Thank you @headofzeus and @randomthingstours for giving me a copy of #thesisterhoodrules by @kathy.lette in return for an honest review.
This novel is a torrent of brilliant one-liners, interspersed with jokes so rude they would make a billy-goat blush.
Lette's racy humour is underpinned by feminism. Isabel and her twin sister Verity have not spoken since Verity stole Isabel's husband. Thanks to love rat Johnny the rule that sisters must never allow a man to come between them is in smithereens. But everything changes when their mother goes missing.
The family is united by musical talent, and Lette writes sensitively about the technical side of music. It is heartwarming when, after hilarious adventures, the sisters are reconciled.
I found the Irish characters rather stereotypical. Otherwise, I highly recommend The Sisterhood Rules.
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Today @cwipprize winner Faye Brann reveals the cover of Little Grey Cells, the twisty sequel to her cosy crime novel Kiss, Marry, Murder. In it she sets out to prove that even at the most civilised of dinner tables, revenge is a dish best served cold.
Brann is passionate about writing stories featuring strong, fun, feisty women over forty. I agree with her that this delightful group is under-represented in commercial fiction.
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Thank you @bedfordsq.publishers and @randomthingstours for giving me a copy of #AfterDarcy by @jonadin in return for an honest review.
Nadin takes up the story of the five Bennet sisters and their mother where #JaneAusten left off, at the end of Pride and Prejudice. In order to investigate their personalities, she has transported them to the present day and sent them out to earn their livings. Although I do not entirely agree with Nadin's interpretation, I recommend this novel for perception, insight and lots of laughs.
Lydia's actions create the pace of the action, because she is the least predictable of the sisters. Much of the plot is taken up with damage limitation, after Lydia pushes the boundaries of what her older sisters are prepared to tolerate. Mrs Bennet's determination to marry off at least four of her daughters remains key to the action. Mary, the middle child, circles around the others in her own quirky orbit, bewildered by their refusal to be sensible.
I was surprised by how much I missed the Bennet menfolk. Without their men to bounce off the women have lost some of their vigour. I think this is Nadin's point.
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Thank you @randomthingstours for giving me a copy of #afterdarcy by @jonadin in return for an honest #freebookreview. Watch this space. #bookstagram #humour #bookbloggers
This week our beloved #blacklabradorretriever left us. Boe was almost 100 in dog years but as smart and attentive as a puppy. Goodbye dear old friend #blacklabs
Thank you @matadorpublishers and @lovebookstours for giving me a copy of #MaybeIt'sAboutTime by @iamneilboss in return for an honest #freebookreview
This impressive debut novel shows how the Covd-19 #pandemic affected people differently according to their incomes.
Middle-aged Marcus is a partner in a London finance firm. He has a loving family, an incredibly luxurious lifestyle and a rebellious taste in music. At first he comes across as judgemental, but his natural kindness soon breaks through his cynical exterior.
Twenty something Claire barely survives in a cheap apartment. Her husband has abandoned her and their two babies, and her parents are hopeless. In the past Claire has had suicidal thoughts, and Covid-19 shatters her fragile support system.
A maverick social worker brings the mismatched pair together. Marcus longs to rescue Claire but their friendship is open to misunderstanding. Can he find a way to save the socially isolated single mother without antagonising the wife he adores?
Neil Boss describes day to day life at a time of national crisis with #wit and accuracy. His style reminds me of the diarist Samuel Pepys' account of the Great Fire of London.
I enjoyed Maybe It's About Time and will definitely read the sequel it demands. My only criticism is that it takes a long time to get into the story, because there is a lot of technical detail about Marcus's business in the first few chapters.
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Thank you @morning.star.media and @lovebookstours for giving me a copy of #thesoundofviolet 10th anniversary edition by @theallenwolf in exchange for an honest #freebookreview
Shawn is a young #autistic man who is seeking a wife. He goes from one disastrous date to another until he encounters Violet. He starts dating her but his autism keeps him from realizing that she's actually a prostitute. Shawn thinks he's found a potential wife but Violet is agonisingly aware of the realities of her situation. There are many red flags in this premise but Wolf's engaging style of writing makes it work.
It helps that the story is told from multiple points of view, because the reader can consider various aspects of the plot in detail. Shawn lives with his adoring grandmother in her upmarket apartment and has a close relationship with his brother. They come across as over protective of Shawn. I found the passages where the truth about Violet's lifestyle dawns on them very entertaining.
The first half of the book is light hearted and funny. The second half is darker. Issues of violence, brutality and coercive control raise their ugly heads. Violet, Shawn and his family need all the love, courage and loyalty they can muster to make it through to a satisfying conclusion.
My only criticism of this novel is that towards the end there are big chunks of Christian evangelism. I understand that the characters are under massive pressure and need to cling to something stronger than themselves. However, I think too many quotations from the Bible slows the action.
Highly recommended. I also loved the movie of The Sound of Violet which is available on YouTube.
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I've enjoyed taking part in the #ReadAlong for The Sound of Violet. Thank you @morning.star.media and @lovebookstours for giving me a copy of the book in return for a #freereview
My honest review will appear on 17 March.
Question 10: What is the most important lesson you've learned about relationships?
My answer: I've learned that in any relationship kindness is essential. @lovebookstours #LBTCrew #bookstagram #freebookreview
Question 9 on the #ReadAlong for The Sound of Violet by @theallenwolf . Thank you @lovebookstours and @morning.star.media for giving me this unusual novel in return for an honest #freebookreview.
Here's what I would say to my teenage self.
'Leave school at sixteen and take a @cityandguilds qualification in horticulture.'
In a recent post @reesewitherspoon said young people should find out what their talents are and follow them. She is so right.
Although I had a successful career in a graduate occupation, I've always wondered what I might have achieved if I'd done a gardening apprenticeship.
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I've been gifted Maybe It's About Time by @IamNeilBoss . Thank you @matadorpublishers@lovebookstours
In chapter one I thought Marcus was a 'stuffed shirt' - until he revealed his choice of music.
My honest #freebookreview will be posted on 19 March.
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Question 8 on the #Readalong for #thesoundofviolet by @theallenwolf is about how to show love or care to the people in your life. The example from the novel is giving food.
When I want to show someone I care I don't cook for them. I order a takeaway and spend an hour listening while the person talks. Listening to someone is an excellent way to show you care.
In chapter 20 Shawn listens attentively while Violet tells her story, even though it's a difficult one to hear.
I'm enjoying this book very much. Thank you @morning.star.media and @lovebookstours for giving me a free copy in return for an honest review.
The sound of Violet is an award-winning novel by Allen Wolf about Shawn, an autistic man seeking a wife. Desperate to find a soulmate Shawn goes to one awkward date after another until he encounters the alluring Violet. He starts dating her, but his autism keeps him from realizing that she's actually a prostitute. Shawn thinks he's found a potential wife while Violet thinks she's found her ticket to a brand new life.
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What song would you choose for your romantic first dance? #Readalong question 7 for #thesoundofviolet by @theallenwolf
I am deeply suspicious of all wedding "traditions" so this question is not for me.
Instead, I thought I'd have some fun with this picture of my grandparents on their honeymoon.
You can tell from those outfits that Maud and George thought marriage was a serious business. You can't imagine them indulging in anything as frivolous as a first dance.
I hope their courtship was more fun. That's why I've chosen 'Come Into The Garden Maud' for them. They would have known this old song based on a love poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. @morning.star.media@lovebookstours@lbt.crew #firstdance #hats #bookstagramuk
