Published October 23rd, 2023 by HQ Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Domestic Fiction, Festive Fiction, Christmas Story
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Could this Christmas be the start of a whole new chapter?
A long-lasting friendship
Every year, Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite for their book club holiday. They’re bonded by years of friendship and a deep love of books, but there is still so much they keep from each other…
A perfect Christmas escape
At the cosy Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true, but this Christmas all she wants is to survive the festive season. Between running the inn and being a single mother, Hattie is close to breaking point.
The start of a brand-new story…?
Over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truths, but nothing prepares her for how deeply her story will become entwined in theirs. Will this Christmas be the end of the book club’s story or the start of a whole new chapter?
Every year, best friends Erica, Anna and Claudia reunite for their book club holiday. This year they are getting together near Christmas, and Erica has chosen the cosy Maple Sugar Inn in Vermont for their getaway. The Inn is run by Hattie, a widowed single mother who specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true. But between motherhood and running the inn, there is little time to do anything than simply try to survive the festive season. The friends arrive at the Inn, and over the course of the next week secrets are revealed and all of their stories will become entwined in unexpected ways…
I love a cosy Christmas story, so when the SquadPod voted for The Christmas Book Club as our December Book Club pick I was thrilled. I’ve heard so many good things about Sarah Morgan’s books and have many of them on my TBR, so this was the ideal excuse to finally read one of them. And now I’m wondering why I waited so long. A delightful and uplifting story of love, friendship, family, grief and the changes that life throws our way, The Christmas Book Club is festive perfection. Sarah Morgan knows how to keep her readers turning the pages, delivering a story that is funny and entertaining but also has moving and emotional stories woven into every facet.
One of the highlights of this book for me were the compelling characters and the depictions of family, love and friendship between them. I especially loved Hattie, the Inn’s proprietor, and her young daughter Delphi, but each of the characters had me enthralled and I was rooting for each of them. The will they/won’t they romance between Hattie and Noah was also gripping and I was cheering them on throughout.
So if you’re looking for a warming festive story to read whilst snuggled under a blanket with a hot chocolate this year, this is the book for you.
Rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sarah Morgan is a USA Today and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of romance and women’s fiction. She has sold over 25 million copies of her books and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe.
Sarah lives near London, England and when she isn’t writing or reading, she likes to spend time outdoors hiking or riding her mountain bike.
Published July 3rd, 2025 by Century Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Ficiton, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Ficiton
Welcome to my review for this nerve-shredding thriller, Thank you to Century for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
He’s the perfect man.
He says he loves you.
You think he might even be made for you.
Before long he’s moved into your house – and into your heart.
And then he leaves for days at a time. You don’t know where he’s gone or who he’s with.
And you realise – if you looked back – you’d say to yourself:
DON’T LET HIM IN.
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MY REVIEW:
Nick seems like the perfect man. He’s charming, sweet, thoughtful, says all the right things and buys you gifts. So what if things are going faster than you’d usually like. When it’s right, it’s right. Except when it’s not. Because behind the charming veneer Nick is a conman who exploits women for his own gain. And you are his next victim.
The Queen of the psychological thriller has done it again! Lisa Jewell is back with a nerve-shredding story that blew me away. I was completely in her thrall and inhaled this book in under a day; desperate to untangle the twisted web she had woven. Psychologically rich, keenly observed and cleverly choreographed, this book showcases Jewell as a master of her craft. Jewell has mentioned being a fan of true crime documentaries and this book certainly has that vibe, which I loved. And, that ending! Omg! I fell for it again, another trick pulled out of the hat right when I was sure it was all over, changing everything with a single line. Now I understand why people have told her they threw the book across the room after finishing. It’s sneaky and I’m totally here for it. I’ll happily keep falling for your tricks Ms. Jewell.
