📖 Book Review ~ The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop

 

Bantam Press
25 May

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Rachel has been in love with Alistair since she was seventeen. Even though she hasn't seen him for sixteen years and she's now married to someone else. Even though she was a teenager when they met. Even though he is twenty years older than her. She's found it impossible to forget their summer together on a remote, sun-trapped Greek island. Until now.

When Rachel unexpectedly reconnects with a girl that she knew back then, she is forced to re-examine her memories of that golden summer and confront the truth about her relationship with Alistair and about her time working for an enigmatic and wealthy man on the island. And when Alistair returns, the pull of the past could prove impossible to resist...

📖 My Review..

Rachel fell in love with Alistair when she was seventeen and on the adventure of her life. Travelling with her friend Caroline they arrive at a small Greek island where Rachel, in particular, is soon captivated by island life. Rachel decides to stay on the island, finding work and friendship but always in thrall to the much older Alistair and whatever he wants Rachel does unquestioningly even when it means she is drawn into a world she is neither prepared for nor understands.

I was quickly immersed in Rachel's story and felt more than once that I just wanted her to see sense and go home but of course, we've all been a naive seventeen, in love for the first time and unwilling to listen to anyone's advice. The story moves between two time frames so we meet, in the present day, a more mature Rachel, her dissatisfaction all too obvious, and her character rather jaded from the bright and beautiful seventeen year old who was in love with life on a sparkling Greek island. Gradually over the space of the story we learn that all was not idyllic on the island hideaway.

The Girls of Summer is a thought provoking #MeToo read which I devoured in the space of a couple of sittings as I couldn't book the book down. It would be a really good immersive summer read, especially if you are heading to the Greek islands for some sunshine. The Girls of Summer takes the idea of a classic holiday romance and turns it into something much darker and deeper, highlighting the nature of a coercive relationship and the ambiguity of consent and control. 

About the Author

Katie Bishop is a writer and journalist based in Birmingham, UK. She grew up in the Midlands before moving to Oxford to work in publishing in her early twenties. Whilst working as an assistant editor she started writing articles in her spare time, going on to be published in the New York Times, Guardian, Independent and Vogue.

Katie started writing The Girls of Summer during the first UK COVID lockdown, after becoming increasingly interested in stories emerging from the #MeToo movement. The novel is inspired by her own experiences of backpacking, and by her interest in how personal narratives can be reshaped and understood in light of cultural and social changes.

In 2020, Katie moved back to the Midlands, and now lives in Birmingham with her partner. She is a full-time writer.

Twitter @WhatKatieBWrote #GirlsofSummer

Website

@TransworldBooks

📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ Go As A River by Shelley Read

 

Doubleday Books
Transworld
13 April 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

On a cool autumn day in 1948, Victoria Nash delivers late-season peaches from her family's farm set amid the wild beauty of Colorado. As she heads into her village, a dishevelled stranger stops to ask her the way. How she chooses to answer will unknowingly alter the course of both their young lives.

So begins the mesmerising story of split-second choices and courageous acts that propel Victoria away from the only home she has ever known and towards a reckoning with loss, hope and her own untapped strength.

Gathering all the pieces of her small and extraordinary existence, spinning through the eddies of desire, heartbreak and betrayal, she will arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life for ever.

📖 My Review..

Victoria Nash lives with her somewhat depleted family in the isolated beauty of a peach farm in rural Colorado. That her life is bleak and without meaning is evident from the very start, she toils ceaselessly often without thanks and certainly without love. The beautiful moment when she meets a charismatic stranger opens her heart to a world of possibility but it also heralds catastrophic change in the lives of those around her.

I think Go As a River is one of the saddest books I have read for some time and yet it is as beautiful as it is poignant. The writing so wonderfully lyrical that I had to stop and re-read whole sentences because they were just so descriptive. And as the tangled wilderness of the Colorado hills are laid open so we enter deep in to Victoria's soul as she faces tragedy on such a huge scale that it's impossible to comprehend the effect that this deep sadness has on her life going forward.

The story had such a profound effect on me that even now, days after finishing Go As A River, I am still imagining life with Victoria Nash, her bravery and beauty will live on forever in this lovely story.  I have no hesitation in making Go As A River Featured Book of the Month for May.

