From The Review Pile (92)

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

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This week, I'm going to showcase Allegiant!

Despite my massive love for the second book in the Divergent trilogy, I still haven't gotten around to reading the third, final book, simply because I don't really want it to end! By now, most fans have finished the series, but I've been putting it off. I have heard a lot of mixed comments about Allegiant, with people both loving and hating the ending, so let's hope that I am one of those who loves it... when I finally get around to reading it!

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Hardback, 526 pages

Published 22nd October 2013 by Harper Collins Childrens Books

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

From the Review Pile (79)

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

-----------------------------------

This week, I'm going to showcase Allegiant!

I have to admit, I'm pretty nervous about starting to read this book! After only a brief scan through other reviews, it looks as though it's left quite a big impression on readers, both positive and negative, dividing opinions. I absolutely loved Insurgent, so I'm hoping that I like this one just as much when I can get around to reading it!

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Hardback, 449 pages

Published 22nd October 2013 by Harper Collins

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

How To Fall In Love

How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern

Hardback, 400 pages

Expected publication 7th November 2013 by HarperCollins
Shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, better-than-expected, books-i-own, chick-lit, mental-health, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, really-good, suicide

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.

Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then. 

Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life. 

But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen?

How to Fall in Love is a book that, thankfully, has a really exciting blurb on the cover. I openly admit that having read one of Ahern's other books (The Gift) I wasn't overly eager to pick up more of her books, but thanks to the description of this one, I overcame my apprehensiveness and I could not be happier that I did! 

I am immediately sold to any book which features characters that are emotionally or mentally troubled, so what could be more appealing than this one? Christine, our protagonist, hasn't had an easy time since she met a man called Simon, a man who she believed she had talked down from suicide until he suddenly shot himself in front of her, leaving him in a coma. From that night, almost everything changed for her as she began to live with a feeling of guilt and as she also decided to change her home life, leaving her husband. What happens next is the main focus of this story - As Christine is walking through Dublin, she approaches the Ha'penny Bridge and sees a man, Adam, about to jump. Christine felt as though she failed with Simon and so she wasn't going to let Adam go. Christine and Adam make a deal, Christine has up until Adam's next birthday (only two weeks!) in order to make him love his life, otherwise, he is free to do as he wishes. 

There is a lot of things that I could go into detail about in this book, because there are a lot of things that happen in the two weeks that Christine and Adam have together. A lot of things that they do are in an attempt to try and get Adam's ex-girlfriend, Maria, to fall in love with him again. Adam planned to become engaged to Maria, but  was devastated when he found out that his girlfriend and best friend were having an affair. Christine also helps Adam to try and manage his life, sorting through issues with both the family business and family feuds. Christine herself also faces some inner battles, issues with her ex-husband and still finds time to help her friend both cope with a loss and a life-changing revelation. 

From the first time that Christine and Adam meet, we know that their relationship isn't going to be easy or 'normal' - Christine has agreed to turn the suicidal Adam into someone happier. There is a slight awkwardness between the two of them, a natural awkwardness, something that you would expect to be there, something that feels so real and which adds a sense of authenticity. There are some truly beautiful moments between the couple and it is hard to pinpoint a favourite scene of mine because all of their time together did seem precious,  though I did particularly enjoy the more light-hearted and fun times that they had as they began to relax into each others company. The two characters as individuals were well formed, their personalities were both very level and they both seemed very genuine, but when the two characters were together, they both sparked to life - the chemistry between them was incredible, they complimented each other and definitely had one of the best relationships that I've read. 

How to Fall in Love is a very appropriate title for this book, this story itself has multiple chapters with 'How To' titles and I really enjoyed the format. At the beginning, Christine is a firm believer that there is a 'How To' self-help book for every topic and for every person - she uses those books as emotional crutches and as guidance for her everyday life and of course, she turns to them when she is trying to help Adam. As Christine helps Adam with each step of his changes, we notice that she is altering both of their lives and the chapter headings cleverly reflect that. The book title is appropriate to both the characters inside and to me, as I most definitely fell in love with both the charming characters and heartwarming story.

How To Fall In Love is undoubtedly one of the best chick-lit books of 2013 and one of the best I've ever read. I absolutely devoured this book, though I never wanted it to end. This is a perfect book to pick up and become lost in - you will find your mind wandering off into the captivating Dublin setting with these two characters, willing them on along their journey. I completely, wholeheartedly fell in love with Christine, Adam and their emotional story and I'm sure that they will stay in my mind for quite some time. Needless to say, Ahern has certainly taught me 'How To Fall In Love'.

