The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

 

Beth O’Leary blew me away with her debut novel The Flatshare as it was a completely new concept that was written in a unique way. She then released The Switch which was another wonderful read which didn’t disappoint so I was excited for her new release The Road Trip.

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in rural Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.

But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, Dylan, who she's avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they've totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with four-hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can't avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship...

Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly, is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

 

This was a modern witty read with a bumpy romance along the way. With each chapter alternating between Addie and Dylan’s points of view we begin to build a true picture of their romance and I could see the chemistry between them was intense and that they were meant to be together so I was wracking my mind trying to work out what had happened to put an end to their relationship but what was revealed was not something I had expected at all and it really touched my heart for them both.

Addie and Dylan were both friendly, caring and honest characters who were both from very different backgrounds. Dylan’s friend Marcus was a live wire and I certainly had an air of caution around him as much as he helped to provide some of the humour along the way.

The storyline is uplifting and full of energy flowing at a fast paced with no dull moments for your mind to wander which is surprising considering some of the issues that are touched upon in the storyline. The author has made both her lead characters so life like with both Addie and Dylan having flaws that they both take ownership of and this was quite refreshing to have and made it feel like a more realistic storyline even if it was a huge coincidence that they happened to have a crash on the way to the same place!

I loved The Road Trip just as much has her debut The Flatshare and after three flawless novels I think I can now safely say I am a Beth O’Leary fan and will definitely be pre-ordering her next novel as soon as we are able to do so as her books are definitely ones not to be missed.

A Postcard from Paris by Alex Brown

 

I am beyond thrilled to be part of the blog tour for A Postcard From Paris as I am Alex Brown's BIGGEST fan! ( Yes I did give myself that number one spot!)

I have loved each and everyone of Alex's novels but this one is definitely up there with my favourite of hers so check out my review and see if this one needs to make its way onto your bookshelf.

Annie Lovell is keen to put the spark back into her life and when her elderly neighbour inherits an abandoned Parisian apartment she goes to Paris to discover more. Her curiosity takes an unexpected turn on discovering a bundle of secret diaries hidden within the walls, detailing the life of a young English woman, Beatrice Crawford, who volunteered in 1916 to nurse the soldiers in the fields of France.
 
Captivated by the romantic City of Light, Annie realises first appearances are not always as they seem. Following Beatrice’s journey from the Great War, through the Roaring Twenties and to a very different life in Nazi-occupied Paris, Annie must piece together the events from the past, if she is to fulfil the legacy that Beatrice left for her to find…

I really missed not having a book by Alex Brown to lose myself in in 2020 but I kept seeing her social media showing updates on her writing process and cover reveals which gave me something to look forward to for 2021. As much as I am not a fan of reading on my kindle I was so desperate to read A Postcard From Paris that I couldn’t wait for the paperback release and having now finished reading A Postcard from Paris I can tell you all, this was well worth the wait so I forgive her for not giving me a book last year!

Annie needs some excitement in her life and the perfect opportunity arises when her elderly friend Joanie inherits an apartment and boutique in Paris left to her by a Beatrice Archambeau but she doesn’t know who the lady is. Annie embarks on a mission to try and find out who Beatrice was and as she uncovers the diaries she kept during the war she begins to form a picture of the courageous woman, but what is the connection between Joanie and Beatrice?

This was such a heart warming and insightful read, certainly up there with my favourite novel by Alex Brown. The storyline is predominantly told from Annie’s point of view but we get a wonderful insight into the life Beatrice lead through her own words in her diaries and I for one am not great with dual time frames but with the past being unravelled to us in this way made it all the more engaging and I looked forward to the chapters where we would be taken back in time to see what a courageous woman Beatrice was and to gradually pick up little pieces of the puzzle to see how everything fit.

The part Beatrice played in the war was portrayed well and gave a small insight into the way they all lived in constant fear and secrecy to stay safe but with thanks to a few brave souls who put their own lives at risk to protect others some lives were spared.

The author describes in such detail the beauty of Paris, I longed to be sat outside Odette with Annie, Maggie and Kristen on the cobbled street under the red canopies eating freshly baked patisseries experiencing my own Parisian adventure!

I found I was equally invested in both Annie and Beatrice lives so I enjoyed moving back and forth between the characters watching them grow, with Annie building firm friendships and finally taking time to look around and find enjoyment in her life. The novel was such a positive and uplifting read full of bravery, friendships, new beginnings and a touch of romance too.

