Tag: fiction reviews

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Fiction

Magpie, Elizabeth Day

Marisa has only known Jake a few months, but their relationship seems to be going well. Despite the concern of her good friend, Marisa gives up her rented flat, moves in with Jake and their relationship appears to accelerate quickly when the couple decide to have a baby together.

Everything appears pretty rosy for Marisa, that is until Jake suggests getting a lodger to help the couple financially and Kate comes to live with them. There is something not quite right about Kate. She seems far too obsessed with the couple, she asks way too many questions about the baby, and she just seems far too comfortable in their house. To Marisa something just doesn’t seem quite right, but why doesn’t Jake share her concerns?

Having read and enjoyed other books by Elizabeth Day I was very excited to read Magpie. If I am completely honest it took me a little while to get my teeth into this book but once I warmed to the characters, I began to fly through it, and the perseverance was worth it as I have never read a book with a plot quite like it. Without giving too much away, all I will say is the plot twist is incredibly clever.

Within the book many themes are touched upon including, but not limited to, mental health illnesses, expectations of women and family relationships. However, one overarching theme which I would like to touch upon is infertility. Elizabeth Day has always been very open about her own fertility journey and I thought the way infertility was touched upon through Magpie was done empathetically but it also came across as very real. I think this is a topic which is far more common than people realise yet can be difficult for authors to touch upon in a way which is detailed yet realistic. I would like to thank Elizabeth Day for bringing this topic to light in such a candid way.

I have seen in other reviews people have said that the end seems too tidy for such a complex life situation. I will comment on this and say I must agree to some extent. Is the ending realistic? Not really. Is it possible? Yes, you would have to be very lucky. However, this is a fiction story and who doesn’t like a happy ending?

All in all, 4.5 stars. Magpie is a very clever and compelling novel with a one-of-a-kind plot twist.

Thank you to Netgalley and 4th Estate for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Magpie will be published in the UK on the 2nd September 2021.

Categories
crime fiction Fiction Thriller

The Anniversary, Laura Marshall

On 15th June 1994 Travis Green walked through the streets of Hartstead and killed eleven of his neighbours. The final victim was four-year-old Cassie Colman’s father.

With the twenty-fifth anniversary approaching, the Hartstead shooting is brought back into the limelight and, like many, Cassie would rather forget the past. That is, until she discovers something which suggests that those murders did not happen quite like everyone said. However, unlike Cassie, not everyone is so keen for her to dig up the past.

The Anniversary is quite possibly the best crime fiction book I have read in a very, very long time. Having read one of Laura Marshall’s books before and remembering how much I enjoyed it, I was keen to read The Anniversary, and wow, it lived up to my expectations and more! I was thoroughly hooked the entire way through.

Some crime fiction books are predictable but this one was not in the slightest. The entire way through I was kept in suspense, and I truly did not expect any of the twists and turns.

Themes in the book included violence (including domestic violence), becoming a first time parent, single parenting, questioning morals and dementia. I thought the themes were handled sensitively and I actually really enjoyed how the author explored the idea of new parenting and how other parents make it look easy. Whilst I am not a parent myself, I enjoyed the whole façade vs. reality, and how the author dared to go down the route of a character who doesn’t make motherhood look like a breeze. I am sure a lot of parents will appreciate this.

I was sad to get to the end of this book and cannot wait for the next release by Laura Marshall.  All in all The Anniversary was a compelling read, full of twists and turns, and worthy of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Anniversary will published on the 5th August.

Categories
Fiction Historical Fiction

A Ration Book Daughter, Jean Fullerton

A Ration Book Daughter is the fifth book in The Ration Book series and is focused around Cathy Brogan and her son Peter. If you have read the previous books, then you will know Cathy is stuck in an unhappy marriage and is living with her horrible mother-in-law, who treats her terribly.

When Cathy’s husband Stanley is declared missing in action, it comes as no surprise that Cathy begins counting down the days until she can be declared a widow and be free of her violent husband. Cathy dreams of a big family, like the one she herself grew up in, and has given up on this dream, but then she meets Sergeant McIntosh and finds herself falling for him. Can she find the love she deserves? Certainly not if her mother-in-law has anything to do with it!