Boy Meets Boy

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Paperback, 256 pages

Published 1st August  by Harper Collins
Shelves: books-i-own, contemporary, desperate-to-read, lgbt-maintheme, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, to-read, too-much-hype, young-adult

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance. 

When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.

Boy Meets Boy has been sitting on my to-read list for years now and it has always been one of those books that I felt like every one had read, apart from me. I have read and enjoyed several books written by Levithan, and as this book, his first novel, has been re-released in the UK with bright new colours, I thought that it was finally time to read the book that brought David Levithan his fame.

Boy Meets Boy is the story of Paul, an openly gay teenager, and of the people around him. As expected by Levithan, there is  colourful host of different characters in this book, many of which dealing with LGBT issues. Our protagonist is openly gay (he came out aged 5) and very much accepted in the community. Paul's best friend, Tony, is struggling to be accepted by his very religious parents. Infinite Darlene, a six-foot drag queen and the star quarterback (though that's definitely no problem). Kyle is Paul's ex-boyfriend who frankly has no idea what he wants. Then there is also Noah - the new guy and Paul's romantic interest.

In the other books I have read, I have always admired Levithan's ability to portray LGBT characters as plainly as most people write about more commonly written heterosexual characters, not having to emphasise that they are different in any way, but rather simply just accepting them as who they are. I have to admit that I was a little torn in how I felt about acceptance in this book. At some points, I just didn't really feel as though these characters, or their situations were very real. Levithan has created a realistic setting of a school and a town, but for the most part, things seem a little utopian for the LGBT community - it was perhaps a world that many of us, myself included, dream of existing in the future.  I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I feel as though in the real world, this wouldn't be the case. Perhaps this Utopia was deliberately created as a positive place, a happy place, and if I knew this before reading the book, I would have been in a different mind-set, not expecting complete realism. 

There were two things that really stood out in this book. One of these things was the relationship between Paul and Noah. A lot of this book was about relationships and friendships, about people interacting, and the chemistry between these two really built up as the book progressed. I really loved getting to know about Noah through Paul. I also found Tony's parent's denial or fear of his sexuality to be something that stood out to me as there weren't really many huge issues or problems in this book apart from this one. Tony's household seemed like the anomaly of the book - Tony was the one character that hadn't been accepted. Tony was possibly the character that I liked most in this book and I felt a real sense of pride for his courage. There most likely could be a link made between Tony's struggle and this other utopian world, if you want to look more deeply into this novel.

As aforementioned, I have read several of Levithan's other books and have really enjoyed them. The book that I read before this book was his latest UK release, Every Day which I absolutely loved and rated very highly. Due to this and the large popularity surrounding Boy Meets Boy, I had very high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, I think that because of these very high expectations, I was a little less enthusiastic about this book than many others have been. That's not to say that the book was in any way poor, but rather it was nothing that struck me as amazing. I would not discourage anybody to pick up this books, as there are so many people who have loved it. Personally, I'd definitely recommend the author, but perhaps not this specific title.

From the Review Pile (68)

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

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This week, I'm going to showcase Rule!

I am absolutely loving all of the contemporary books that I'm reading at the moment, but I would also like to change things up, read something new. Rule is the start of a new New Adult series which has had absolutely fantastic reviews overseas. I haven't read much new adult, but I would love to, so it looks like I should pick this one up soon!

Rule by Jay Crownover

Paperback

Expected Publication October 2013 by Harper Collins

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters 

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

Another Way to Fall

Another Way to Fall by Amanda Brooke

Paperback, 416 pages

Expected publication: 12th September 2013 by Harper

Shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, books-i-own, chick-lit death, medical-conditions, mum-has, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, read

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

What would you do if you could write the story of your life?

After battling a brain tumour twenty-nine year old Emma thinks she is in the clear, but her world comes crashing down around her when she is told her fight was in vain, and there is nothing more the doctors can do.

Realising that she won’t now have time to achieve the things she dreamed of, Emma decides to write her perfect life in a story. She imagines all the things she would have done, the places she would have seen, the husband she would have shared her life with and the family they would have raised. And, mysteriously, as she writes her story, she starts to notice that some of her dreams seem to be coming true.

Now with a real love in her life, and her fading hope burning brighter, reality and fiction start to become blurred. As she writes their life-long love story Emma dares to believe that anything is possible, but can she really change her fate?