About the Author

Shelley Read is a fifth generation Coloradoan who lives with her family in the Elk Mountains of the Western Slope. She was a Senior Lecturer at Western Colorado University for nearly three decades, where she taught writing, literature, environmental studies, and Honors, and was a founder of the Environment & Sustainability major and a support program for first-generation and at-risk students. Shelley holds degrees in writing and literary studies from the University of Denver and Temple University’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing. She is a regular contributor to Crested Butte Magazine and Gunnison Valley Journal, and has written for the Denver Post and a variety of publications.

Twitter #ShelleyRead #GoAsARiver

@DoubledayUK @TransworldBooks

📖 Book Review ~ The Dare by Lesley Kara

 

Ebook 18 February 2021
Hardback 4 March
Bantam Press
My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

As a child, it was just a game. As an adult, it was a living nightmare.

When teenage friends Lizzie and Alice decide to head off for a walk in the countryside, they are blissfully unaware that this will be their final day together – and that only Lizzie will come back alive.

Lizzie has no memory of what happened in the moments before Alice died, she only knows that it must have been a tragic accident. But as she tries to cope with her grief, she is shocked to find herself alienated from Alice’s friends and relatives. They are convinced she somehow had a part to play in her friend’s death.

Twelve years later, unpacking boxes in the new home she shares with her fiancé, Lizzie is horrified to find traumatic memories and paranoia suddenly surfacing. Is the trauma of the accident finally catching up with her, or could someone be trying to threaten her new-found happiness?

Twelve years is a long time to wait, when you’re planning the perfect revenge...

📖 My Thoughts..

Teenagers, Lizzie and Alice, are best friends but when their favourite walk ends in tragedy, thirteen year old, Lizzie has to try and more forward as best she can but no-one understands the burden of guilt which Lizzie carries about that fateful day.

We get to know Lizzie some twelve years later when she has set up a new home with her handsome GP husband but mysterious things start to happen which take her back to the last day she spent with Alice, and even though time has passed, Lizzie's feelings are still just as raw, in the present, as they were on the day the tragedy happened.

This is a really clever psychological suspense story which is made all the more chilling by the snippets of memories which happened before and after the tragedy and which allow us a tantalising glimpse into Lizzie's life as a young teenager and her subsequent life as a grown woman with plans for the future. Effortlessly moving forwards and backwards in time a chilling picture of lies and deceit starts to emerge. I found Lizzie's character immensely likeable which made the chilling horror of what was happening to her all the more engrossing.

The Dare is expertly controlled so that the suspense is maintained all the way through and there are definitely more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. The last third of the book is particularly tense and my heart was in my mouth on more than one occasion when Lizzie's life just seemed to be spiralling out of control.

The Dare is published in hardback on the 4th March by Bantam Press and is available to buy from all good book retailers.

About The Author

Lesley Kara is the author of the Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller, THE RUMOUR, published in December 2018. Her second novel, THE DARE, is out now.

Twitter @LesleyKara #TheDare

@TransworldBooks

Hist Fic Saturday Blog Tour ~ Our Yanks by Margaret Mayhew

 

On Hist Fic Saturday I am delighted to host today's Blog Tour stop

Let's go back to ...1943

Transworld Publishers
Published 2011 Reissue : 2020

My thanks to the publishers and Random Things Tours for my copy of this book
and the opportunity to be part of the blog tour

August 1943. A fighter group of US airmen descends upon the quiet and sleepy village of King’s Thorpe in Northamptonshire. The village has never seen the like of them before: they are glamorous, rich, exciting and full of bravado.

While some of the older residents are dismayed, many of the younger ones cannot help but be won over by their charms.

And for many – including young Sally Barnet from the bakery, Agnes Dawe – the Rector’s daughter, and newly-widowed Lady Beauchamp, they will have a long lasting impact.

It will be a summer many will never forget…

What did I think about it..

I live about twelve miles or so from the site of a US WW2 airfield which over recent years has been changed to an industrial site, but thirty years ago the remnants of the camp were still pretty much visible, especially the large aircraft hangers and living quarters. I once had relatives who visited the camp for social evenings, and, in fact, my husband's two aunts met and later married their GI husbands.

Our Yanks is the lovely story of how a group of US airmen, drafted in to help maintain morale, took over the small fictional village of King's Thorpe, where with their swagger and general bon homie they had their work cut out in trying to persuade some of the villagers that they were in the war for the long haul. From the poorest villagers, to the more well to do,  it was fascinating to see how their prejudices and natural reticence were gradually overcome as general compassion and friendship for the airmen began to have an effect.