Having previously read A Ration Book Wedding I was very excited to read A Ration Book Daughter and was certainly not disappointed. I was already invested in the characters, and was excited to continue my journey with them. I love Jean Fullerton’s style, her writing really allows you to immerse yourself in the story, and she has really made me grow on historical fiction as a genre.

The themes in the book really made me think about how society has changed (and perhaps not changed enough) since WWII. For example the position of women in society. Today if a woman was stuck in Cathy’s situation you would hope she could up and leave. However, for Cathy and other women at that time, they relied on their husbands wages to live on, and there was more stigma attached to a woman who left an unhappy marriage than there was to a man who treated them so horrifically. Other themes touched on in the book include war, racism, abuse, relationships and love.

Overall, whilst The Ration Book series doesn’t hide us from the brutalities of the war, and is great to learn more about family life during WWII in a fictitious way, this was a very cosy and heartwarming read. If you haven’t read all the previous books then this isn’t necessarily an issue, although I am keen to go back and read the ones I have previously missed.

Thank you to Readers First, who gave me a copy of this book pre publication in exchange for an honest review.

Categories
Fiction

Everything is Beautiful, Eleanor Ray

11 years ago Amy Ashton’s best friend and boyfriend disappeared without a trace. They must have run away together is the obvious conclusion. At first Amy is not convinced, but with it being 11 years later and still no answers, there is little else left for Amy to believe.

Over the years Amy begins to collect things. It started with things related to the case and things which reminded her of her past and better times. However, now her house is full of lots of things; things which people would consider junk, but which Amy finds meaning in and uses to fill the gaps her losses have left her with.

It isn’t until a new family move in next door that an incident occurs in Amy’s garden which leads her to discovering a clue. Is it enough to lead Amy to finally uncover the truth about the past?


Everything is Beautiful is a fantastically written novel. Structured with chapters which switch between the past and the present- this was particularly helpful to understand who the main protagonist Amy was and how she got to where she is now. As the past helps us to understand what she once had and why she is drawn to certain things.

I felt very drawn to Amy and thought that her character was well thought out. At the beginning she comes across as someone who is a bit of a recluse and very lonely, perfectly happy in her own company with her many belongings. However, as the book moves on you begin to realise that is not the true Amy.  It is difficult for Amy to move on when she is holding on to the past and has not ever had closure. At first it is almost unimaginable to think Amy can change and live the life she deserves, however, this is where Eleanor Ray gets it so wonderfully perfect, as with all situations in life, not everything is black and white or is it always linear. As we move through the book, we see that Amy still has so much to give and experience.

Themes in this book include but are not limited to love, loss, hope, healing and hoarding. I particularly loved that Eleanor Ray delved into the topic of hoarding. I think sometimes those who hoard can be really judged. Those who do not understand may see it as a choice or as simply lazy and therefore it can be seen as a taboo. However, as we see in the novel, hoarding is normally a sign of a deeper problem, which for Amy was her past and all the sadness she had experienced. I thought Eleanor Ray got this message across in a very sensitive way and I would hope it would have brought a greater understanding to many readers.

Overall, this is a story of hope. It truly felt like a hug in a book and without a doubt it deserves 5 stars.

Categories
Fiction Thriller

The Lies We Tell, Jane Corry

What would you do if your only son came home one night and told you he had killed someone? Would you hand him in? Or, would you go to great lengths to try and protect him?

That is the dilemma which Sarah and Tom are faced with, when 15-year-old Freddie comes home one evening and tells them exactly that.

The book rewinds back to the past and takes us on the journey of how Sarah and Tom met. Two, very different, people with very dissimilar traits and personalities, both of whom have experienced turbulent pasts and mistakes.

Overall, this book centres around the moral dilemma, of would you protect your child if they told you they murdered somebody, or not? Sarah takes a more nurturing approach, whereas Tom wishes to call the police. I think for some this may seem too far fetched- you may like to hope you would do the obvious right thing- but Jane Corry has a way with writing which really makes you feel Sarah’s pain. She wanted to be a mother to correct the wrongs of her own up-bringing, she suffered multiple miscarriages, therefore for Sarah the pain of giving up her son is unfathomable.