When I was asked to review Another Way to Fall, I was torn. I am known to like the slightly more depressing books that are on offer rather than the cheery chick-lit, but I wasn't sure if even I could handle this one as it was going to strike a somewhat personal chord. This is a book about a woman with a terminal brain tumour. Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with Pseudotumour Cerebri, a rare problem that is thankfully not life-threatening, but it means that I will live with the symptoms of a brain tumour for the rest of my life. As you'll be able to tell, my curiosity overpowered my slight wariness, and it didn't take me long to pick this book up and start reading.

We're introduced to Emma as she awaits to receive her results from the hospital, letting her know whether or not she is clear of cancer. Emma is hopeful that the news will be good and that she will be able to continue her life in a healthy, happy manner. Unfortunately, the results are far from positive and she is told that unfortunately nothing more can be done as her tumour is terminal. This book tells the story of Emma, her friends and her family coming to terms with her inevitable passing. Of course, this news is both devastating for Emma and the people around her. 

One thing that struck me about this book was just how normal the characters were - they were very realistic and so it was so easy to imagine yourself in their position. Emma was an extremely strong character, but again, she was also very realistic and acted as I suspect a lot of people would in her situation. We get to learn a lot about all of the characters through the way that they react to bad news but it works really well - it gives us a true feeling of them as raw characters and what they're truly like. As well as meeting Emma, we meet several other characters, the most prominent ones being Ben, her romantic interest, her mother Meg and sister Louise. I also have to give a special mention to Iris and her friend, the two complaining old ladies who helped add a spark of humour to a dark time and really helped to liven the novel up a bit! 

It was interesting to see how each character interacted with the other and in particular, I found the relationship between Emma and her mother, Meg, to be the most touching. I think that Meg was the character that I could connect to most - whether you are someone's daughter or someones mother, I'd imagine that knowing you're about to lose each other, for most people, is a very difficult one. I can't put really put the emotions into words, but Brooke has done a spectacular job of describing such a strong relationship. Undoubtedly, I found the saddest scenes to be those between Emma and Meg, both realising that they would be parting from each other. Whilst it felt different, I did really enjoy reading about Emma's relationship with Ben. It was quite obvious that they were going to end up together and I did find myself both rooting for them and feeling a little upset and knowing their time was limited. 

As well as reading about Emma's real life, we get to read the book that she has planned to write before she dies - a story of hope, a story of Emma with an all-clear diagnosis who goes on and has the exact life she will miss. It was really interesting to see what Emma valued most and what she would have done had she gotten the all-clear. Though the book she is writing holds a somewhat fantasy world for her, with the help of Ben, she actually manages to achieve a lot of positive things and enjoyable experiences in her real life. Ben was truly the perfect man to Emma, not pushing her but encouraging her and surprising her,  allowing her to do the things that she thought she couldn't do. It was difficult but understandable to see Emma push Ben away, but I am so glad that we got to read of their time together. It was lovely getting lost in their thoughts and adventures and for some moments forgetting the awful thing inside her head.

When you have a brain tumour, it's unfortunately very difficult to let go and forget about it for a while, but Brooke allowed Emma some freedom, whilst still managing to make sure we knew she was battling something that has no remorse. I thought that Brooke did a good job of describing the tumour that Emma had and portraying the symptoms without overcomplicating things. Personally, I found reading a lot of the symptoms or  bad episodes that Emma had, quite difficult to read (due to having the same symptoms!) and so I read the book relatively slowly. The author clearly knows what she is talking about, what she is tackling and she handles it with just the right amount of both sincerity and delicacy. 

Overall, this was a very well written book that I would recommend to any adult who thinks that they would 'enjoy' (probably not the most appropriate word) reading about the subject matter. Brooke hasn't just wrote about a brain tumour, but instead she has written about independence, hope and love. She has allowed us to really think of what we value, or what we dream to do. I really admire Brooke for writing this book, she has such a natural talent and sensitivity that shines through. I will certainly be looking forward to picking up more of her books in the future.

From The Review Pile (66)

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

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This week, I'm going to showcase Boy Meets Boy!

I actually own one of the older editions of this book (as well as this one), but seeing it again with a new, revitalised cover has reminded me that I do need to pick this up soon! I have only heard positive things about this book and I have loved the books I have read by Levithan in the past. 

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Paperback

Published 1st August 2013 by Harper Collins

The unforgettable debut novel by co-author with John Green of Will Grayson, Will Grayson

To be together with someone for twenty years seems like an eternity. I can’t seem to manage twenty days…

How do you stay together?

Paul has been gay his whole life and he’s confident about almost everything. He doesn’t have to hide his feelings like best friend Tony or even cope with loving the wrong guy like his other best friend Joni.

