Blog Blast ~ The Lemon Tree Hotel by Rosanna Ley

Jaffareadstoo is excited to be part of the 

Publication Day Blog Blast for The Lemon Tree Hotel

Quercus Books
13 June 2019

My thanks to the publishers for my ecopy of this book
and the invitation to be part of this Blog Blast

In the beautiful village of Vernazza, the Mazzone family have transformed an old convent overlooking the glamorous Italian Riviera into the elegant Lemon Tree Hotel. For Chiara, her daughter Elene and her granddaughter Isabella, the running of their hotel is the driving force in their lives.

One day, two unexpected guests check in. The first, Dante, is a face from Chiara's past, but what exactly happened between them all those years ago, Elene wonders. Meanwhile, Isabella is preoccupied with the second guest, a mysterious young man who seems to know a lot about the history of the old convent and the people who live there. Isabella is determined to find out his true intentions and discover the secret past of the Lemon Tree Hotel.

My thoughts..

When a handsome face from the past arrives at the beautiful Lemon Tree Hotel, the owner, Chiara, is faced with a dilemma as the guest, Dante Rossi, rekindles memories which Chiara has kept hidden for over forty years. The beautiful Lemon Tree Hotel, once a convent during the tumultuous years of WW2 also has its secrets and another mysterious guest at the hotel seems determined to uncover the hotel's hidden past.

The author is the queen of the multi-generational novels and writes about the places and the people which so much love and attention to detail that they very soon become as familiar as friends. I loved spending time with this family, getting to know those people who calls this lovely place home. Chiara, although quite the matriarch, has an air of sadness around her, and then there's her tempestuous daughter, Elene, who manages the kitchen and produces the most wonderful meals, and Chaira's granddaughter, the lovely Isabella, who is about to discover some dark secrets about the hotel she loves.

The Lemon Tree Hotel is a wonderful summer read and one that soon grabs your attention making it absolutely perfect for a long, hot afternoon in the garden, or lazing poolside  with  an ice-cold drink. Filled with all the beauty of the Italian Riveria, the sunshine of the olive groves and the delicious citrus aroma of the lemon trees, the story envelops you in a glorious story of lost love and mysterious secrets.

About the Author

Rosanna Ley works as a creative tutor and has written many articles and stories for national magazines. Her writing holidays and retreats take place in stunning locations in Spain and Italy. When she is not travelling, Rosanna lives in West Dorset by the sea. 

Website

Twitter @RosannaLey #LemonTreeHotel

@QuercusBooks

@MillsReid11

Blog Blast~ The Book of Wonders by Julien Sandrel

Quercus
30 May 2019

Translated by Rod Schwartz

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book and the invitation to be part of this blog blast

Live every day like it’s your last.

Thelma is the busy single mum of 12-year-old Louis. When he is hit by a lorry one morning, their lives are changed for ever. Louis falls into a coma and if he doesn’t regain consciousness in the next four weeks, he may never wake up again.

At home in Louis’ bedroom, a devastated Thelma finds a list of all the things he wants to accomplish in his life, and suddenly sees a way to survive: she will fulfil her son’s dreams, in the hope that it will bring him back. With the help of his nurse, Thelma sets up an iPad in Louis’ hospital room so he can follow her adventures. His first wish: to spend a day in Tokyo. Thelma has just one desperate hope, that her son will come back to her.

My thoughts..

When twelve year old Louis is badly injured in a road traffic accident, his mother Thelma is devastated to discover that Louis has secretly made a bucket list of all the things he wanted to see and accomplish in his life. However, with only a limited time, before the doctors need to make a decision about Louis' future, Thelma decides to work through this bucket list and record her experiences  in the hope that it will aid her son's recovery.

The Book of Wonders is a salutary story about fulfilling your dreams as you never know what is going to happen. As in Louis' case, a freak accident changed both his and his mother's life forever, and yet, testament to Thelma's determination, that even though she was grieving, she drew on every ounce of her resilience to try to bring hope to her damaged son.

Sometimes its important to take a moment to stop and consider what's important and I think that's where the strength of this novel lies, in that, even though the story has the potential to be a sad and rather dark story about loss of hope, what the author has in fact done is to make this a really hopeful story about finding strength, courage and resilience in the face of great adversity. It's not an overly sentimental story and there were moments which made me smile, so all credit to the author for writing an uplifting story about a sad subject.

 

...It's never too late to live every day like it's your last...

#1-Climb a Mountain

#2-Swim in the ocean

#3-Catch a falling star

About the Author

Julien Sandrel was born in 1980 in the south of France, i s married and has two children, The book of Wonders is his first novel, La Chambre des meveilles was first published in France by Calmann-Levy in March 2018. 

He lives in Paris.

Twitter @JulienSandrel #BookofWonders

@QuercusBooks

@MillsReid11