The story is populated by a large cast of impeccably developed and dynamic characters who feel relatable, mostly likeable, and had me invested in their lives. At the centre of it all is Nick, the charming conman who will smile at your face and tell you pretty lies, all while he’s actually thinking about the fact he loathes you. This toxic, cold and calculating man has zero redeeming qualities and is one of the most odious and dangerous characters I’ve ever read. Every time you think he can’t sink any lower, this guy goes down another five floors. Jewell perfectly balances the charm he would need to be successful at his con while allowing the reader a glimpse inside his twisted mind. It’s chilling and I hated him with a passion. I felt deeply for the women caught up in his web and desperately wished I could save them.
Heart-poundingly tense, sinister, twisty and unsettling, Don’t Let Him In is an addictive thriller that has me bowing at Ms. Jewell’s throne. Not to be missed! And remember: if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lisa Jewell was born in London in 1968.
Her first novel, Ralph’s Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, The Family Remains and The Night She Disappeared, all of which were Richard & Judy Book Club picks.
Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over thirty languages. She lives in north London with her husband and two daughters.
Published October 3rd, 2024 by Magpie Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction
Welcome to my review for Leaving, the beautiful and hearbreaking read that was the SquadPod Book Club pick for October. Thank you to Magpie for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
What does love demand of us, and who must pay the price?
‘Absorbing…haunting.’ Meg Woltizer, author of The Wife
High school sweethearts, Sarah and Warren, have grand plans for an adventurous future together, but when a misunderstanding causes them to part ways, they end up marrying other people.
When they meet again at sixty, their lives have been carved into very different shapes. Sarah lives outside New York; Warren lives in Boston. Sarah is divorced, Warren still married, and both have grown up children. When they reconnect, they feel the rekindled spark of love and desire – a spark that has been dead for so long. But are they willing to risk destroying all that they have built separately for the chance of a future together?
‘Classic… I’d read any story she has to tell.’ Amity Gage,New York Times
‘Smart, seductive.’ Daily Mail
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MY REVIEW:
Beautiful, moving, heartbreaking, bittersweet and devastatingly raw, Leaving is a riveting portrait of a marriage ending while a new love blossoms, and the price we can pay for love.
One night at the opera, Sarah runs into her high school sweetheart, Warren. Now sixty, the pair haven’t seen each other for forty years and married other people, but it is immediately evident they still have a strong connection. They can’t stop thinking about each other and start to meet, tentatively reconnecting as they catch up on the years they’ve spent apart. Sarah was single when they met, while Warren was in an unhappy marriage, which he decides to end to grasp his chance at happiness with the love that got away, sparking a chain of events that ask them just how much they are willing to sacrifice for their love and the chance of a future together.
I was not prepared for this book! Beautifully told, reflective, lingering and compelling, Roxana Robinson drew me in and I lost myself in the lives of these richly drawn, relatable and flawed characters. Robinson expertly conveys the overwhelming, painful, and often conflicting emotions that come with these situations, the characters’ emotions leaping from the pages. She also wonderfully writes the euphoria and fear of falling in love after heartbreak and the complexities of trying to merge established lives to create a new, blended family. As someone who has been through divorce and then been lucky enough to find my soulmate and create a blended family, I related to so much of what Sarah and Warren experienced. I know the heartache of being trapped in a marriage you know is not right and the strength it takes to walk away. I also know the betrayal that Warren’s wife, Janet, felt when your whole world falls apart because you learn your husband has been having an affair. My heart was with all of these characters in so many ways but there were also times I couldn’t understand or condone their actions. It is one hell of an emotional journey. And that ending! I can’t stop thinking about it and don’t know when I’ll get over it.
Mesmerising, heartstopping and achingly real, Leaving is a powerful story that I highly recommend.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Roxana Robinson is the author of eleven books—seven novels, three collections of short stories, and the biography of Georgia O’Keeffe. Four of these were chosen as New York Times Notable Books, two as New York Times Editors’ Choices.
Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s, Best American Short Stories, The Southampton Review, Ep!phany and elsewhere. Her work has been widely anthologized and broadcast on NPR. Her books have been published in England, France, Germany, Holland and Spain.
Roxana Robinson has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation and the MacDowell Colony, and she was named a Literary Lion by the New York Public Library. Robinson has served on the Boards of PEN and the Authors Guild, and was the president of the Authors Guild. She has received the Barnes and Noble “Writers for Writers Award,” given by Poets and Writers, and the Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community from the Authors Guild. She teaches in the MFA Program at Hunter College.
Published February 29th, 2024 by Mantle Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Biographical Fiction, Domestic Fiction
It’s a bit late, but I’m finally sharing my review for The Maiden, which was our SquadPod Book Club choice for May. Thank you to Chloe at Mantle for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2024
‘A masterpiece’ ― Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal
‘Exceptional ― a tense, thrilling investigation, with a decidedly feminist slant‘ ― Daily Mail
Inspired by a real-life murder trial, Kate Foster’s The Maiden is a remarkable story with a feminist revisionist twist, giving a voice to women otherwise silenced by history. Winner of the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year 2023.
In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me.
Edinburgh, October 1679. Lady Christian is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover, James Forrester. News of her imprisonment and subsequent trial is splashed across the broadsides, with headlines that leave little room for doubt: Adulteress. Whore. Murderess.
Only a year before, Lady Christian was newly married, leading a life of privilege and respectability. So, what led her to risk everything for an affair? And does that make her guilty of murder? She wasn’t the only woman in Forrester’s life, and certainly not the only one who might have had cause to wish him dead . . .
‘Riveting . . . the tension persists until the last page’ ― The Times
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MY REVIEW:
“I am struck by the power of it. Fury. Revenge. For look at the trouble it can wreak.”
Whore. Adulteress. Murderess. These are the names used to describe Lady Christian after she is arrested for the brutal murder of her lover, James Forrester. These words hold weight, condemning Lady Christian to a sentence of death by beheading should she be found guilty of the crime. She protests her innocence. But there is a witness who claims to have seen her commit the crime. But can we trust the words of this other woman? A woman who may have her own motives for wishing Mr. Forrester harm. Which of them is telling the truth? And what really happened on that summer’s day under the sycamore tree?
Astonishing, alluring, bawdy and evocative, The Maiden is a mesmerising debut ablaze with tension, the threat of the eponymous guillotine hanging over every page. Exquisitely written and assuredly told, Kate Foster transports her reader to 17th Century Scotland, bringing it to life in detail so colourful and vivid that I could almost smell its putridscent. I was in her thrall as she reimagined these real-life events, weaving them into an unputdownable tale of love, lust, scandal, and bloody murder.
“Because, in the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me.”
In this telling, Foster has focused on the stories of the two remarkable women at the heart of the murder trial: Lady Christian, and Violet, a former prostitute who was working as a maid for James Forrester at the time of his murder. These very different women were more similar than they first seem. Both were strong, colourful, unusual and unforgettable characters who leaped from the pages and demanded our attention. They have been used, abused and neglected by men and are fighting for survival in a patriarchal society where they hold no power. I loved reading their stories, thankful that Foster has finally given them a voice after so many years of silence.
Moving between timelines and perspective, the story imagines what happened to these women before that dreadful day. Snippets taken from broadsheets that talk about the heinous crime and subsequent trial appear sporadically, helping to build tension. Foster avoids the day of the murder for a large chunk of the book and even then only reveals pieces of what happened. Then, as the story begins to focus on the trial, the tension rises, building into a crescendo that culminates in a finale so shocking that it left my jaw on the floor. I loved that I could never be sure if Lady Christian was guilty, who might have killed Lord Forrester, and if the women were reliable narrators. It added to the tension and suspense, leaving me feeling like I was holding my breath the whole time I was reading.
Bold, brave, moving, funny and surprising, The Maiden is an extraordinary debut not to be missed.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. The Maiden won the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect 2020 prize for new writers. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.
