Two Heads Are Better Than One

SYNOPSIS

London, 1940. Britain is gripped by the terror of the Blitz, forcing Nell Spelman to flee the capital with her young daughter – leaving behind her husband, Arthur, the clockmaker who keeps Big Ben chiming.

When Arthur disappears, Nell is desperate to find him. But her search will lead her into far darker places than she ever imagined…

New York, Present Day. When Ellie discovers a beautiful watch that had once belonged to a grandmother she never knew, she becomes determined to find out what happened to her. But as she pieces together the fragments of her grandmother’s life, she begins to wonder if the past is better left forgotten…

MY REVIEW

I have just finished reading this book this morning and I’m still trying to come down from the adrenaline high of the ending!

I love a dual timeline historical fiction, and fiction around the Second World War is something I haven’t read much of. I usually enjoy the historical part of dual time lines more than the present, but I found myself equally absorbed in both.

In the 1940 section, Nell is recently married to Arthur who is one of the three men responsible for the clocks at the Houses of Parliament, including Big Ben and it’s workings. When their home is bombed, Nell travels out of London with baby Alice to stay with her parents and the evacuee children they have taken in.
when she receives a frightening phone call from Arthur she returns to London alone to carry on an investigation Arthur has started which involves an attack on the very heart of London.
The author’s descriptions on London during the blitz were so atmospheric I could almost feel the heat of the fires and hear the bombs dropping.

In the present timeline, Ellie’s mother Alice has the beginnings of dementia. Ellie does not know much about her English family, as Alice moved to the US, or her grandmothers history. After finding a hat box full of her grandmothers memories tucked away under her mother’s bed she decides to travel back to London to find out about her grandmother, Nell.
She meets her father’s family from his second marriage, and with their help begins to uncover the story behind her mother’s life and early death.

What a page turner which I highly recommend. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to Ellie Pilcher at Avon books for having me on the tour and for my ARC via NetGalley.

SYNOPSIS

Ever since her sister disappeared eleven years ago, Serena Warren has been running from a ghost, haunted by what she can’t remember about that night.
When Caitlin’s body is discovered, Serena returns to her grandfather’s house, nestled beside the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall in Oxfordshire, determined to uncover the truth. But in returning to the place of her childhood summers, Serena stands poised at the brink of a startling discovery – one that will tie her family to a centuries-old secret…

Taking readers from the present day to the Wars of the Roses in the 1400s, and with an enthralling mystery at its heart, The Last Daughter is a spellbinding novel about family secrets, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara Erskine and Kate Morton.

MY REVIEW

Dual time line? Historical fiction? Count me in! And this is time slip historical fiction at its best. A mixture of history, mystery and a bit of magic. I can see this being one of my favourite reads of the year.

The story is written from two narrators, Serena in the present and Anne in the 15th century, during the wars of the roses.

Serena is on holiday in America staying with her auntie. She receives the phone call she has been both expecting and dreading for the past 10 years. The body of her twin sister, Caitlin, has been found. Serena rushes back to England and Minster Lovell, where her grandparents used to own a house and where her sister disappeared. The same place where her sister’s body has been found during an archeological dig, buried in a casket in the cemetery. The thing is, the body appears to have been buried hundreds of years ago but how can that be possible? Serena has dissociative amnesia but hopes to regain some memory of the night it happened.

The historical storyline begins in 1465 and 5 year old Anne is to marry 8 year old Francis, the King’s ward, who becomes close friends with Richard III.
They marry and grow up together. When King Edward IV dies suddenly, his young son Edward should be crowned king but instead his uncle, Richard of Gloucester becomes King Richard III, takes the throne and locks young Edward and his brother Richard in the tower. (They are known as the princes in the tower, and the mystery of what happened to them has never been resolved). Henry Tudor begins his battle to take the throne and Francis leaves home to fight for the Richard’s House of York. The Yorks lose the battle and soon after Francis, knowing his life is in danger, disappears to safety along with a young boy.

I found the whole premise of the story fascinating and cleverly written and was totally immersed in both storylines which were equally as gripping. The story just kept getting better the more I read. I was eager to find out what part the lodestone, a relic said to be magical, had played in the disappearance of Caitlin. And to find out more about Serena’s grandfather who has never properly spoken about his childhood. He has dementia now and when Serena visits him to tell him the news of Caitlin he gets distressed and says he should have protected her and the lodestone was to blame for Caitlin disappearing. Could this just be the ramblings of an old man losing his mind or is there some truth in what he said?

