Review: My Husband's Wife by Amanda Prowse

To Rosie, being a wife and mother is a dream come true.  Rosie never met her own mother, as she disappeared out of her life when Rosie was only a few hours old.  Now, she is married to the love of her life and she has two gorgeous little girls, her life is pretty much perfect.  But Rosie soon learns how quickly a perfect life can fall apart, when she returns home one night and her husband tells her that he is leaving her for another, much richer, much more glamorous woman.  Rosie is distraught, her whole life is falling apart, but she knows that she has to keep going for the sake of her two daughters.  But when Phil, Rosie's husband, wants to spend more and more time with the girls, Rosie realises that she is very close to losing her children as well as her husband.  Rosie doesn't know it yet, but the worst is yet to come for her, as she fights her husband and his new girlfriend for custody of her children and her friends, her world as she knows it shatters and Rosie is left with some very tough choices to make.

It's not often that a book with so much heart and emotion comes along and leaves me absolutely speechless, but My Husband's Wife did.  From start to finish, I went through so many emotions with these characters.  I cried with them, I laughed with them and I got very very angry for them.  I am such a huge fan of Amanda's books and I have read all of them and each one is better than the last, but for me, hands down, this is her best book to date.  I actually found that it was quite different from her other books and I can't really put my finger on why.  If there is one author that will make you stop and make you be thankful for all that you have it's Amanda Prowse.  She shows how ordinary lives can be turned around by exrtaordinary circumstances.

To me, everything about Rosie was real.  I felt that I wasn't reading a book, I was sitting there with Rosie going through the ups and downs with her.  Every character in this book was so well written and developed beautifully.  I adored how Rosie's daughters, Naomi and Leona, were written.  They had such an innocent air about them, that every child has at their age.  The relationships in this book were so excellently penned, that the chemistry and the friendships between the characters seemed to just ooze off the page.

It's not very often that a storyteller as talented as Amanda Prowse comes along and it is easy to see why she is favourite author of so many people, myself included.  She just keeps on getting better and better.  I adored My Husband's Wife from start to finish, it's so real and heartfelt and filled to the brim with raw emotions.  I can't recommend this book enough.

5 stars

Review: The House on Sunset Lake by Tasmina Perry

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me an arc copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Blurb:

Casa D'Or, the mysterious plantation house on Sunset Lake, has been home to the Wyatt family for over fifty years. Jennifer Wyatt returns there from university full of hope, as summer by the lake stretches ahead of her. Yet by the time it is over her heart will be broken, her family in tatters, her dreams long gone.

Twenty years later, Casa D'Or stands neglected, a victim of tragic events. Jennifer has closed the door on her past. Then Jim, the man she met and fell in love with that magical summer, comes back into her life, with a plan to return Casa D'Or to its former glory. Their reunion will stir up old ghosts for both of them, and reveal the dark secrets the house still holds close...

For me, this book got off to a very slow start and I found it to be a very slow burner.  I struggled through the first one hundred pages and if I'm being totally honest, I very nearly gave up on this book, which is something that I absolutely hate doing.  In the end though, I decided to stick with it and once I had gotten past the halfway mark, I really started to enjoy this book.  I found that this went from a book that I found hard to pick up to a book that I couldn't put down for a minute as the twists and turns came thick and fast towards the end.

Tasmina Perry is a fantastic author and I am a huge fan of her books.  That being said, one of my favourite things about her writing is how well she is able to describe the setting and the lives of the characters and that really rang through in this book.  She set the scene so perfectly that it became very easy to see the setting and the character in my minds eye whilst reading this book.  The characters are all very well developed and are very likeable from the word go.  Each character added a special sparkle to the story.  The story, although slow to start, flowed beautifully and adored how the story switched between time frames, starting in 2015 and taking us back to 1994 in some parts of the book.

I really like how The House on Sunset Lake ended and with all the twists and turns thrown in along the way, it was an ending that I definitely didn't see coming.  I am very glad that I decided to stick with this book and read it until the end because if I hadn't I would have missed out a great story.  I did think that some of the twists came out of the blue and without warning, but all in all this is a great read.  The House on Sunset Lake will keep you on the edge on your seat until you reach the nail biting finish. 

3 stars

Late Summer in the Vineyard by Jo Thomas

I would like to thank the publishers for an arc copy of this book in return for an honest review via Bookbridgr.