Published April 11th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction
Welcome to my review for this deliciously dark thriller. Thank you to The Likely Suspects for the invitation to take part in the readalong and the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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BOOK DESCRIPTION:
FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SWEET LITTLE LIES COMES A DARK AND TWISTY THRILLER ABOUT SECRETS, LIES AND REVENGE.
ONE WOMAN’S SECRET TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY THREE DEADLY BETRAYALS FOUR POTENTIAL SUSPECTS FIVE BAD DEEDS
‘A big high five for Caz Frear’s Five Bad Deeds – a page-gripping, nail-gnawing good read’ Cara Hunter
‘A deliciously dark story of how one woman’s life of seemingly domestic bliss can unravel faster than she ever thought possible. I predict it will be one of the big hits of 2024 – I loved it’ Nikki Smith
‘Deliciously waspish, twisty, and relatable’ Claire McGowan
Ellen Walsh has done something very, very bad. If only she knew what it was . . .
Teacher, mother, wife, and all-around good citizen Ellen is juggling non-stop commitments, from raising a teen and two toddlers to job-hunting, to finally renovating her dream home, the Meadowhouse. Amidst the chaos, an ominous note arrives in the mail declaring:
SOONER OR LATER EVERYONE SITS DOWN TO A BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCES.
Why would someone send her this note? Ellen has no clue. She’s no angel – a white lie here and there, an occasional sharp tongue – but nothing to incur the wrath of an anonymous enemy. Everyone around Ellen – her husband, her teenage daughter, her sister, her best friend, her neighbours – can guess why, though. They all know from bitter experience that while Ellen’s intentions are always good, this ultimately counts for very little when you’ve (unintentionally?) blown up someone’s life. Could the five bad deeds that come to haunt Ellen explain why things have gone so horribly wrong?
As she races to discover who’s set on destroying her life, Ellen receives more anonymous messages, each one more threatening than the last . . . and each hitting closer and closer to home and everything she cherishes.
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MY REVIEW:
Ellen Walsh is a busy mother juggling the demands of raising her teenage daughter and toddler twins with her teaching job and renovating her dream home. Out of the blue she receives an ominous note that reads ‘Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.’ Who sent the note? What did she do to incur such malice and vengeance? As Ellen tries to answer these questions, those around her have no such trouble understanding why someone may want to bring her down. Because while she may be full of the best intentions, Ellen’s deeds are not as good as she’d like to think and there are five bad deeds that could be the answer why her life is falling apart…
Five Bad Deeds is a nail-biting story of secrets, lies, frenemies, scandal and suspicion filled with tension and foreboding. I devoured this book in one sitting, handcuffed to the pages and so desperate for answers that I didn’t even notice the time and read through the night until the sun was about to rise again. Skillfully written and cleverly plotted, Caz Frear showcases her storytelling expertise as she drops clues into prose like hidden breadcrumbs for us to follow as we try to identify the culprit from the multiple suspects. But who has the biggest motive for wanting to destroy Ellen’s picture-perfect life?
I love it when you aren’t sure if someone is the good or bad guy and when you don’t know if you can trust a character, and this has both those things in abundance with an array of frenemies, backstabbing, frayed relationships and dark intentions woven into the plot. Even Ellen was potentially untrustworthy and I enjoyed that I could never be sure if she deserved all the chaos and torment coming her way. The story was told from multiple points of view which allowed us to not only get an insight into Ellen’s perspective, but also that of the people around her, and we soon discover just how differently she sees herself compared to the people around her. But who is telling the truth? I loved that it was so hard to predict and how every time I was sure I had things figured out another revelation would pull the rug from under me and make me reassess my predictions.
Deliciously dark, twisty, chaotic and venomous, this riveting story is a must-read for any thriller lover.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Caz Frear grew up in Coventry and spent her teenage years dreaming of moving to London and writing a novel. After fulfilling her first dream, it wasn’t until she moved back to Coventry thirteen years later that the writing dream finally came true.