It was especially interesting to see tentative relationships become a little more personal, some would succeed, others not so fortunate but throughout the story the way the author brought everything to life in such a gentle and well respected way made the story all the more rewarding to read. I genuinely cared for the characters, some made me smile, especially the antics of young Tom and his brother Alfie, who filled their pockets with all the candies and chewing gum the airmen threw their way, and yet, there was such a poignant reason for Tom's lively entrepreneurial skills, that I always wanted him to win the day. 

I think that it is such a lovely idea of the publishers to reissue the historical fiction written by this author twenty or so years ago. Her books deserve to be read by a new audience and I am sure that Our Yanks will continue to delight fans of the WW2 saga genre.

About the Author

Margaret Mayhew was born in London and her earliest childhood memories were of the London Blitz. She began writing in her mid-thirties and had her first novel published in 1976. She is married to American aviation author, Philip Kaplan, and lives in Gloucestershire.

Twitter #MargaretMayhew

@TransworldBooks

@RandomTTours

Blog Tour ~ An Echo of Scandal by Laura Madeleine

Delighted to be taking part in this exciting Blog Tour

The sumptuous and seductive world of Tangier in the early 20th century is a world where men make decisions and women follow. But Alejandra is determined to secure her independence, at any cost.

Black Swan
19 September 2019

My thanks to the publishers and Random Things Tours for my copy of this book
and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

In the dead of night, with blood on her hands, she made her escape. Accused of murder, Alejandra flees her home, escaping to the southern edge of Spain, where she faces a life of poverty and destitution. Seduced by the power of the rich and the anonymity that waits across the water in Tangier, Ale makes a bid for a new start. But it will come at a cost: a life of deception. Because Ale’s new friends want to know what she is running from, they want to know who she is and whether they can trust her. Fifty years later, a young American writer wanders the streets of Tangier, searching for inspiration. When he stumbles across a trace of Ale’s life, he finds himself tangled in a story of scandal, love and danger that has not yet reached its end.

What did I think about it..

Alejandra hasn’t had the best of starts to her young life, and when in 1928, she is accused of a heinous crime, she has little choice but to try and escape, however, leaving behind everything she has ever known in Córdoba only makes her life all the more complicated.

Fifty years later in Tangier, Sam Hackett is a young writer who is down on his luck and struggling to make ends meet . When he comes across traces of a forgotten life he is suitably intrigued and sets out to discover as much as he can about the mysterious person he knows only by the initials A.L.

What I have loved about this novel is the way the author seamlessly moves from past to present and brings the heat and glorious colour of Tangier alive in a really exotic way. The sights, sounds and sensations of the market place, the spice, taste and texture of fabulous food, and the tantalising recipes for alcohol infused cocktails all blend together in a clever mixture of intrigue, mystery and danger.

Dual time stories are notoriously difficult to carry off but what works so well in An Echo of Scandal is the way that both time frames are equally compelling. I found that I was just at home in the 1920s as I was in 1978 and I looked forward to spending time with both sets of characters as they each live out the adventure which the author has created for them with so much flair and imagination.

An Echo of Scandal is a beautifully written historical novel by an author who knows how to hold the reader in the palm of her hand. The story is filled with both drama and passion and is gloriously authentic in every detail. I loved it 😊

About the Author

After a childhood spent acting professionally and training at a theatre school, Laura Madeleine changed her mind, and went to study English Literature at Newnham College, Cambridge. She now writes fiction, as well as recipes, and was formerly the resident cake baker for Domestic Sluttery. She lives in Bristol, but can often be found visiting her family in Devon, eating cheese and getting up to mischief with her sister, fantasy author Lucy Hounsom.

Twitter @LauraMadeleine #AnEchoofScandal

@TransworldBooks @hannahbright29

#RandomThingsTours

Blog Tour ~ Gone by Leona Deakin

Transworld
BlackSwan
Ebook 9August
Paperback 3rd October 2019

My thanks to the publishers for my proof copy of the book
 and also to Random Things Tours for my invitation to be part of the blog tour

Four strangers are missing. Left at their last-known locations are birthday cards that read:

YOUR GIFT IS THE GAME 

DARE TO PLAY? 

The police aren’t worried – it’s just a game. But the families are frantic, and psychologist and private detective Dr Augusta Bloom is persuaded to investigate. As she delves into the lives of the missing people, she finds something that binds them all. 

And that something makes them very dangerous indeed. 

As more disappearances are reported and new birthday cards uncovered, Dr Bloom races to unravel the mystery and find the puppeteer. But is she playing into their hands?