Emmy is stunned when she returns home from work on afternoon to find that the house that she hares with her elderly father is being robbed, and to make matters worse her father is sitting by and allowing it to happen.  But soon, Emmy finds herself to be more shocked when she realises that they are not being robbed and that the strange man looking around her home is a Bailiff who has come to see what he can get from the house due to the mortgage not being paid over the last few months.  However, Emmy is lucky and manages to buy herself some time to come up with the money, but it costs her the office collection for a present for two co-workers who have gotten engaged.  When her boss finds out what has happened to the money, coupled with the fact that Emmy's sales are below dismal, Emmy knows that not only will she lose her home, she's about to lose her job as well! But, Emmy finds that she is saved by the bell when her boss has no other option than to send Emmy on a twelve week working holiday to a vineyard in France.  Could this be the answer to Emmy's prayers, and with romance in the air, Emmy goes on the adventure of a lifetime to save her job, her home and maybe find herself in the process.

Late Summer in the Vineyard is just the perfect summer read.  There wasn't a thing about this book that I didn't like.  It contains just the right amount of humour, as well as touching on some more serious elements also.  All in all, Late Summer in the Vineyard is a bright, summery, feel good book, that has the ability to make the sun shine on a dull cloudy day.

I adored the characters in this book. Each one of them brought something special to the story, especially Emmy and Isaac.  I loved how each character came with a very well thought out back story, that not only gives the readers a great insight into the lives of the characters, but also gives the reader the chance to really get to know each character very well.

To my dismay, this is the first book that I have read by Jo Thomas.  I own both The Olive Branch and The Oyster Catcher, but I haven't gotten around to reading either so far.  All that has changed after reading this gem of a book, as both books have now been moved to the top of my to-be-read pile and I can't wait to  lose myself in both.

On top of Late Summer in the Vineyard being a cracking story, it also has one of the most beautifully eye-catching summery covers, which will no doubt catch the attention of many readers, with the beautiful colours that just jump straight off the shelf.

To say that I this book is my cup of tea is a huge understatement.  I loved everything about this book and I more than enjoyed the time that I spent with Emmy and the gang.  Jo Thomas has the power to transport you to a French Vineyard and take you on the adventure of a lifetime.  Late Summer in the Vineyard is beautifully written, full of surprises and utterly heartwarming.  I can't recommend it enough.

4 stars

Watching Edie by Camilla Way

I would like to thank the publishers,  Harper Collins,  for sending my a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Watching Edie tells the story of two friends,  Edie and Heather,  although Edie would much rather keep that friendship in the past where it belongs.  Since she was a teenager,  Edie  has been dreading the day that she would see Heather again,  but now Heather has turned up on her doorstep and Edie find herself digging up memories of past events that she has tried to forget for so long.  Pregnant and alone,  Edie has to turn to Heather for help,  but deep down she knows that the past can't stay buried forever.  After all,  someone has to pay for what has happened in the past, the only question is: Who is going to be?

There are so many psychological thrillers  on the market at the moment,  it would be easy to think that Watching Edie would be just any of the others, but you would be wrong. The minute I started reading this book,  I found it very hard to put down,  finding myself saying: Just one more chapter.  Watching Edie is the most unsettling book that I have read this year.  I loved how the story is told in two different time frames and by both of the friends,  Edie telling the story from present day and Heather telling the story from back when the girls were teenagers.

Both the characters of Edie and Heather are brilliantly developed from the very first page there was something about Heather's character that I found especially unsettling.  As the story progresses,  we get to see glimpses into Heather's past and the more we find out the more unstable the character becomes.  I started off liking the character of Edie a lot,  but as the book goes on and I found out that there is more to her character than meets the eye,  I started to develop a deep disliking for the character.  I think this is what adds to the appeal of the book.  We learn that the two girls are from very different backgrounds,  Edie being from a single parent family,  where her mother doesn't really care about her or anything she does and Heather coming from an over protective family due to the tragedy they have suffered in the past.  The contrast of the characters lives made it next to impossible to guess what had happened,  meaning that the end was a huge surprise.

Watching Edie is a brilliantly,  cleverly written psychological thriller that will get into your head and under your skin.  I never could have guessed the ending and being perfectly honest,  the ending made my blood run cold.  Watching Edie is unlike any thriller o have ever read before.  It is stunningly written and will make you keep turning the pages until you've closed the book for the final time.