Clearly a lot of research has gone into this book and factual history is seamlessly weaved together with fiction. Nicola’s fictional explanation of what could have happened to the Princes in the Tower is so clever. I feel I have learned a lot about this very interesting period in history from the book and will definitely be reading more from Nicola.

Thank you to the publishers HQ and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book to review, and for having me on the blog tour..

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Nicola Cornick has written over thirty historical romances. She has been nominated twice for a RWA RITA Award and twice for the UK RNA Award. She works as a historian and guide in a seventeenth century house. In 2006 she was awarded a Masters degree with distinction from Ruskin College, Oxford, where she wrote her dissertation on heroes.

Nicola’s website is here: https://www.nicolacornick.co.uk

SYNOPSIS

Lorna’s world is small but safe. 

She loves her daughter, and the two of them is all that matters. But after nearly twenty years, she and Ella are suddenly leaving London for the Isle of Kip, the tiny remote Scottish island where Lorna grew up. 

Alice’s world is tiny but full.

She loves the community on Kip, her yoga classes drawing women across the tiny island together. Now Lorna’s arrival might help their family finally mend itself – even if forgiveness means returning to the past…

So with two decades, hundreds of miles and a lifetime’s worth of secrets between Lorna and the island, can coming home mean starting again? 

MY REVIEW

I loved The Lido by Libby so was very excited to read her new book and to take part in the blog tour (I also have The 24 hour cafe in my pile to read!) 

Firstly we have to take a minute to appreciate the gorgeous book cover, complete with shiny gold foil, which will in itself stand out and want you to pick it up from the shelf! 

The story is written in alternating chapters from the POV of two women; Lorna and Alice, which gives us a deep understanding of their thoughts and emotions.

Lorna’s is the main storyline but Alice’s story is just as interesting and deals with her moving to the island to marry Jack but also trying to come to terms with the fact she doesn’t feel that she has done as much in life as her two academic sisters and is always in their shadow.

Lorna is filled with trepidation as she heads back to the small island of Kip where she grew up but escaped from 20 years ago, cutting ties with everyone in her life. This will be the first time she has returned to the island; the first time she will have seen, or spoken to, her younger brother Jack since she left. 

She has been living in a flat in London with her 13 year old daughter Ella, living a fairly insular life with only one friend. She prefers it that way as she is not willing to open up her life or discuss her childhood for fear of being hurt again. She has worked her way up to a successful position as headteacher.

Ella has found she has a cousin, Molly, by searching online and they have been regularly chatting. It is Ella’s idea to visit the island and meet her family and also to attend the funeral of her grandparents.

The initial welcome from her brother Jack is frosty, but his wife Alice, who is unaware of the reason for Lorna leaving, is very supportive and quickly becomes a friend. It comes to light that Jack had no idea of the real reason Lorna left the island, having been fed lies by his parents.

We are taken into the runnings and lives of those who live on a small isolated island and to be honest I think I would enjoy the laid back life! I just need to train as a teacher as they appear to be in short supply! The descriptive writing is spot on and I could almost taste the salt in the air.

We eventually find the reason for Lorna leaving which is heartbreaking so have the tissues ready.

Another heartbreaking episode we have to deal with is Lorna’s parents have recently passed away and she is here for the funeral.

I loved the way most of the islanders embraced Lorna and Emma immediately as part of the community. Mallarchy in particular was an amazing character helping Lorna rediscover her love of art and helping her come out of her shell and begin to trust again.

I would definitely recommend this stunning, engrossing, emotional story of finding where you belong. 

Thank you so much to Orion Books for the gorgeous gifted hardback and for having me on the blog tour. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SYNOPSIS

MY REVIEW

This is an intriguing multi layer multi timeline novel. It initially feels like 3 separate stories but they eventually cleverly merge and it all comes together nicely.

The main character and storyline is Nadja. We meet her at a petrol station after ‘the event’ and en route to a weekend trip. She is extremely on edge and keeps checking if she is being followed. She has a panic attack and is helped by the shop owners.

Nadja is a lawyer, but as a teenager she was sent to prison in Poland for the murder of her abusive uncaring mother she was told to call Marta not mother. 

