia, who runs a real estate office, needs someone to fix up some of her places so pushes Maggie to do the work - things she likes and is good at. I think that went a long way in helping Maggie realize she had skills and talent and gained some control with her life. Plus, she made some super cool treehouses. I also liked that you don't normally see handywomen in books (though I recently read another that also featured a woman who ran her own company) and it's super refreshing.

The romance in the novel goes about as you'd expect. Maggie meets Finn and she figures it'll just be a laugh and she won't get too attached and she'll have some fun with a good guy. But that turns into more and then everything blows up. The reader, like Maggie, realizes that Finn was way more important than she realized and you can't help but cross your fingers and hope for a romantic, Happily Ever After. 

While this book is part of the Saffron Sweeting series, you can read it as a standalone quite easily. You'll probably find you enjoy the town and you'll want to read the rest of the series just so you can hang out with the endearing (though meddling) townsfolk some more.

Ten Things My Husband Hated was a lovely read that is perfect for a weekend afternoon. Pauline Wiles has created characters who are so kind and fun to read about, plus a village you'll enjoy too - even if you're not much of a tiny town person.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Long Call

 

Mystery is not my usual genre and I've never read an Ann Cleeves book before (even though she has oodles of them). But when PGC Books sent a list of titles they had for review and said, "hey, your reading tastes may have changed during this whole pandemic thing" (I'm paraphrasing), I thought, "yes, you are correct. I don't know what I like anymore." Even though I had seen the title before, it had published in February of this year, it hadn't caught my eye. But in the spring after (finally) bingeing Broadchurch? I was so in for another mystery set in England. The Long Call delivered.

Here's the synopsis:

In North Devon, where the rivers Taw and Torridge converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father's funeral takes place. The day Matthew turned his back on the strict evangelical community in which he grew up, he lost his family too.
Now he's back, not just to mourn his father at a distance, but to take charge of his first major case in the Two Rivers region; a complex place not quite as idyllic as tourists suppose.
A body has been found on the beach near to Matthew's new home: a man with the tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.
Finding the killer is Venn’s only focus, and his team’s investigation will take him straight back into the community he left behind, and the deadly secrets that lurk there.

This was a really intriguing mystery. I had absolutely no idea who was responsible for the murder on the beach and really couldn't seen the connections between the dead man and the other crimes that take place later in the novel. Everything was so intertwined that I was a bit in awe of the way Venn worked and how he was able to puzzle everything out. I actually ended up staying up well past my bedtime to finish the book (oops) because I couldn't go to sleep without knowing who committed all the various crimes.

Matthew was a really interesting protagonist. His family history is super rocky and we first meet him while he's standing outside his dad's funeral as he's not welcome inside. He's really closed off plus is more calm than you'd expect a detective to be. He's a good man and not blustery or controlling, which is sometimes rare in a leader. The reader doesn't get a complete, full sense of him which I think really works for both the story and for where, I imagine, the series might go. 

One of the things that sort of irked me, and kept me from swooning over this book, was the way some of it was written. It's hard to explain as it was written well but there were some sections that just didn't seem to flow. There was a scene with the two female roommates of the dead man and the father of one of the women and I have absolutely no idea what the point of it was supposed to be. There were a few things like that that didn't move the plot at all (which I kind of expect in a mystery) nor did they really build up the characters (though some character background was a teeny bit boring). It didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the book and I'd still recommend it.

I'm also super into the cover of this edition. It's so moody and perfect for the setting of the novel.

As I said, The Long Call was my first Ann Cleeves book but I don't think it's going to be my last. I enjoyed the story she put together and the mystery kept me guessing. I really like the characters she's created with this new series so I'm definitely excited to read the next book in the Two Rivers series, whenever it may be released. I'll have to check out her backlist and then start watching the TV shows based on those books. What else is there to do during a pandemic?

*A copy of this novel was provided by PGC Books in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Switch

I was really late to the party when it came to The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. I wanted to read it but there are always so many books to read and then my library didn't have a copy of it. How rude! I finally listened to it on audiobook while commuting earlier this year (remember driving places?) and adored it just as I expected. In an amusing twist, I also listened to O'Leary's latest novel, The Switch. I don't often listen to audiobooks so to have listened to both of O'Leary's is rare. Happily, I was just as in love with the new book and thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.