Jane Corry is one of those authors who I know will not let me down, and The Lies We Tell did not fail to impress. Her writing is spot on. The characters in the book, were well thought of, not just the main protagonists but also those supporting, such as Olivia and Gladys, and the pace was perfect. Whilst a huge timeframe was fitted in to one book, it did not drag and it kept my attention. The novel was full of twists and turns and every time you thought you knew you didn’t.

Overall a great book. A solid 4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin General UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Categories
Fiction Thriller

The Family Friend, C.C. McDonald

Erin is a mum, living by the sea with her fiancé Raf. when looking at Erin’s Instagram it would easily fool you into thinking she is living the perfect life. With thousands of followers, her posts suggest she is super mum, managing to have it all, whilst remaining upbeat and happy. However, in reality Erin is struggling with anxiety, finding connecting with her son challenging and is estranged from her family.

One day Erin gets home from a retreat to find Amanda, at their house. Raf explains Amanda is a family friend, from Australia. Having never heard of Amanda, Erin finds this strange at first. However, these suspicious thoughts quickly turn to gratitude when a famous agent offers to help Erin with her Instagram career and Amanda offers to move in and babysit.

However, the novelty of Erin’s new career soon wares off, when she begins to get trolled. Videos are posted which not only leads to a backlash from her followers, but her agent isn’t happy. To make matters worse these videos could have only been taken by someone close to Erin, leaving her second guessing all those closest to her.  

The Family Friend is a modern-day thriller, which could have done with a bit more thrill. From a thriller you expect twists and turns, but unfortunately the twists and turns failed to surprise and the plot was predictable.

Whilst the plot wasn’t amazing, I did still find this novel easy to read and enjoy the level of detail C.C. McDonald writes in. The immaculate detail really impacted the way I perceived the characters. For example, at first, I failed to connect with Erin, I wanted her to get off her phone (hypocritical really!), but the detail used to describe the trolling she experienced, as well as the details used to describe her anxiety, particularly around the other mum’s, really made me feel for her. I found myself feeling as though I was in her shoes and could really sense these worries and fears.

The themes which were discussed throughout The Family Friend are very relevant and relatable to today’s society. These themes included social media vs reality, trolling, anxiety, being a new parent and control in relationships. Pretty much all of us have a different persona online, and if you think you don’t then ask yourself how often you post about your worst days. Not to mention, those who feel parenting does not come naturally to them often feel too afraid and guilty to admit it, particularly when on social media it looks like all the other parents are doing everything swimmingly perfect. Therefore, I thought it was an important portrayal, which is not often seen, or if it is it is normally a bad character (think wicked non-maternal stepmothers in fairy tales). I would hope that Erin’s characterisation would make at least one new mum feel a little less alone.  

Overall, I would give The Family Friend 4/5 stars. It was an easy read, which was well written and discussed important issues, it would have just been nice to have a little less predictability.  

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Categories
Fiction Romance

Three’s A Crowd, Simon Booker

What happens when an estranged father and son unwittingly fall in love with the same woman?

That is exactly what happens to Harriet, who meets Tom, a regular customer at the café she works at, and his dad, radio presenter DJ Richard who she meets at ‘The Voice of London competition’.

Having just come out of a shambolic relationship, with cheating Damian aka ‘Cockweasel’. Harriet decides to take a chance on both men, not realising they are father and son, and by the time the truth is out, both Tom and Richard are deeply in love with Harriet, leaving her with an impossible choice.

Three’s A Crowd has a little bit of everything in there. As expected, it is a love triangle romance story, but with humour and mysteries thrown in. Themes in the book included relationships and breakups, career confidence, big life decisions and mental health illness.

Normally in novels with a triangular love story, I find myself having a favourite and see one lover as more worthy than another, but as the mysteries unravel throughout the book, it was very hard not to emphasise with everyone. I think this goes to show just how impeccable the way Simon Booker portrayed the characters was, and this does not only go for the main three protagonists, but also for the minor characters too. Nancy, Harriet’s hilarious Nan, and Gorgeous George, Richard’s runaway Dad, really added value to the story.

Overall, a light humourful read, which I would give 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Categories
Fiction

At First Sight, Hannah Sunderland

Trigger Warning: suicide, bereavement, mental health illnesses.

Nell is a telephone operator at a mental health charity. One lunch time chance leads Nell to meet Charlie in a cafe. They both feel a spark but regrettably don’t exchange numbers. After leaving the cafe and heading back to work Nell does a u-turn, as she rushes back to the cafe in hope that Charlie is still there. When she realises he is not,  she accepts she will not see him again.