She has a first-class degree in History & Politics, which she’s put to enormous use over the years by working as a waitress, shop assistant, retail merchandiser and, for the past twelve years, a headhunter.
When she’s not agonising over snappy dialogue or incisive prose, she can be found shouting at the TV when Arsenal are playing or holding court in the pub on topics she knows nothing about.
Published May 11th, 2023 by Coronet Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Domestic Fiction
Welcome to my review of This Family, the enthralling literary masterpiece that was the Squadpod Book Club pick for May.
Thank you to Coronet for the gifted proof copy.
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SYNOPSIS: An ambitious new novel of family life past and present from the author of the Costa Book Awards shortlisted The Stranding.
‘A smart yet tender page-turner. Kate Sawyer makes the reader feel as though they have a seat at the family table.’ ERIN KELLY
‘A tender yet vivid novel in both form and voice, its threads as bright as the tapestry of life it depicts. I lived, laughed and ached for these characters throughout. A superb accomplishment.’ WIZ WHARTON
‘Feels like the ultimate eavesdropping exercise, it’s satisfying fresh and expertly structured. The penultimate chapter will make you shriek. I loved it.’ ALEXANDRA HEMINSLEY
‘Lyrical, literary and luminous … buy it and treat yourself to writing at its finest.’ BETHANY CLIFT
‘Perfection. Funny and powerful, deeply moving, hugely atmospheric.’ LIZ HYDER
‘Every nuance of mother and daughters and sister relationships is vividly explored. Beautifully written, it expertly weaves the past with the present, building the tension, so you have to turn the pages.’ GEORGINA MOORE
‘Unfolds like a great piece of theatre… The more I read, the harder it became to put down.’ BOBBY PALMER
‘Fans of The Stranding, rest assured–This Family is every bit as good and then some. An absolute treat from start to finish.’ NATASHA CALDER
‘The vibrant, complex members of This Family are still alive and well in my imagination, weeks after I finished reading it. The rich, precise prose drew me into their world and held me there from beginning to end.’ JO BROWNING WROE ___________
It is my dearest wish, that after so long apart, I am able to bring this family together for my wedding day.
This house. This family.
Mary has raised a family in this house. Watched her children play and laugh and bicker in this house. Today she is getting married in this house, with all her family in attendance.
The wedding celebrations have brought fractured family together for the first time in years: there’s Phoebe and her husband Michael, children in tow. The young and sensitive Rosie, with her new partner. Irene, Mary’s ex-mother-in-law. Even Emma, Mary’s eldest, is back for the wedding – despite being at odds with everyone else.
Set over the course of an English summer’s day but punctuated with memories from the past forty years of love and loss, hope and joy, heartbreak and grief, this is the story of a family. Told by a chorus of characters, it is an exploration of the small moments that bring us to where we are, the changes that are brought about by time, and what, despite everything, stays the same.
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MY REVIEW:
“It is my dearest wish that after so long apart, I am able to bring this family back together for my wedding day. I don’t think it’s my way to ask much of others, but now I am asking each of you to give me one day where you leave any animosity at the gate and try to remember that you love each other.”
Enchanting, moving and achingly real, This Family is another literary masterpiece from Kate Sawyer. This family saga is told over the course of a late summer’s day and peppered with flashbacks that illustrate their history and the animosity, discord and anger that lingers between them. Can they put their bad blood aside for this one day? Or will their deep wounds rise to the surface and bubble over in a blaze of fury and resentment?
“It’s a new beginning. She should be happy. And she is. She is. But where there are new beginnings, there are always endings too.”