Now living in Berlin, and as a result of her past, she is socially awkward and naive and has no friends. The only friend she had, whom she hasn’t seen for years, is married to her boss and turns up out of the blue one day to ask for help with something very bad which she has done. Gullible Nadja who would do anything for Laura, falls hook, line and sinker into a plot to dispose of the evidence of Laura’s crime. And unbeknown to her she is to set up someone to take the blame. 

The second storyline involves a young girl, Nelly, who is having an affair with a married man. They arrange to meet one day at their usual motel but Nelly never appears. When her body is found not far away from the motel her married lover, Paul, is arrested for her murder.

The third storyline is a series of letters written by an initially unknown author to an unknown recipient but which appear to have never been sent. 

The timelines jump back and forth quite frequently making it rather difficult to keep track of what exactly is happening

It is worth persevering with the complicated plot to reach the end which ties everything together nicely. I would recommend having three sheets of paper to jot down notes from each storyline as you read in order to get it clear in your mind. I had to start the book twice but when I did this everything made sense.

Originally written in German, it has been translated into English extremely well and is a great twisty thriller but you will need to concentrate!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

welcome to my stop on the Blog Blitz!

SYNOPSIS

MY REVIEW

Annie was all set for her marriage to Alexander. The wedding had been painstakingly planned to cover every detail but one. Alexander has had cold feet and called the wedding off. Every bride’s nightmare. 

After turning 30, Annie still did not feel like a grown up. Her relationship was not moving forward and she just didn’t feel like she had found her place in the world. Her best friends from uni, making up the ‘core four’ all seemed to have their lives on track. She had to bring the subject of their future up with Alexander and that is when they decided to move in together and started to plan their wedding. Annie finally felt like she had found her place in the world. 

After she is jilted, Annie is taken back to the house she shares with Alexander, her family by her side to help her through the trauma. She misses him at first but after a few days of feeling sorry for herself she picks herself up and dives into a bootcamp. She is surprised to bump into Patrick, who recognises her from a drama group they attended when they were young teens. He remembered her as a strong go getter. What has happened to the girl she was? They meet up a few more times and have a great time together. Patrick has his own traumatic life changing back story but we don’t find out what is in his past for a while. 

Alexander’s parents are furious at their son and insist Annie goes on the no expense spared honeymoon which they have arranged and paid for. After Annie and Patrick spend a drunken afternoon in a pub Annie invites Patrick to go with her. As a friend. He jumps at the chance and even offers to pay his way. Patrick starts out as a real gentleman but it soon becomes obvious where their relationship is heading, especially in the carefree Australian sun! They have a whale of a time. And that spa scene had me laughing out loud! 

On their return, although they have decided their relationship will carry on and not be just a holiday romance, Annie takes a good look at her life and the reality she can now do whatever she wants with her future. Although they decide their relationship will not be any different when they return to London, Annie takes on board a comment her mother made to her and realises she has been set free and does she really want to jump straight into another relationship so quickly? Even though Patrick is perfect for her? 

Annie’s mum has always put her down but Annie has become stronger and more confident and begins to speak up for herself. The bond she has with Freddie her little sister is just perfect. Freddie is a very strong minded and very grown up 13 year old. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author has dealt with some traumatic events considerately and the book is all about living your life to the full, being yourself and not worrying what others think.  YOLO! 

I particularly loved reading about their time in Sydney as it brought back some lovely memories of the time I went there on holiday years ago. 

A great summer feel good read with romance, and lots of laughs.

What a total edge of your seat action thriller this was!

Having loved their first book The President Is Missing (and also The First Lady by Patterson alone) I couldn’t wait to get started on the second book by Patterson and Clinton. And it was just as action packed as the first!

This is another stand alone – it is a different President to the first book.

In this book we follow ex Navy SEAL President Matthew Keating. We are introduced to his administration as he sanctions an attack to kill a terrorist. Unfortunately the terrorist is not is his house but his wife and three daughters are killed. The terrorist calmly plans his revenge on the President.

When his 19 year old daughter is kidnapped 2 years later, Matt the now ex POTUS is forced to take matters into his own hands as he is not getting the support he needs from the current president and sets off on a mission to rescue her.

I was drawn in to this book from the beginning and completely engrossed in the evolving story.