Fate has a funny way of bringing people together and that is exactly what happens to Nell and Charlie when the next day Nell’s work phone rings and Charlie is at the other end of the line. He needs Nell’s help.

At First Sight is beautifully written and heartwarming but is like no other romance story I have ever read as it delves into some of life’s darkest moments as it centres around themes such as suicide, mental health, depression, grief and finding love after bereavement.

Having been recently bereaved by suicide myself, I thought that the book was written in the most sensitive way, with an aim to break surrounding stigmas and raise awareness, and you can tell that Hannah Sunderland had researched the themes very thoroughly.

The pace of the book felt right and I felt fully invested in all the characters. Whilst, as a reader you want Nell and Charlie to live happily ever after, I really appreciated that the author didn’t include romantic cliches. I found this emphasised the difficulties those who have been bereaved, and those who support them, face and that these things are never a straight line.

Overall, a really emotionally rewarding book, which is very different from anything I have read before.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Categories
Fiction Thriller

Surrogate, Susan Spindler

Ruth Furnival has a highly successful career as a television executive, lives in a beautiful London home with Adam, her lawyer husband, and has two grown up daughters. Sounds perfect right? However, at 54 years old Ruth finds herself feeling dissatisfied.

Lauren, Ruth’s eldest daughter, has had multiple rounds of IVF, and after her latest miscarriage she is told that the only way she will ever have her own child is through surrogacy. However, surrogacy laws in the UK can be complicated, which leads to Lauren unsure about letting a stranger carrying her baby. When Ruth realises that it is possible that she can reverse the menopause and carry Lauren’s baby, Lauren and her husband, whilst reluctant at first, agree out of desperation.

However, not is all as simple as it seems.

Surrogate is an extremely powerful read. It touches upon such a delicate topic yet Susan Spindler portrays it perfectly; delicately but authentically, as she shows all the realities which need to be considered, and the emotional turmoil it can cause to all involved. Aside from surrogacy and infertility other themes in the novel include relationships, identity and self-purpose.

The characterisation in this book was spot on. Every character had something to bring to the novel and I found it interesting to understand the impact of the surrogacy on each of their personalities. Sometimes when reading you like and dislike certain characters- with this book I liked and disliked them all during different times- as the author managed to bring out the worst and best in all of them, which showed the rollercoaster of emotions and feelings each of them faced.

I really enjoyed the pace of this book. There were lots of twists and turns and things which you don’t expect to happen. It was a topic which a lot of people may shy away from and therefore very much if anything similar to this before and overall found it a very powerful and emotionally charged read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Categories
Fiction Thriller

Stay Home, Ava Pierce

Stay Home is a mystery thriller which evolves around London during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. It centres around two main characters; Caitlin a mother of two and wife, who has been having an affair with the victim Daniel, and Ali, a just-about-functioning, lonely alcoholic whose main hobby is neighbourhood watch.

When Caitlin discovers Daniel dead one morning when she is supposed to be on her ‘daily run’ she is reluctant to tell a soul. After all she is breaking the lockdown rules, not to even mention reporting the incident to the police will unlock the truth of her affair and therefore she risks losing her family as a result of her deceptive secret. However, little does Caitlin know she is being watched.

I was really excited to read this book as it was the first mystery I have read which centres around the pandemic we are living through. Although, I was nervous- was it a bit soon? I have to say the bravery of the author did pay off!

Admittedly, I did find the start slow. However, the pace of the storyline started to pick up and before I knew it I was racing through the book, finding it difficult to put down as twists and turns occurred. I have to say I particularly loved the character development of Ali, Ava Pierce led me to really emphasise with her pain, and I enjoyed the growth of Ali and Caitlin’s ‘chalk and cheese’ companionship throughout the novel and how ultimately they were not very different from each other at all.

Without giving any spoilers, I did find the ending a tad predictable. Perhaps I just read too many thrillers and my guessing game has got good? As a result of this, was Stay Home the best thriller I have read? Unfortunately, not. However, that does not undermine how much I enjoyed the journey of the novel and I would give it a solid 3 stars.

Overall, a very current read, relatable and full of twists and turns.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.