Here's the synopsis:

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some long-overdue rest.

Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen.

So they decide to try a two-month swap.

Eileen will live in London and look for love. She’ll take Leena’s flat, and learn all about casual dating, swiping right, and city neighbors. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire: Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden, her idyllic, quiet village, and her little neighborhood projects.

But stepping into one another's shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves…and maybe even find true love? In Beth O'Leary's The Switch, it's never too late to change everything....or to find yourself.

One of the reasons I don't read audibooks is I'm a super fast reader and find audiobooks take longer for me to read. The other is I review so many upcoming/not yet released books that I don't often have time for other books that aren't on my review list. That's starting to change now for book reviewers as there are new options to receive advanced copies audio titles. NetGalley just started their audiobook program and that's how I snagged The Switch. A chance to try out their new system and read a book I was really looking forward to? Win! Slightly less win...the audiobook would decide to pause often whenever it decided my phone had been locked for too long so I would have to unlock it to get the file going again. I had tried updating the app and hope that it's just a bug that will get worked out as NetGalley figures out this audiobook thing.

The narrators of this novel were delightful. There were two, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman, and each chapter switched perspective between Leena and Eileen so having two narrators really helps the reader distinguish between the two characters. I've seen some people mention they had issues understanding their accents but I had no trouble at all. Though my inner voice now seems to have a slight Yorkshire accent...

This novel showed that just because you're above a "certain age," doesn't mean your life has ended and I absolutely loved that. The older adults in this novel have all sorts of personalities but dull or near death's door are not among the descriptors I'd choose for them. Eileen was full of spunk and she was such an intelligent and entertaining character. She was fiercely protective of her family but recognized she needed to do something for herself for once. It was an absolute joy to read her story as well as see the friendships blossom between all characters of all ages.

Leena was slightly more hesitant to throw herself into her new life in an idyllic small town than her grandmother was to take on the big city life. She seemed more bruised and battered from work and family issues than Eileen (I don't want to mention what had impacted the family as the synopsis does not and I feel like it should be unveiled in the way O'Leary intends it to be in the course of the first few chapters). She had to learn that just because her life was going one way, didn't necessarily make it the right way. 

O'Leary's books are marketed as rom coms, and I've used that descriptor myself, but they're so much more than romance or comedy. There's an amazing family storyline woven through both her novels, and I especially loved it in The Switch. Three generations of Cotton women are dealing with major devastation and I loved what and how O'Leary wrote as they finally dealt with their grief. Leena also had to figure out what she wanted to do with her professional life and Eileen was taking stock of her newly single life and what parts of herself she had lost when she first got married so many years ago. Like with most books, The Switch is so much more than one narrow genre.

I really adored The Switch. Beth O'Leary is definitely going to go on my auto-read list because both times I've read her I've fallen a little bit in love with her writing, characters, and stories. Readers will have a lot of fun reading this new book while also having their heart warmed.

*An advanced audio copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Macmillan Audio, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Dear Emmie Blue

Oh, Emmie. You randomly came across my reading pile and quickly found your way into my heart. The cover of Lia Louis's second novel was what originally caught my eye but then one of my favourite authors mentioned she had read, and loved, Dear Emmie Blue. I figured, what the heck. I'd request it from NetGalley and see what it was like. And oh my word, I fell head over heels for this story. It was a surprise, not that it was great, exactly, but that I was so completely, totally in love.

Here's the synopsis:

At sixteen, Emmie Blue stood in the fields of her school and released a red balloon into the sky. Attached was her name, her email address…and a secret she desperately wanted to be free of. Weeks later, on a beach in France, Lucas Moreau discovered the balloon and immediately emailed the attached addressed, sparking an intense friendship between the two teens.