What did I think about it...

We've probably all tried at some point one of those enticing questionnaires on social media to find out what type of personality we are and never really attach much significance to the results but as this story points out the importance of collecting data from these, seemingly innocent quizzes, can be very relevant indeed. 

In Gone people are going missing after receiving a mysterious birthday card which dares them to take part in a game. Leaving behind family, friends, work and all other personal commitments, these people are being recruited and quite simply leave everything behind, only to either resurface later ... or disappear completely.

Psychologist and private detective, Dr Augusta Bloom, gets drawn into this rather bizarre situation when a friend of her fellow investigator, Marcus Jameson's, goes missing leaving behind her young daughter. Further investigation ensues and Augusta and Marcus get drawn closer and closer into the centre of a totally perplexing mystery.

What then follows is a really thought-provoking psychological thriller which had me, on more than one occasion, on the edge of my seat. The characters are entirely plausible, some I liked more than others, for reasons which become apparent as the story progresses. I especially enjoyed getting to know more about Dr Bloom, who is quite a formidable figure, and her colleague, the enigmatic Marcus Jameson, with his MI6 background, is quite charming in his own special way. I could, quite easily, see this pairing becoming a forceful investigative duo should the author choose to continue this as a book series. 

Gone is a commendable debut novel from an exciting new talent and I can't wait to see what she writes next !

About the Author

Leona draws inspiration for her writing from her own experiences having started her career as a psychologist with the West Yorkshire Police and her successful work in psychology since. She is now an occupational psychologist and lives with her family in Leeds. This is her debut thriller.

Twitter @LeonaDeakin1 #Gone

@TransworldBooks

#RandomThingsTours

His Fic Saturday ~ Lancelot by Giles Kristian

On His Fic Saturday

Let's go back to ....Arthurian Britain

Corgi
2 May 2019

My thanks to A M Heath, Author's Agent,  for my Twitter prize copy of this book

Set in a 5th century Britain besieged by invading bands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, Giles Kristian's epic new novel tells - in Lancelot's own words - the story of the most revered yet reviled of all Arthur's knights, the warrior who fought at his lord's side - yet stole his wife. This is the story of one of the great figures of British myth and legend - a story ready to be re-imagined for our times.

What did I think about it..

The myths and legends of our isles and islands form the backdrop to our history and there is no legend finer that that of Lancelot, King Arthur and Guinevere. Born in Gaul, son of King Ban and Queen Elaine, Lancelot and his family are forced to flee following the destruction of their court by the villainous, King Claudas. However, for Ban's straggling court taking refuge is no guarantee of safety and Lancelot soon discovers that his life is about to take a very different turn. His association with the Lady Nimue and his first introduction to the druid, Merlin, is done with fine attention to detail both in using what is known in legend, and also by describing realistically what it may have been like to grow to maturity in 5th century Britain, when marauding Saxons, Franks and Picts were constant sources of danger.

There's a sense, right from the start of the story, that Lancelot is bound for greatness and the author takes us through Lancelot's progression from green boy, to glorious knight, with such a perfect eye for detail that the rich appreciation of this warrior knight's contribution to the mythology of our landscape is embedded with every word.

I was quickly drawn into the story and mesmerized by the richness of the historical detail which is wonderfully descriptive and yet, there's also a magical lyricism to the language which reflects the storytelling ability of those troubadours who sat in smoky halls recounting tall tales of forgotten lands and brave warriors. What emerges, in sublime detail, is a complete picture of Lancelot, the man of legend, who grew from frightened boy, into a man of worth, and whose love for a beautiful and captivating woman would eventually bring down a kingdom.

There is no doubt that the author is absolutely at the top of his game and continually brings history alive in stunning detail. It is my belief that Lancelot is one of his strongest books to date and I don't say that lightly, as I still think that his novel The Bleeding Land about the English Civil War is one of the best historical novels I have read on that difficult subject, and yet, in terms of emotional connection and bringing complicated mythology to life, Lancelot surpasses everything I thought I knew about the Arthurian legend. It's brilliant and bold, strong and tender, and re-imagined so beautifully that you feel as if you have stepped back in time with Arthurian Britain opened up to scrutiny and with Lancelot's destiny as painful and as poignant as ever.