I can't recommend this book enough.

4 stars

The Reunion by Roisin Meaney

Caroline and Eleanor Plunkett are sisters.  Born a year apart, they couldn't be more different.  Caroline was always the studious one, setting herself up for a great career, while Eleanor was just getting by at school.  The consequences of one night mean that Caroline finds herself separated from her family and living in England with a distant relative.  Eleanor much rathered spending time with her boyfriend and had no time for school work.  Things haven't gone smoothly for the sisters and each has had tough times in their life for various reasons.  What they don't realise is that they have more in common than they think.  When a school reunion invitation makes it's way into their respective letterboxes, both women find excuses as to why they can't and won't, but what they don't realise is that the invitation is going to open old wounds and bring back memories that they would rather forget.

Once again, Roisin Meaney has written a real cracker of a story.  Roisin is a very talented story teller and one of the best Irish authors that I have come across, and in my opinion, she does not get the recognition that she deserves.  The Reunion is full of emotion, making me cry both tears of joy and tears of sadness.  I loved that it focused on relationships within a family, showing that no matter how perfect a family looks on the outside, everyone has their own battles to fight.  Once I started this book, I just couldn't put it down, even having a very late night in order to finish it.  

I loved the characters in this book, especially Caroline.  I loved her from the very first page and my heart broke into a million pieces for her.  The characters of both the sisters are so well developed and I loved the back story that came with each of them.  I adored how the book jumped through time, going back to when the girls were at school and then jumping to the present day.  I love it when a story is told like this, because I feel that it is a real window into the lives of the characters, that you wouldn't get if the characters were just looking back on the past.

The reunion deals with so many issues, many of which are very sensitive and are dealt with beautifully.  Even though the book takes in quite a serious tone, it is still fairly light hearted and left me feeling warm.  What each of the sisters have been through is tough to read, but makes the characters so much more relatable.  

The Reunion shows how two people from the same family can live very different lives, how events can change the person that you become and that all families have their problems.  I adored this book from beginning to end.  I wasn't expecting it to take on such a serious tone, but loved how the story turned out.  You can see Roisin Meaney's heart and soul on every page.  The Reunion is full of compassion and is beautifully written.  I adored every last page.

4 stars

A Life Without You by Katie Marsh

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me an arc copy of this book in return for an honest review.


The Blurb:
It's Zoe's wedding day. She's about to marry Jamie, the love of her life. Then a phone call comes out of the blue, with the news that her mum Gina has been arrested. Zoe must make an impossible decision: should she leave her own wedding to help? Zoe hasn't seen Gina for years, blaming her for the secret that she's been running from ever since she was sixteen. Now, Gina is back in her life, but she's very different to the mum Zoe remembers. Slowly but surely, Gina is losing her memory. As she struggles to cope with Gina's illness, can Zoe face up to the terrible events of years ago and find her way back to the people she loves?


Everyone who knows me, knows just how much I loved Katie's first novel, My Everything. Since I read My Everything last summer I have been eagerly awaiting A Life Without You. I was so excited when it came through the letterbox, that I dropped everything and started reading it straight away. I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint.


My Everything had such a lasting effect on me that I didn't know how A Life Without You could ever live up to it, but it did all of that and more. A Life Without You tells the story of Zoe, a high powered business woman who hasn't spoken to her mother in over a decade. Zoe is shocked when she gets a phone call minutes before she is due to walk down the aisle.


As the book progressed, so did the characters and what I loved the most about this book is the way that the relationship between Zoe and her mother, Gina, grows and develops throughout the book. Zoe is the perfect leading character in this book and I loved that she was strong enough to put the past behind her and move on, even though that was not an easy thing for her to do. Even though the story is told through Zoe's eyes, at the end of each chapter, there is a letter written to Zoe on each of her birthdays by Gina, which not only gives us an insight into Zoe's past, but also lets us see some of the story from
Gina's point of view and gives us a insight into what Gina's life was like throughout the years. If it wasn't for these letters being included in the book, I think that it would have taken a long time to like the character of Gina, but being able to see some things from her point of view made it easy to like Gina from the very beginning. I loved the character of Jamie, Zoe's fiance, enormously. Even though Zoe left him standing the alter and broke his heart, he stood by her when the going got tough and she needed him.