Now, fourteen years later, Emmie is hiding the fact that she’s desperately in love with Lucas. She has pinned all her hopes on him and waits patiently for him to finally admit that she’s the one for him. So dedicated to her love for Lucas, Emmie has all but neglected her life outside of this relationship—she’s given up the search for her absentee father, no longer tries to build bridges with her distant mother, and lives as a lodger to an old lady she barely knows after being laid off from her job. And when Lucas tells Emmie he has a big question to ask her, she’s convinced this is the moment he’ll reveal his feelings for her. But nothing in life ever quite goes as planned, does it?

Emmie Blue is about to learn everything she thinks she knows about life (and love) is just that: what she thinks she knows. Is there such thing as meant to be? Or is it true when they say that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans?

Emmie is a huge reason why I loved this book. She's just turning 30 when we meet her (as is Lucas - they share a birthday) and feels like she should have her life more "together" than it is. That is something I most definitely can relate to. Sometimes I'm still surprised that I'm supposed to be a real adult. She also has a lot of pain in her past, especially from when she was a teen, that she's never really dealt with. Until she realizes she has to work through what happened to her, she can't quite move on and isn't aware of some of the really wonderful things, and people, in her life.

You may think that it would be frustrating for the reader when it's so clear that Emmie needs to face her past head on so she can move forward. That she's putting walls up and not fully allowing people in who the reader can see would be so good for her. I wasn't frustrated. I actually felt some of the pain right along with Emmie and was surprised at how emotional I was getting while reading the book. Louis makes the reader feel all the feels with this novel so be prepared. It's hard sometimes but it's part of what makes this book so magical.

When I first started the book, it reminded me a lot of the movie Love, Rosie which is based on Cecelia Ahern's novel Where Rainbows End. This was a rare case of not having read the book before the movie so I don't know how much was changed in the adaptation, but the similarities between this book and the movie were strong. The storylines eventually diverged and become more dissimilar as time went on but the feeling I was left with after finishing both Dear Emmie Blue and Love, Rosie was really similar and I was glad to have found another story that made my heart warm (after making it hurt). 

While the majority of the novel's plot is about family, friends, and professional issues, a good chunk of it is also about a romance. Emmie's realized she's completely hung up on Lucas, who she's known for 14 years. Like, full blown, hopelessly devoted in love with him. The reader has a clearer view than Emmie of how the romance should play out and I was thrilled when she finally caught up to what I was seeing. 

Dear Emmie Blue is full of every emotion you can imagine. Some good, some bad, but that's life and Lia Louis has written a novel that is so lovely and realistic and heartwarming that you can forgive the bad because the good is so, so wonderful. This novel gave me a major book hangover and it will stick with me for a long, long time. I highly recommend it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Telephone Box Library

You know those books that leave you with the most wonderful comforting feeling? The Telephone Box Library was one of those books for me. Rachael Lucas' novel was absolutely delightful. I know I use that word an awful lot but it's the best word to describe my feelings on this book.

Here's the synopsis:

Books. Wine. Secrets. You'll find them all at the telephone box library . . .

The Cotswolds: the perfect retreat for a stressed-out teacher. And Lucy has found just the right cottage for a bargain rent. All she has to do is keep an eye on Bunty, her extremely feisty ninety-something neighbour . . .

With her West Highland terrier Hamish at her side, Lucy plans to relax and read up on the women of nearby Bletchley Park. But the villagers of Little Maudley have other ideas, and she finds herself caught up in the campaign to turn a dilapidated telephone box into a volunteer-run library.

Along the way, she makes friends with treehouse designer Sam, and finds herself falling for the charms of village life. And it seems Bunty has a special connection to Bletchley and the telephone box, one that she's kept secret for decades . . .

Now, I have a feeling this book came along for me at just the right time. I still think it's a really good book but circumstances made it that I was seeking a comforting read and I found it in this book. Circumstances being that I started - and finished - reading it the day after I was supposed to be starting a new job. But because of my quick trip to Scotland at the beginning of March and having to isolate because of COVID-19, I wasn't able to work until the following week. It was a really, really stressful time (it's all been stressful, let's be real) and I hoped this book would whisk me away to a quaint English village with a good story. And it did.