About the Author

Family history (he is half Norwegian) and a passion for the fiction of Bernard Cornwell inspired the author to write. His best selling trilogies 'Raven' and the 'Rise of Sigurd' have been acclaimed by his peers, reviewers and readers alike. The novels The Bleeding Land and Brothers' Fury tell the story of a family torn apart by the English Civil War and he co-wrote Wilbur Smith's No.1 best seller,Golden Lion. With  his Sunday Times bestseller Lancelot Giles plunges into the rich and swirling waters of our greatest islands 'history': the Arthurian legend. Giles Kristian lives in Leicestershire.

Website

Twitter @GilesKristian

@TransworldBooks

@AMHeathLtd

🎄Blog Tour ~ Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

✨Jaffareadstoo is really excited to host today's Once Upon A River Blog Tour stop✨

Doubleday
14 January 2019

My thanks to the publishers and Random Things Tours for my copy of this book and the invitation to the blog tour

A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child. Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can it be explained by science? An exquisitely crafted multi-layered mystery brimming with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale.

My thoughts about Once Upon A River...

Once upon a River starts on a dark midwinter night at The Swan Inn at Radcot, where within its ancient walls, stories linger and grow with the telling, and for all those who sit around the inn’s tables that night, there’s no story ever told as strange as the one that’s about to happen. An injured stranger and the corpse of a tiny child set the whole story in motion.

In Once upon a River the myths and folklore that so often infuse this author's stories come to life in a richly detailed account of interwoven lives, circumstances which blend well together to form a richly suspenseful story and one that I’m not about to spoil by giving any clues as to what happens. The only point I will make is that the story requires slow and careful reading; it’s a hefty story, filled as it is with lots of fascinating detail, so it’s well worth taking your time to allow the story to evolve as gracefully as the tide on which the book turns.

So often during the reading of Once upon a River, I was reminded of a dimly lit fireside and a huddle of bodies keeping close, keeping warm and sheltering from harm, and of those ancient teller of tales, recounting stories which are passed from one generation to another. Reminiscent of the stark beauty of a Grimm’s fairy tale, the darkness of Dickens, the Gothic imagination of Ann Radcliffe, the story weaves and dances along with the tides of the great river Thames, which ebbs and flows, as much a character in the story as the people who call its river bank home.

There are a few authors I get excited about and, without doubt, Diana Setterfield is one such author. There’s no doubt that she is a talented weaver of tales, creating stories so darkly imaginative that time, place, people and circumstances are instantly recognisable and, at the same time, beautifully evocative of times past.

Once upon a River seems to have been a long time coming, but believe me, it’s been well worth the wait.

About the Author

Diane Setterfield’s bestselling novel, The Thirteenth Tale was published in 38 countries, sold more than three million copies, and was made into a television drama scripted by Christopher Hampton, starring Olivia Colman and Vanessa Redgrave. Her second novel was Bellman & Black, and her new novel is Once Upon a River. Born in rural Berkshire, she now lives near Oxford, by the Thames.

Website

Twitter @DianeSetterfie1 #OnceUponARiver #Passthestoryon

@DoubledayUK @TransworldBooks @AlisonBarrow

#RandomThingsTours

Facebook

Blog Tour ~ Open Your Eyes by Paula Daly

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on the Open Your Eyes Blog Tour

Transworld Punlishers
26 July 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

 and to Random Things Tours for the invitation to be part of the blog tour

What's it all about...

Haven’t we all wanted to pretend everything is fine?

What if you suddenly had no choice but to open your eyes to the problems in your life, and the secrets that have been kept from you.

Who knows what you might find..

My thoughts...

Open Your Eyes starts in a dramatic way when Jane's husband, Leon is brutally attacked whilst on the driveway of their home. That this attack has a catastrophic effect on Jane, Leon and their family goes without saying, however, how they cope with the fall-out of this event is the focus of this clever psychological suspense story.

Compelling and addictive in all the right places, Open Your Eyes is a clever story of deceit and lies and of a huge secret which threatens to tear the family apart. Not only is Jane having to cope with the emotional after effects of Leon's attack, but she must also deal with something quite deadly in her personal life which only starts to be uncovered as the story progresses.

There is no doubt at all that this author can do domestic noir very, very well. Her writing is always crisp and clear with never a word or a nuance wasted, and as she plunges the reader directly into the very heart of family life, the tension is so palpable it hurts to imagine what is going to happen next. From the trauma unit of Fazakerly hospital, to the inside of HMP Liverpool, there is a never moment when this story doesn't work and draw you into the darkness that becomes Jane's world.