What a magnificent book! Kate Sawyere’s debut, The Stranding, was one of my favourite books of 2021 so I was highly anticipating her sophomore novel. And there is no second book syndrome in sight as Sawyer once again showcases her remarkable storytelling in this beautifully written story. A character study and exploration of life and family, Sawyer draws you into the lives of this fractured family with her eloquent and evocative writing. It is an emotional story, but not too heavy or melancholy thanks to the sprinkling of witty observations about life, parenthood and family that lighten the mood. I was lost in the pages, completely immersed in their world, and was sad to say goodbye to them when I reached the final page.
“She had been braced for a certain amount of nostalgia this weekend. It’s only to be expected that being back in your childhood home, saying farewell to all the nooks and crannies of the place where you became the person you are, is always going to invoke memories. She just hadn’t been prepared for which memories they might be, and how, remembering those memories, would feel like living it all over again.”
Told from multiple points of view, it follows four generations of one family as they come together for a wedding. This will be the first time they are all together since unknown events fractured them into pieces, but sisters Emma, Phoebe, and Rosie have agreed to put their own feelings aside for their mother Mary’s special day. But the pain runs deep between them, and they are unprepared for some of the feelings that arise when they see one another for the first time in years. This novel perfectly encapsulates the essence of family life with all of its messiness, drama, pain, and complex relationships. This is a family that is broken and we see how tensions run even higher during claustrophobic and anxiety-laden situations such as a wedding. The characters are all richly drawn, compelling, flawed and relatable. I had a particular affinity for Mary, who is a kind, selfless woman that has always given her all to her family, even raising the child her husband had with his mistress after her death. I think a lot of this affinity stemmed from having raised children from two families in a blended household myself, as well as the fact that my children are now grown and I’ve just had my second wedding. I also really enjoyed Irene, the cantankerous mother of Mary’s ex-husband Richard and the delightful Rosie, who was the only sister talking to everyone.
A truly decadent read that is atmospheric, stirring, insightful, nuanced and enthralling, This Family is an absolute must-read from a literary star.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
TW: Infertility and grief.
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Kate was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK where she grew up in the countryside as the eldest of four siblings, after briefly living with her parents in Qatar and the Netherlands.
Kate Sawyer worked as an actor and producer before turning her hand to fiction. She has previously written for theatre and short-film. Kate’s first novel The Stranding was published by Coronet in 2021 and was listed for the Costa First Novel Award.
Having lived in South London for the best part of two decades with brief stints in the Australia and the USA she recently returned to East Anglia to have her first child as a solo mother by choice.
Published April 6th, 2023 by Aria Romance Novel, Romantic Comedy, Domestic Fiction
Welcome to my review of After Paris, the funny and uplifting story that is one of our Squadpod Spotlight books for April. And this isn’t your average romcom.
Thank you to Aria books for the gifted copy of the book.
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SYNOPSIS: ‘A perfect holiday read, compulsively readable but also intriguing, thought-provoking and so good on female friendship’ Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request.
Three best friends. A weekend away. And a whole lot of baggage.
Alice, Nina and Jules have been best friends for twenty years. They met in Paris and return there once a year, to relive their youth, leave the troubles of home behind, and indulge in each other’s friendship and warmth. But this year, aged thirty-nine, the cracks in their relationships are starting to show…
After their weekend together in Paris, the three women never speak again. Each claims the other two ghosted them. But is there more to the story?
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MY REVIEW:
“Twelve hours in Paris. That’s all it took to cement their futures. They would often wonder in the years ahead: what if Jules had never come across Nina in that bathroom? What if Alice and Teddy hadn’t been there at all? Where, and who, would they be now?”
Delightful, funny and compelling, After Paris is a female-centric story that explores the ups and downs of friendship. I’d had this one on my wishlist since before the hardback release last year so I was very excited when the publisher offered the Squadpod the chance to read it to celebrate the paperback publication.
