Featured Book of the Month ~ Expectation by Anna Hope

Delighted to share my Featured Book of the Month

Black Swan
July 2020

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

What happened to the women we were supposed to become?

Hannah, Cate and Lissa are young, vibrant and inseparable. Living on the edge of a common in East London, their shared world is ablaze with art and activism, romance and revelry – and the promise of everything to come. They are electric. They are the best of friends.

Ten years on, they are not where they hoped to be. Amidst flailing careers and faltering marriages, each hungers for what the others have. And each wrestles with the same question: what does it take to lead a meaningful life?

What did I think about it..

This is the story about three friends who seem to have the whole whole at their feet and yet each of them are dissatisfied with the hand fate has dealt them. Looking back at the early days of their friendship, Hannah, Cate and Lissa were filled with all the zest and buoyancy of youth, nothing could touch them, however, ten years later and the story is very different, and whilst they remain the best of friends their lives are now overshadowed by very different burdens.

This is not just a story about female friends and how even close friendships can shatter in a heartbeat, but it is also about all the hidden hopes, longings and lost ambitions, which all to often get swallowed up in the grown up world of relationships, both good and bad, which, unfortunately, seek to define us as adults.

Beautifully written, bringing together all the myriad strands of a story which kept me engrossed from start to finish. I loved every well written word, delighting in each of the characters who never seek to outshine each other. I had no favourites amongst the three as I could identify with each of them as they all feel so real, if not a little flawed. Their stories are all equally compelling and quite heartbreaking in places.

I was a bit worried when I heard that this author was dipping her pen into the world of contemporary fiction as I adored both her previous historical novels but I needn't have worried because Expectation is every bit as good as I hoped it would be. Originally published in 2019, the paperback edition was published in July 2020, which I why I have no hesitation in making Expectation my featured book for this month. It's also one of the Richard and Judy 2020 Summer  Book Club picks.

Perceptive, intuitive and emotionally driven, Expectation is this talented author writing at her absolute best.

About the Author

Anna Hope studied at Oxford University and RADA. She is the internationally prizewinning and bestselling author of Wake and The Ballroom. Expectation is her contemporary fiction debut and explores the theme of love, lust, motherhood and feminism, whilst asking the greater question of what defines a generation. She lives in Sussex with her husband and young daughter.

Twitter @annahope #Expectation

@TransworldBooks

Amazon UK

 

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

Review ~ Old Baggage by Lissa Evans

Black Swan
28 December 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

During the eventful years of the suffragette movement, Matilda Simpkin was a fully fledged member of the organisation and has medals to prove it, but in the 1920s Matilda now finds that her life is uneventful. When she discovers something from her past it spurs her into action as she recognises that despite all the suffragette's hard work and the sacrifices they made, things remain largely unchanged, and girls are growing up without ambition. Matilda forms a girls club which she appropriately names the Amazons and sets to work instilling strong values into this group of young women.

It's interesting to see Matilda's character emerge as there are still glimpses of what she was like as a younger woman, idealistic, purposeful and driven by a strong sense of belief in the rights for women. The momentous time she spent as a militant suffragette has, without doubt, shaped her personality and the terrible losses she suffered have made her into the strong character who comes to life so forcibly in this novel. I think in Old Baggage we get to know and understand her so well, her character literally leaps off the page and comes to glorious life.

The eponymous old baggage of the story intrigued me as I wasn't quite sure what this referred to and yet, by the end of the novel I could well see how the term could be interpreted in several ways and was a clever play on Matilda's life and the complications she would always carry with her.

I found much to enjoy in reading this story, it's a charmingly eccentric and old fashioned glimpse into a forgotten world but with a powerful reminder of just what the women of the suffragette movement achieved against all the odds.

About the Author

Lissa's previous novel, Their Finest Hour and a Half was long listed for the Orange Prize and made into a 2017 britflick sensation Their Finest starring Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy. Her last novel, Crooked Heart was longlisted for the Bailey's Prize for Fiction . She lives in London.

Website

Twitter @LissaKEvans #OldBaggage

Amazon UK

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 ~ The Other Half of My Heart by Stephanie Butland

Random House UK
Black Swan
2015

What Memories Are You Hiding?