I will say there was far less wine involved than I expected based on the synopsis, but there were definitely books and secrets. Of course, Lucy definitely had a glass or two with the new friends she made in the tiny hamlet which was fun to read. She really had to come out of her city-life shell and embrace the quirks of the small town. Which, as you may expect, can be more easily accomplished with a glass of wine.

Oh, and the telephone box library! How cute is that idea? I loved how it kind of snowballed from one throw away idea to a full village project. It also shows a little bit how tiny towns are suffering when it comes to schools and libraries. It's one of those little takeaways from novels you don't always expect but is very important.

This wasn't a historical fiction by any means but I appreciated that Lucas took the time to shine a light on an interesting, and important, part of history and WWII, in particular. I think we all have an idea of Bletchley Park in our head and to see this side of things through Bunty's past was really lovely. 

The Telephone Box Library is a novel that's full of a lot of little, wonderful moments. Rachael Lucas tells the story of a town and a woman trying to find her place in it when life has hit her really hard. It's not groundbreaking but it's such a great read for when you need a break from the world and want to get lost in a place where everyone knows everyone and underneath the gossip is a lot of love.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Nanny

The Nanny totally hooked me. I was so invested in Gilly MacMillan's latest book (I say latest but it was published back in September) when I was reading it and so unsure about what was actually going to happen. I've only read two of her books but I might have to check out her backlist and will definitely keep an eye out for whatever she writes next.

Here's the synopsis:

When her beloved nanny, Hannah, left without a trace in the summer of 1988, seven-year-old Jocelyn Holt was devastated. Haunted by the loss, Jo grew up bitter and distant, and eventually left her parents and Lake Hall, their faded aristocratic home, behind.
Thirty years later, Jo returns to the house and is forced to confront her troubled relationship with her mother. But when human remains are accidentally uncovered in a lake on the estate, Jo begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Then an unexpected visitor knocks on the door and Jo’s world is destroyed again. Desperate to piece together the gaping holes in her memory, Jo must uncover who her nanny really was, why she left, and if she can trust her own mother…
In this compulsively readable tale of secrets, lies, and deception, Gilly Macmillan explores the darkest impulses and desires of the human heart. Diabolically clever, The Nanny reminds us that sometimes the truth hurts so much you’d rather hear the lie.

If you have a problem with problematic characters, this is not the book for you. No one in this book is without flaws (except maybe Ruby, Jo's daughter and that's because she's still young and innocent) and those flaws get them into all sorts of trouble. It was so interesting to see how the characters reacted to their circumstances because they way they went about things in ways that I can't imagine. I mean, I've never been in their situations so I can't say for sure but they reacted in very...troubling ways. It makes sense though because when someone is backed into a corner, they'll do anything to protect the ones they love.

On a related note, every character has something to hide in this book (even someone who you think wouldn't have secrets actually does but it's not really a secret because they just simply don't remember it because of trauma. Yep. It's layered). It's because of all these secrets (and, to be honest, a terrible human being) that a family was totally destroyed. The easy judgement to make is that everyone should have been honest with one another from the get go but the web of lies is so convoluted that it's hard to imagine things turning out any other way.

The way the story is told is almost too confusing. Virginia and Jocelyn each tell their own story from a first person perspective. There are times when it's in the present and times when it's in the past. The detective investigating the skull in the lake also gets his own chapters throughout. Finally, there are chapters from Hannah's perspective but from the past and in third person. A bit much, right? It gives all the details the reader needs though - and there are a lot of them - and MacMillan manages to keep it from getting too convoluted.

I also have to admit that I was totally picturing Downton Abbey-esque lives for the characters in both the present and past timelines even though that was all kinds of inaccurate. I blame it on the bingewatch of the show I had completed prior to the movie being released last year. Geographically, it made sense. Old, English house and countryside and so on. But timeline? Not at all. It was entertaining, if not confusing for my poor brain!

I've read a number of thrillers in the past couple of years, more than I ever used to, and The Nanny was one that really riveted me. Gilly MacMillan is a great author and I'm looking forward to reading her backlist. No word yet on when her next book will be released but I'll be on the lookout for that one too.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*