I started to read Open Your Eyes at 2 'o' clock on a sunny afternoon in the garden and didn't look up, except to make cups of restorative tea, until the story, with its fabulous conclusion, was finished some 6 hours later.

Without doubt, one of my favourites reads this summer.

About the Author

Paula Daly is the acclaimed author of five novels. Her work has been sold in fifteen countries, shortlisted for CWA Gold Dagger Crime Novel of the Year award, and her books are currently being developed into the ITV drama - Deep Water - set to air in 2019. She was born in Lancashire and lives in the Lake District with her husband, three children, and whippet Skippy.

Twitter @PaulaDalyAuthor #OpenYourEyes

@TransworldBooks

#RandomThingsTours

Blog Tour ~ The Light Between Us by Katie Khan

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to be hosting today's stop on The Light Between Us Blog Tour

Doubleday
9 August 2018

My thanks to the publishers and Random Things Tours for my invitation to the blog tour and for my copy of the book

Thea and Isaac were once close, but they’ve grown apart.

Thea works tirelessly, convinced that she can prove everyone around her wrong - convinced she can prove that time travel is possible. But when her latest attempt goes awry, she finds herself picking up the phone and calling her old friend.

Isaac is in New York - it’s the middle of the night, but when he sees who’s calling him, he cannot ignore his phone. At Thea’s request, he travels home, determined to help her in her hour of need. But neither of them are prepared for what they will discover when he gets there.

The Light Between Us is a story of second chances and time travel. It begs the dangerous question that we all ask ourselves - what could have been?

My thoughts about it..

I'm rather partial to a story which involves time travel and The Light Between Us is an interesting take on the subject which starts with Thea, a PHd student at Oxford University, trying to discover if her complex research into time travel is going to succeed. Her theory concerning travelling through time needs to be proven, so, when her attempt goes badly wrong, Thea must do everything in her power to make things right.

What then follows is a story about righting wrongs and of Thea's need to prove that, if given a second chance, she can begin to make amends for what has happened in the past. It's also about the power of friendship and I enjoyed the interaction between Thea and her friends, and of course, wanted everything to work out well for Thea and Isaac. Just what happens between them all takes us into the heart of the story. 

The author writes well and controls a complicated plot with a degree of charm which I found fascinating, and there are some lovely light touches which I enjoyed reading. However, there were times within the story when I became a little confused as to what was going on, and had to back track a couple of times to check up on things, but overall, I did enjoy wondering just how the story would eventually play out.

Time travel novels are notoriously difficult to carry off without the whole plot-line seeming overly fantastical and I think that, on the whole, the author has succeeded in making the concept of time travel seem quite believable 😉

The Light Between Us is an entertaining read for a sunny afternoon in the garden.

About the Author

Katie Khan has spent 10 years working in online editorial in the film industry, including 4 years as Head of Digital at Paramount Pictures. She joined Warner Bros. in 2017 to work on a major film production. Her first book, Hold Back the Stars, is being adapted into a film by the producers of Stranger Things.

She is a graduate of the acclaimed Faber Academy writing course. Katie lives in London with her boyfriend and rescue cat Artie.

Twitter @katie_khan #TheLightBetweenUs

@TransworldBooks

#RandomThingsTours

Blog Tour ~ When I Find You by Emma Curtis

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on the When I Find You Blog Tour

Black Swan
9 August 2018

My thanks to the publishers and Random Things Tours for my ecopy of the book
and the invitation to be part of this tour.

I am delighted to welcome the author Emma Curtis to the blog and to thank her for this fascinating guest post about the subject of prosopagnosia or face blindness...

I first heard about prosopagnosia, or face-blindness, a few years ago. Stephen Fry was on the radio talking about having the condition. I was interested, but I was in the middle of something else, so I filed it away in my mind for a future project. 

When I was ready to begin thinking about a face-blind protagonist, YouTube was an invaluable source. There were stories from women who had attempted to pick the wrong child up from school; people whose children were misdiagnosed as autistic because developing friendships was impossible when they didn’t recognise their classmates from one day to the next; teachers giving up work because it was distressingly hard to distinguish one pupil from another; people missing out on jobs, mislaying husbands, losing out in love. When I tried to picture my daily life without the natural ability we all take for granted, I knew that I had to write this story. 