The main characters are, as you would expect from master storyteller James Patterson, very well developed, and written in first person which gives a deeper understanding of their personalities and motives. Matt is a very likeable character who has been stabbed in the back by those he trusted. His own VP is now President, she stood against him and won the election, a woman who has very little integrity when it comes to Matt whom she dislikes and thinks he never deserved to be President.

Mel, the daughter, is a strong willed and able girl who has dealt with her share of bullying because of her looks and saw her boyfriend shot dead right in front of her. She is written with just the right balance of grit and determination (having had gun training and a basic hostage training) but also the tears and frustration of someone who has been kidnapped.

Matt’s wife Samantha plays more of a back seat part in the book having moved away from her family to return to her love of archeology, but boy does she come up with the goods at just the right time!

A full 5 stars from me and I hope there will be a further book!

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book which is out now!

Published 10 June 2021

Hope you enjoy my review for the blog tour of this stunning book!

SYNOPSIS

Following the breakdown of her marriage, Theo has bought a tumbledown cottage on the banks of the river Tamar which divides Cornwall and Devon. The peace and tranquillity of Boatman’s Cottage, nestled by the water, is just what she needs to heal.

Yet soon after her arrival, Theo discovers a stash of hidden letters tied with a ribbon, untouched for more than a century. The letters – sent from the battlefields of France during WW1 – tell of a young servant from the nearby manor house, Abbotswood, and his love for a woman he was destined to lose.

As she begins to bring Boatman’s Cottage and its gardens back to life, Theo pieces together a story of star-crossed lovers played out against the river, while finding her own new path to happiness.

MY REVIEW

A compelling story of forbidden love, secrets, and new beginnings told over a dual timeline between 1914 and 2019. All the elements required for a captivating story and Liz does not disappoint!

When Theo and her husband divorce she moves to a little cottage by a river which separates Devon and Cornwall. She has bought it without viewing so is a little disappointed when she arrives to find it so run down she has to sleep in her car the first night. She soon becomes friendly with the local hotel manager and his acquaintances who help get the run down cottage habitable. Whilst cleaning, Theo finds a box in a hidden compartment in the bedroom containing letters dating back to the great war. She sends them to an archivist to help uncover the identities and the stories of the addressee and the writer – ‘Z’

We also have the earlier storyline in which Lady Alice is being prepared for her first debutant ball. Her aunt is desperate to find her a husband but Alice is not interested in marriage. She is too focused on being an independent woman and promoting votes for women. When she speaks up to the King and Queen about allowing women’s votes, she is quickly sent away to Abbotswood with her nanny and cousin under a cloud of shame. She surprisingly falls head over heels for a young gillie, Zach, who lives in the cottage and is teaching her fly fishing, but they would never be allowed to marry. Alice is expected to marry at her own social level or above if possible.

When war breaks out, Zach goes to enlist along with all the other men, not knowing Alice is expecting his child.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and as usual with dual timeline books I preferred the ‘past’ story as the history is so interesting. There are many secrets to be uncovered and surprises along the way which will keep you turning those pages!

I highly recommend this book and will be reading more from this author.

Star rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ from me and a big thank you to HQ for having me on the tour and for providing an ARC Via NetGalley.

An interesting extra to add to my review for this book is a ‘Top 5 Things About Cornwall’ post written by Liz herself! She has written a piece on the top 5 gins just for me. She must know me well! Here it is …

Top Five… Cornish Gins

I’m becoming known for my Friday Night Gin posts on Instagram. I have to hand this love of gin onto my former agent Carole Blake. I miss her all the time and every time I pour a gin I hear her voice say…home measures! Gin and tonic hadn’t been my goto choice until the Romantic Novelists’ Association conference in Sheffield. It was unusually hot that July and Carole poured me a home measure’s G & T. It had never tasted so good and since then I have sought out glorious gins from all over. But Cornwall is now blessed with all sorts of gin…from London dry to Old Tom sweeter. A bit like with ice creams when trying a new ginI use Fever Tree refreshingly light tonic…I want to taste the gin…and of course I couldn’t just choose five!!1. Tarquins…love their Cornish Dry Gin but have also loved their limited edition ones too.2. Curio…Wild Coast Gin… another gorgeous gin.3. Dr Squid Gin from Pocket Full of Stones in Penzance. This gin is purple and little bit salty!4. Tinkture’s Rose gin is perfect for a summer evening when I can garnish with my own rose petals!5. Holly’s Gin…another goto favourite gin.6. Monterey Gin – made on the Helford and divine.7. G and Tea Gin is a new one to me and I’m enjoying their 80 Days gin which is deliciously cinnamon flavoured.