I am a huge Alex Brown fan and her fictitious village Tindledale is a favourite of mine so I was so thrilled to see Tindledale and a could of the old characters pop up and have a connection in this novel.

I highly recommend A Postcard From Paris with its mix of modern chic Parisian charm and heartwarming, heroic history.

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The Foundling by Stacey Halls

 

I am late to the party when it comes to reading The Foundling by Stacey Halls, I remember the book jacket popping up online and thinking what a beautiful intricate looking cover and I read many reviews praising the book so I am thrilled to have finally got around to reading it.

 

Two women, bound by a child, and a secret that will change everything . . .

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London's Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst, that Clara has died in care, Bess is astonished to be told she has already claimed her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why.

Less than a mile from Bess's lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend - an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital - persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

From the bestselling author of The Familiars comes this captivating story of mothers and daughters, class and power, and love against the greatest of odds . . .

This is certainly one of these books you wonder why on earth you left it so long to read because it was an addictive and captivating read that held my attention the whole way through. The authors writing style is exquisite with subtle descriptions that brought the characters and their surroundings to life.

Historical fiction is not a genre I often opt for but this book which was set in 1754 in London really intrigued me and I didn’t realise that The Foundling hospital was real, it sparked my interest so much I found myself online looking up more information on it as I was so shocked that this place was actually real. The author has quite clearly taken a keen interest and undertook substantial research in the hospital this shows in her writing.

Bess was easy to warm to from the moment we are introduced to her and my heart instantly went out to her having to give her child away, I was eager to see her reclaim her baby Clara so when this wasn’t possible, I was heartbroken for her.

I love a book that questions my morals and values and this certainly does just that. I always feel like I am confident in knowing right from wrong but this is another storyline that blurs the lines between and has you doubting your views knowing that something is definitely illegal but actually you kind of agree is right and you can understand why they made the decision.

The ending all came together perfectly and left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be picking up The Familiars next and will be looking forward to her next release Mrs England.

 

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Tall Bones by Anna Bailey

 

When seventeen-year-old Emma leaves her best friend Abi at a party in the woods, she believes, like most girls her age, that their lives are just beginning. Many things will happen that night, but Emma will never see her friend again.

Abi's disappearance cracks open the façade of the small town of Whistling Ridge, its intimate history of long-held grudges and resentment. Even within Abi's family, there are questions to be asked - of Noah, the older brother whom Abi betrayed, of Jude, the shining younger sibling who hides his battle scars, of Dolly, her mother and Samuel, her father - both in thrall to the fire and brimstone preacher who holds the entire town in his grasp. Then there is Rat, the outsider, whose presence in the town both unsettles and excites those around him.

Anything could happen in Whistling Ridge, this tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark - the truth of what really happened that night out at the Tall Bones....

The cover and synopsis of Tall Bones screamed sinister and thrilling to me so I was keen to see what debut author Anna Bailey had hidden between the pages of this book.

A teenage girl Abi heads into the woods leaving her best friend Emma behind and she is never seen again. In the small town of Whistling Ridge everyone knows everyone’s business but nobody knows what happened to Abi, if she is dead or alive but there is plenty of opinions flowing through the racist and homophobic community and it seems like it is only her best friend Emma who is truly determined to find answers to her friends’ disappearance.

With so many dark secrets hidden amongst the community it isn’t long before they all start unravelling but will Abi ever be found?

This was a dark, troubled and wicked novel that was unpredictable, I never quite knew if we were ever going to find out what really happened to Abi but all the dirty secrets we began to unearth on her family and local town folk sure made for gritty reading. I think the author has thrown every raw and negative issue into the storyline from racism, abuse and homophobia which certainly gave a dark undertone to the novel and the only lightness that shone through was from our only loveable and sweet natured character, Emma!

I did find it took me a while to settle into the structure of the book as it is told from a vast amount of characters points of view as well as moving back and forth in time and this sometimes left me a little mind boggled and did effect the flow of the storyline but as the storyline progressed I did become familiar with who was who and the parts told by them became longer and more indepth so it didn’t jump about as frequently.

All in all this was a gritty debut with an author who shows promise and is not afraid on tackling issues that are unpleasant as well as concealing the truth right up until that pivotal moment.

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