I first came across this author's work, last year when I read her novel, Surrounded by Water, (aka Letter to my Husband) so it was a lovely surprise to catch up with some of the characters from that novel, in The Other Half of My Heart. Although, it must be said that this novel is an entirely separate story, and not a sequel. 

It focuses on the story of Bettina May, a thirty something woman with a secret past,which at times, threatens to overwhelm her. Bettina finds comfort in baking the most delicious bread and her village bakery is the source of much comfort to her. She pours her heart and soul into the bread she lovingly bakes, and rather than risk getting hurt, Bettina shields herself from getting too close to anyone. Her relationship with her lover, Rufus, is filled with a reticent tenderness, which at times, Bettina doesn't seem to know how to handle. Very cleverly, and rather like putting together a literary jigsaw puzzle, the story is revealed, and we travel back to a time, some, fifteen years ago, when Bettina was a teenager known as Tina, in love for the first time and with her whole life ahead of her. The reasons for Bettina's reluctance to get close to people and the, rather, strained relationship she has with her mother, starts to make sense.

I thought this was a really poignant story, cleverly highlighting how life can change in a heartbeat and that if feelings are hidden away, the repercussions can last a whole lifetime. It's also about finding love, holding it tight and never letting it go, and equally it's the story of unbelievable suffering and of heartbreaking loss on  a grand scale. Stephanie Butland writes so beautifully, that I must admit that I had a walloping great lump in my throat on more than one occasion and at times, needed to take a break from reading in order to gather my thoughts.

It's an emotional story that will resonate long after the last page is turned.

Best Read with a strong expresso and thick slices of crusty Scarborough cob, loaded with butter.

About the Author

Amazon UK

My thanks to NetGalley and  Random House, Transworld Publishers for my copy of this novel.

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Review ~ The Summer of Secrets by Sarah Jasmon

Black Swan
13 August 2015

One day
She was there...
And the next she was gone



The summer of our childhoods are made all the more poignant when our memories are linked to reminiscences of the past.

In 1983 Helen is an introverted sixteen year old living a rather sad existence. Her mother is no longer on the scene having left the family home some time ago, leaving both Helen and her father with a palpable air of abandonment. Helen is apathetic and the ennui of a summer holiday stretching ahead of her offers no charm or promise of anything resembling fun. That is, until, the enigmatic Dover family, move into one of the nearby canal cottages, bursting into Helen's life with a bohemian air of adventure and an overwhelming sense of excitement. Helen is mesmerised by the Dover children, and immerses herself so deeply into their lives that it becomes difficult to imagine her life without them in it. But then, one day something happens, which changes everything and leaves Helen with a sense of desolation which changes the course of her life forever.

The Summer of Secrets is quite unhurried, slow and considered in places, with a real sense of atmosphere. I had a distinct sense of time and place and could picture the canal side very easily. The characters are realistic, both charming and perplexing in equal measure,  and with a distinct air of mystery which is fascinating to observe. I liked the way the story took in two time frames, and whilst the bulk of the story is set in the summer of 1983, the continuation of the story, thirty years later,  in 2013, is done in a sympathetic and entirely appropriate way and very cleverly shows the vulnerability of loneliness and the way in which our memories are often distorted by events of the past.

This interesting coming of age debut story cleverly reflects the weariness which all too often enfolds teenagers, who seem to meander through life with little focus or meaning. All it takes is just one unexpected act to hurtle them out of their supposed apathy and into a world which is far more exciting than their own. 

The Summer of Secrets is a commendable debut novel by a talented new author, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

The Summer of Secrets is available to pre-order.

Amazon UK

My thanks to Ben Willis at Transworld Publishers

I read this book as part of the Curtis Brown Book Club

The Summer of Secrets was the July 2015 Book Club Read

About the author

Sarah Jason lives on a canal boat near Manchester with her children. She has had several short stories published, is curating a poetry anthology, and has recently graduated from the Creative Writing MA course at Manchester Metropolitan University. The Summer of Secrets is her first novel.

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