More than the crime novel possibilities, it was the strain of everyday life and the social disadvantages that I was drawn to. Conscious that they often inadvertently cause offence, face-blind people exist in a state of high alert. It can be a huge relief to discover that there is a name for their problem but even so, many, like my protagonist Laura, decide not to go public. There are valid reasons for this. People still don’t understand the condition and continue to feel offended when blanked in the street; there is a misconception that if those living with face-blindness only ‘worked harder’, they would overcome what can be perceived as a weakness; and perhaps most importantly, it makes them vulnerable – at best to practical jokers, at worst to people with malicious intent. Laura survives in the busy advertising agency where she works by knowing where everyone sits (fortunately, there is no hot-desking at Gunner Munro!), by hair colour, ear shape, gait, wedding rings and, importantly, context. Mouths are more helpful than eyes. 

To help me understand the science behind prosopagnosia, I met Professor Michael Banissy, Director of Research at the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths University. Michael explained that the condition has nothing to do with poor memory but everything to do with the way the brain receives visual information. It’s a learning difficulty. Imagine your eye sending light to the back of the retina where the resulting image is interpreted as a face, checked against any information you already have and filed away for future reference. The face-blind brain instantly flips the information back out again. 

It was important to me to tie down the parameters of the condition as early as possible in the story, because I want my readers to understand that what happened to Laura is possible. I want them to put themselves in Laura’s shoes, to feel her embarrassment, to be wearied by the mental gymnastics required every time a stranger approaches; to understand that it can be unnerving, that it can lose you friends and life opportunities; to realise that when walking into a room full of people, they might as well be walking into a field of sheep. 

It is thought that two in every fifty people have the condition to some degree, so chances are you know someone who does. Talking to a friend about When I Find You, she mentioned that there is local man who always greets her cheerily if she has her dog with her but blanks her if she doesn’t. Having read my book, she now thinks she knows the reason why. 

I hope you enjoy When I Find You. It’s been such a pleasure to research and write. Four years ago I didn’t know this condition existed. I now have face-blind friends and always introduce myself when we meet. I know they’re not being rude if they look momentarily panicked and fail to greet me by name! 

About the Author

EMMA CURTIS was born in Brighton and brought up in London. She is a member of ‘The Prime Writers’, a collective of writers who have all had their first books published after the age of 40.Emma has two children and lives in Richmond with her husband.

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Blog Tour ~ The Secrets Between Us by Laura Madeleine

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on 

The Secrets Between Us Blog Tour 

 

Black Swan 

2018

My thanks to the publisher for my ecopy of this book and the invitation to be part of this blog tour

First off, it must be said that this book cover is absolutely glorious and captures the setting of the novel to perfection.

In 1943, eighteen year old Ceci Corvin and her family struggle to survive in occupied France where, even, high up in the hills, in their small village of Saint-Antone, they are not immune to struggle and hardship. Working in the village bakery gives them a unique place to view what's going on but also places them in danger.

Fifty years later, Annie is unsatisfied with both her work and personal life and seems be searching for something which will give her life more meaning. When Annie's mother, on holiday in Australia, contacts Annie and expresses a wish to reunite with her estranged mother, Annie's grandmother, the search is on to find her. For Annie this is something of a journey of self-discovery, as not only does she make contact with her gran-mére, but also discovers a deeply buried family secret, which changes everything she once thought to be true.

What then follows is a beautifully written dual time story which looks at the turbulent latter years of the Second World War and of the discovery, many years later, of a family mystery which has been buried for far too long. The author writes really well and brings time, place and people to life with fine attention to detail. Of the two halves of the dual time narrative, I was perhaps more emotionally involved in the war time story and thought that the description of life in Saint Antoine was particularly well defined. I especially enjoyed reading of the bakery in Saint Antoine, and such were the delicious descriptions of the breads being produced that I could taste the pain aux noix and sip the  Acorn roasted café.

The Secrets Between Us is inspired by true events and is a fascinating story of forgotten friendship, lost family, forbidden love and, ultimately, of the healing power of reconciliation.

More about the Author can be found on her Website

Twitter @lauramadeleine #SecretsBetweenUs

Amazon UK

The Secrets Between Us is a kindle monthly deal in January and will be on sale for just 99p until the end of the month.

Review ~ One Little Mistake by Emma Curtis

Black Swan
To be published : 15 June 2017

What's it all about...

Vicky Seagrave is blessed: three beautiful children, a successful, doting husband, great friends and a job she loves. She should be perfectly happy.

When she risks everything she holds dear on a whim, there's only person she trusts enough to turn to.