The story follows Alice, Nina and Jules, three women who have been friends for twenty years. It opens with the story of the women’s chance meeting in the Hotel de Crillon in Paris in 1999 and then jumps forward to twenty years later when they are on their way to Paris for their annual meet-up. Each woman is excited to leave behind the stresses and strains of daily life, relive their youth and catch up with one another. But they are also all hiding a secret. Something they are desperate to share but scared to tell the others. The cracks in their friendships are beginning to show, and after this weekend the women won’t speak again, each of them claiming the other two ghosted her. But what really happened that weekend? Is their friendship really irrevocably damaged or can they find a way to salvage the friendships that they’ve cherished for so long?
I adored this book. Funny, uplifting and thought-provoking, this isn’t your average romcom. It was my first time reading a book by Nicole Kennedy and I was struck by her beautiful writing, evocative imagery and complex and layered storytelling, weaving serious topics into this lighthearted read. Topics such as grief, love, motherhood, infertility, abortion, addiction and neuro-diversity are sensitively explored alongside an authentic and relatable portrayal of female friendship and its imperfections. You will recognise yourself and your own friendships somewhere in these women and their stories. Friendships change over the years, as we do, and Kenendy expertly portrays this ebb and flow as she moves between the past and present, exploring the women’s personal lives, their friendship and previous jaunts to Paris.
The story is told from each woman’s point of view, allowing us to get to know each woman and understand things from their perspective, something that is especially helpful when trying to figure out the truth of what happened during that last visit to Paris. Each woman is flawed but fascinating, someone the reader can really get behind and root for. I really enjoyed the different topics the author explored in the story and the realistic way that their lives and friendship is portrayed, particularly as some of their situations mean they have more privilege than some of us. It is a great example of how we are all human and no amount of money can prevent us from experiencing the hardships of life. I also really enjoyed their friendship and was rooting for them to find a way to repair it, especially as they’d been friends for so long.
A wonderfully escapist page-turner that will make you feel all the feelings, I highly recommend After Paris.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Nicole Kennedy grew up in Essex and studied Law at Bristol University. She has always loved to write but her efforts were waylaid by work as a corporate lawyer in London, Paris and Dubai. During Nicole’s second maternity leave she began writing poems on motherhood and family life. She completed her first novel during her third maternity leave (by then it was easier than leaving the house) and her second during the pandemic (by then she wasn’t allowed to leave the house).
Nicole lives in Kent with her husband and three sons.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this crazy, heart-stopping thriller. Thank you to HQ for the invitation to take part and to Louise Jensen for my signed copy of the book.
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SYNOPSIS:
MEET THE WALSH FAMILY
Lucy: Loving mother. Devoted wife. And falling to pieces. Aidan: Dedicated father. Faithful husband. And in too deep. Connor:Hardworking son. Loyal friend. But can never tell the truth.
Everyone in this family is hiding something, but one secret will turn out to be the deadliest of all . . .
Can this family ever recover when the truth finally comes out?
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MY REIVEW:
“The hands of the clock tick out their warning as they march from the present into the future. More than anything I wish I could wind them back and step into the past. Rewrite history. Keep us safe.”
Wow! What a rollercoaster ride this was! All For You has everything you could want in a thriller and more. Heart-pounding, tense and unputdownable it gets its hooks into you at the start and doesn’t let go. And I suggest you simply hold on and enjoy the ride.
I knew Louise Jensen wrote a good psychological thriller, but this time she really knocked it out of the park. Fast-paced and vividly written, this book was crazy! In the best way. Cleverly and intricately plotted, this is a layered, complex and nuanced story with so much beneath the surface waiting to be revealed. You feel the foreboding, mystery and dark secrets looming from the first page and the pain and torment flow from every pore as the author explores the dynamics of family life, friendships, love, loss and tragedy, as well as the reality of living with someone with a chronic and potentially fatal illness alongside the mystery. I was desperate to know what this family was hiding and why they thought someone would want revenge. I loved how hard this was to predict and how the slight shift in part two brought something new and surprising to the story that ramps up the tension you already feel, leaving me flying through the remaining pages to discover the truth.
“Suddenly, he knew what madness looked like. He was staring it straight in the eyes.”