Katie Marsh has touched my heart, not because she has focused on a horrible degenerative disease, but because she has shown that no matter what situation you find yourself in, there is joy and laughter to be had, if you can find it in your heart to let the badness out and some light in. A Life Without You is a novel that will stay with me for a very long time. Yes, this book is about an illness, but it also about so much more. It is about the relationship between a mother and daughter, about putting the past behind you and forgiveness.

Katie's second book shows just what a talented author she is. Not many books can make me laugh and cry in the space of a paragraph. This novel is not only filled with Katie's words, it is filled with her heart and soul and shows that blood sweat and tears went into writing such a beautiful and touching novel. Without going into too much detail and ruining the story line, I just want to applaud Katie for dealing with such a sensitive subject so beautifully.


My Everything was my favourite book of 2015, and I fail to see another book that can come along this year and take the title of my favourite book of 2016 away from A Life Without You. I love everything about this book, from the striking cover to the beautiful tale that lies within it's pages. Katie Marsh is a hidden gem within the world of fiction and I cannot recommend her books enough. I will be shouting about this book to everyone who will listen. A Life Without You is not to missed.

5 stars

Because I loved this book so much I have decided to give a copy to one lucky winner.  You can enter below.

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The Fallout by Margaret Scott

The Fallout is set in the fiction DKB Bank in the Dublin's International Financial Services Centre.  It's 2011 and the country is still reeling from the banking crisis, when two letters arrive in the bank that will change the lives of the people who work there.  Kate O Brien is just getting back to work after an extended Maternity Leave, leaving her two small children at home.  Kate doesn't want any stress or drama, having enough of that at home with two children under the age of four, all she wants to do is go to work and do her job as best and as quietly as she can.  Mary Lawlor has been working at DKB for longer than she cares to remember. Mary is sick of having to do everyone else's job while they are at home looking after sick children.  She has had enough and she won't stand for the past repeating itself again.  Leona Blake has had to take on a huge work load after her husband lost his job.  Now her husband is at home all day with their seven year old daughter, while Leona has to work all the hours God sends in order to get them by.  Olivia Sharpe walked out of her job the Friday before Kate started.  After attending counselling, Olivia is starting to write things down, in an effort to take back control of her life.  What happened to Olivia was wrong, but is anyone going to pay for what was done to her?

The Fallout is told through the point of views of the many staff of DKB and their family members.  Even though there are many books out there that are told from two or three different point of views, I have never read a book like this one before.  I loved every page of it, Margaret Scott is a very talented story teller.  The pages seemed to turn themselves.  Each chapter was short and to the point and left me wanting more.  I could easily have read this book cover to cover in a few short hours, but I am glad that I didn't and instead chose to savour the story.

The characters in The Fallout were so well written, with some that I loved and others that I loved to hate.  Each character was so well developed and had a back story that was discovered the further into the book I got.  I loved that no one character had it all and that instead each character had their own cross to bear.  It made them seem so much more real and it made it a lot easier to relate to each character.  What I loved the most about this book is that it focused on ordinary people and how the recession affected them personally.  As there is not one person in the country that hasn't been affected in some way by the recession, everyone will be able to relate to The Fallout.

The Fallout also highlights the troubles that working women face in the modern day.  This book is for every woman who tried to work while being a wife and mother.  It shows how hard it can be to find the balance between working life and home life.  The Fallout also hinted at issues such as post natal depression and dealt with the issue of reflux.  Both of these are issues that many new mothers face and The Fallout shows how women are expected to leave their personal life at the door when they start work each morning, despite that fact that they may have been up all night with a screaming baby or that they don't feel themselves.  I don't have any children of my own yet, but I did work in childcare for four years and I have seen first hand how hard parents feel leaving their children in a creche all day while they go out to work.  I have seen the guilt that they feel at leaving their baby in someone else's care, while they miss out on huge milestones such as first words or first steps.  This is why I was able to relate to these women so much.

The Fallout is a real cracker of a story that will leave you on the edge of your seat and wanting more until you turn the very last page.  It's a very different story to anything that I have ever read before and I loved that it showed what the recession was like from a bank's point of view.  Margaret Scott is a very talented lady and I can't recommend this book enough.

5 stars