I was a bit concerned this book would be depressing as it began with the death of a 12 year old boy, but I could not have been more wrong.

Norman and his best friend Jax had a plan to take their comedy double act to the Fringe. When Jax tragically dies, Norman decides he will still achieve their dream of performing at the Fringe albeit solo.

He sets off with his mum, Sadie, and a family friend, 80 odd year old Leonard on a trip to Edinburgh with a few stops on the way as Norman has also decided he would like to meet his father. Trouble is his mother is not sure who his father actually is! She has a shortlist and they aim to meet each one.

The story is told In alternating chapters from the POV of both Norman and Sadie. The story is full of laugh out loud moments, tearful moments, the kindness of strangers, but overall it is a story of not giving up and having hope for the future.

I read and loved Sarah’s last book, The Weekend Away, so jumped at the chance to read an advance copy of her new book which is due out 8/7/21.

All I can say is put an afternoon aside as you will want to read this in one day.

Newlyweds Liam and Laura head to a deserted Scottish island for their honeymoon. The island has only one property which has recently been bought to rent out and they are the first to stay there. The island also has a terrible history which they are unaware of until they arrive.

With no phone, mobile signal or Wi-fi this should be a romantic getaway with no distractions.

Or so they think. When they start to feel they are being watched and are not alone on the island as promised, Liam is initially annoyed, but annoyance soon turns to fear when a threatening message is scratched into their window and they realise there is a stalker out there.

Oh my gosh what a pulse racer of a thriller! The tension builds and builds throughout and what an ending! I could feel the fear bursting off the pages.

Highly recommended.

Sarah has been added to my list of must read authors!

Thank you to Ellie at Avon books for an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

I originally read and reviewed this wonderful book last year for its release date. Now, thanks to the publisher, I have had the pleasure of listening to the audio book for the blog tour to coincide with both the paperback publication day and the start of Pride Month. I hope many more readers and listeners meet Albert. The audio book is brilliantly narrated by Layton Williams who brings the characters to life so well.

MY REVIEW of what ended up as my top read of 2021….

How do. Grab yourself a Crunchie bar and join Albert on his emotional, funny, life changing journey to find the long lost love of his life.

Albert is a postman. He is a loner, keeps himself to himself and is terrified of actually having to talk to anyone. He has his well practised excuses to get away, should any of his customers try to start a conversation.

He has lived alone since his mother, who he cared for, died almost 20 years ago.

He is due to retire in a few months on his 65th birthday.

He has regrets about his life but comes to a monumental decision. He is going to do whatever it takes to find the love of his life. The thing is that it is a man and no-one knows he is gay.

As he begins his search he becomes friends with Nicole, a young single mum, who has her own challenges. He needs her help with all this social media stuff!

As he begins to come out of his shell and reveal the real Albert he gains more friends and more support than he could ever have imagined.

Will he find the love and happiness he deserves and live happily ever after? You will just have to read it and find out.

Have the tissues ready!

I just loved this book. I fell in love with Albert immediately. What a gentleman. The other characters are very well written and relatable, most are going through some personal trauma or difficulty in their lives just as we all are.

I highly recommend this book. It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling similar to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. I know it is going to stay with me for a very long time and was my top read of 2021.

Here is a link to listen to a short preview of the audio book:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Cain is a writer, broadcaster, and a leading commentator on LGBT+ issues. 

He was Channel 4’s first Culture Editor, Editor-In-Chief of Attitude magazine, has written for all the major national newspapers, and presented the flagship discussion show on Virgin Radio Pride. He’s also an ambassador for Manchester Pride and the Albert Kennedy Trust, plus a patron of LGBT+ History Month. 

Matt’s first two novels, Shot Through the Heart and Nothing But Trouble, were published by Pan Macmillan. His third, The Madonna Of Bolton, became Unbound’s fastest crowdfunded novel ever before its publication in 2018. His latest, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, was published by Headline Review in May 2021 and Becoming Ted will follow in January 2023. 

Born in Bury and brought up in Bolton, Matt now lives in London with his partner, Harry, and their cat, Nelly. 

For more information, please visit http://www.mattcainwriter.com.