But Vicky is about to learn that one mistake is all it takes; that if you're careless with those you love, you don't deserve to keep them . . .

What did I think about it..

On the surface Vicky Seagrove appears to have everything she could possibly want, a wonderful husband,perfectly happy children and a good friend. Then one day, she decides to leave her sleeping baby in his cot and go to view a house which is for sale nearby. When she returns something has happened which changes the course of her life and that of her family forever.

Initially, it took me a little while to really feel comfortable with the story, I couldn't imagine any mother behaving quite as irresponsibly as Vicky, but human nature is as it is and everyone can make one little mistake, which, on the spur of the moment, seems ok, only to then suffer dreadfully from the consequences.

I think the author has done a good job of getting right inside the minutiae of a modern marriage, looking at the psychological pressures that couples face and of how the intertwining of families with other families can seem, on the surface, to be wonderfully cosy, only for that friendship to be ripped apart by insecurity, infidelity and hidden secrets from the past.

At first, the different story strands and the timescale flipping back and forth takes some getting used to and I was a little unsure where it was all going to lead, however, once that starts to sit comfortably, the characters start to come alive in the imagination. As the story starts to grip, the plot becomes quite fascinating and shows just how easily people can be bamboozled by those they appear to trust. Gradually the whole concept of the novel sinks into place and leaves you feeling quite shocked, in places.

One little Mistake is a strong debut novel by an author who I am sure will continue to go from strength to strength.

Best Read With..a chocolate chip cookie and a mug of  strong tea, piping hot...

About the Author

Emma Curtis was born in Brighton and brought up in London. Her fascination with the darker side of domestic life inspired her to write One Little Mistake, her first psychological suspense.

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My thanks to Rosie at Transworld for my review copy of this book


One Little Mistake is out in paperback on the 15th June 2017

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Review ~ Centaur by Declan Murphy and Ami Rao

Doubleday
Transworld
April 2017

What's it all about..

Coping with your own death, when you are not yet dead, is a strange thing...

A natural on a horse since he was able to walk, and imbued with a pure love of riding, Declan Murphy became one of the most brilliant jockeys of his generation before his world came crashing down at the final hurdle of a race at Haydock Park in May 1994.

What did I think about it ..

I love horses. The power of them, their shadowy grace, the sheer exhilaration of watching them move, muscles rippling. However, I also have a healthy respect for them, they scare me a little, which is why I was never an over confident rider.  Now I'm older, I can't watch horse racing and I can't even bring myself to bet on the Grand National because I don't want to see either the horse or jockey fall and be injured. The image of a horse and rider going down is frightening, especially when you remember that 1,200lbs of muscle and bone is cutting through the air at tremendous speed.

In May, 1994, at Haydock Park racecourse, just a few miles from where I live, jockey, Declan Murphy was catastrophically injured when, Arcot, the horse he was riding in the 2:30 afternoon race failed at the last second to clear a hurdle. The race had been running for just 3 minutes and 27 seconds when Declan's life changed forever. Transferred to one of the best neurological specialist hospitals, The Walton Centre in Liverpool, twenty eight year old Declan's life hung in the balance.

Centaur charts Declan's long, slow journey to recovery.

I have no words to do justice to this story other than to say that I am in awe of the power of the human spirit, the sheer strength of determination and the perseverance which Declan needed in order to pick up the pieces of his shattered life is awe-inspiring.

Beautifully written by Ami Rao, Declan's unique affinity and special relationship with horses, from his childhood spent in Ireland, through to his natural ability to race horses and win, comes across with every well-chosen word. That Declan is speaking and recounting what he can barely remember, because after the accident he lost chunks of his memory, is never in any doubt. I could sense Declan's strength of spirit in every well uttered sentence, and his unique personality in every eloquent turn of phrase.

Declan's perfect symbiotic relationship and understanding of horses lies at the very heart of the story and despite the catastrophic injuries he sustained at Haydock Park, even when his own steely determination was the only driving force keeping him alive, his abiding love for horses never faltered.

I read Centaur in less than a day, travelling in Declan's footsteps on an inspirational journey, with tears shining so brightly in my eyes that at times I couldn't see the print. I had to stop and take frequent breaks in order to breathe, only to be impatient, after a few minutes, to pick up the story once again.

At the end of Declan's story I felt emotionally wiped out and completely overwhelmed by this story of a man who, with all the odds stacked against him, just wouldn't give up. Truly inspirational.

My thanks to Alison at Transworld for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing story.

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