I love a well-written multiple pov story and this one pulls it off flawlessly.The narrators are richly drawn and intriguing characters. They are all hiding something, making them unreliable narrators, and I soon began to wonder if they are keeping the same secret or if there were multiple skeleton’s hidden in this family’s closet. The author writes them all so skillfully, really getting inside the tortured souls of this family and bringing them to life.
This book blew me away and I’m still reeling from the cascade of shocking revelations that came as we approached the finale. Jaw-dropping and addictive, this is a must read for thriller fans.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Louise Jensen has sold over a million English language copies of her International No. 1 psychological thrillers ‘The Sister’, ‘The Gift’, ‘The Surrogate’, ‘The Date’, ‘The Family’ & ‘The Stolen Sisters’. Her novels have also been translated into twenty-five languages, as well as featuring on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestseller’s List. Louise’s seventh thriller, ‘All For You’, will be published in Autumn 2020 by Harper Collins.
Louise has been nominated for multiple awards including Goodreads Debut Author Of The Year, The Guardians ‘Not The Booker Prize’, best polish thriller of 2018 and she has also been listed for two CWA Dagger awards. All of Louise’s thrillers are currently under option for TV & film.
Louise also has a penchant for exploring the intricacies of relationships through writing heart-breaking, high-concept love stories under the pen name Amelia Henley. ‘The Life We Almost Had’ was an international best seller. her latest release ‘The Art of Loving You’ is out now.
Louise lives with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat in Northamptonshire. She loves to hear from readers and writers.
Happy Friday Bibliophiles! Today I’m thrilled to be taking part in an exciting cover reveal in collaboration with HQ.
Prepare for the return of Meddy and her meddling aunties in #FourAunties and a Wedding, the hilarious sequel to Jesse Sutano’s#DialAForAunties! They vow to make it a day to remember… 👰🏻
SYNOPSIS:
They vow to make it a day to remember…
After Meddy Chan and her aunties got away with literal murder, she’s hoping for a quieter life. She’s happily coupled up with love of her Nathan, and excited to plan her dream wedding. She just needs to keep her family from interfering too much.
Meddy has dreamt of her wedding day but with the Chans involved, this is going to be a wedding day you’ll never forget…
Four Aunties and a Wedding is published March 3rd 2022. RSVP here.
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Jesse Q. Sutanto is the author of adult, YA, and children’s middle grade books. She has a master’s degree in creative writing from Oxford University, though she hasn’t found a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. The film rights to her women’s fiction, Dial A for Aunties, was bought by Netflix in a competitive bidding war. Her adult books include Dial A for Aunties and its sequel, Four Aunties and a Wedding. Her YA books include The Obsession, The New Girl, and her upcoming romcom, Well, That Was Unexpected. Her MG books include Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit and an untitled sequel.
Today I’m thrilled to be taking part in the cover reveal for This Might Hurt, the second novel from Stephanie Wrobel, which is being published next Spring.
SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to Wisewood. Where we keep your secrets, if you keep ours.
High-flier Natalie Collins isn’t the worrying type. Unlike her younger sister Kit – who can’t seem to settle on anything. But when Kit insists on joining Wisewood, a self-help retreat on a secluded Maine island, Natalie has concerns. Why does it forbid contact with the outside world? Is it a cult?
Then, after six months of silence, she receives a message: We know what you did. Would you like to come and tell your sister – or should we?
Who is digging into the Collins’ past? How did they discover Natalie’s secret? She will have to go to Wisewood to find out. To learn if this place of healing has more sinister motives. Can she rescue Kit? Or might Natalie be the one who needs saving?
Because Wisewood is far easier to get into than to leave . . .
This Might Hurt is a whipsmart thriller of sisters, secrets and sanctuary and what fear will do to those we love.
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I am so excited for this one and can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. The book is published March 3rd, 2022 and you can pre-order it here*
Emma's Biblio Treasures 