But heartbreak can happen to anyone. Falling in love changes everything.

From The Review Pile (58)

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

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This week, I'm going to showcase The Elite (The Selection #2)!

I really enjoyed The Selection when I read it last year and was so was so pleased when I managed to get a copy of the second book in the series, The Elite. I'm going to have to find my book notes from the first book (my memory is terrible!), refresh my mind and continue on with this very soon!

The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

435 Pages

Published 23rd April 2013 by HarperCollins

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

Dot

Dot by Araminta Hall

Hardback, 288 pages

Published 23rd May 2013 by HarperCollins

Shelves:  arc-or-review, books-i-own, really-good, realistic-fiction, read-in-2013, cover-appeal 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

The remarkable new novel from the bestselling author of Everything and Nothing is a warm and heartbreaking tale of three generations of women.

In a higgledy-piggledy house with turrets and tunnels towering over the sleepy Welsh village of Druith, two girls play hide and seek. They don’t see its grandeur or the secrets locked behind doors they cannot open. They see lots of brilliant places to hide.

Squeezed under her mother’s bed, pulse racing with the thrill of a new hiding place Dot sees something else: a long-forgotten photograph of a man, his hair blowing in the breeze. Dot stares so long at the photograph the image begins to disintegrate before her eyes, and as the image fades it is replaced with one thought: ‘I think it’s definitely him.’

DOT is the story of one little girl and how her one small action changes the lives of those around her for ever.

Though I did purchase Araminta Hall's first novel, I didn't get around to reading it, despite how intriguing the plot sounded. When I read about her latest offering, Dot, I was even more intrigued by this writer and I knew that I had to pick this book up as soon as possible - no excuses. I didn't learn that much about the contents from the blurb, but this actually made me even more eager to start reading.

This book has a very distinctive feel to it from the start - it is unlike anything I had ever read before. I won't lie - I wasn't entirely sure whether or not I liked it at first, it just felt so different to me, but after a very short while, I was absolutely absorbed into this book and I realised that I loved the uniqueness of the writing. I am in awe of Hall's talent - it takes a lot for an author to be so individual in their style, to offer something new, but she's managed it extremely well and it comes across so naturally. 

Though the blurb does sound like the book could be a little peculiar, a little fantastical even, it is actually a book that is very down to earth and a book that is unashamedly realistic. The book is fascinating, not just because of the setting,  a "higgledy-piggledy house with turrets and tunnels", but rather because of the characters inside the house and their actions, past and present. The setting is a really just a base point, a common ground - something shared between the three generations of women who live in the house, Dot, her mother (Alice) and her grandmother (Clarice). I thought it was interesting to see the differences in thoughts and feelings between the three generations and to see how they interacted with each other. Family is an important element of this book and I can't praise Hall enough for how she writes these relationships. Hall takes us through different narratives, weaving in and out of the past and present so naturally that it is so easy to just keep on reading and reading, learning more about this family.

It is important to note that though the story is mainly about these three women, it's also about a lot of other people - the people around them, their friends, their past loves - everything and everyone who has had an impact on their lives. 

There is not much more that I can say about this book other than I loved the individuality of it and how Hall's writing stands out from the crowd. I can really see this appealing to a lot of people - If you're just into 'women's fiction' or if you're into any type of fiction, this is definitely something that you don't want to miss. This has definitely made me want to catch up and read Everything and Nothing, and I can't wait to see what Hall delivers next!

The Honey Queen

The Honey Queen by Cathy Kelly

Hardback

Expected Publication: 1st March 2013 by Harper Collins

My shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, books-i-own, chick-lit, mum-has, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

To discover the sweetest things in life, you sometimes have to lose your way…

It’s easy to fall in love with the beautiful town of Redstone – the locals wave and chat to each other, the shops and cafes are full of cheerful hustle and bustle. And amidst all this activity, two women believe they are getting on just fine.

Francesca’s boundless energy help her to take everything in her stride, including a husband who has lost his job and the unwelcome arrival of the menopause, which has kicked in – full throttle.

Peggy, on the other hand, has always been a restless spirit. But now, focused and approaching thirty, she has opened her own knitting shop on the town’s high street. It’s a dream come true, but she still feels adrift.

When Australian-raised Lillie finally makes it back home to Ireland, she is drawn right into the heart of Redstone’s busy, close-knit community. But what she thought would be an ending is actually just a beginning – all is not quite as it seems in the picturesque town.

Soon, Lillie’s hard-earned wisdom will be called into play as she helps new friends navigate unchartered territory…

Whilst this was only the second book written by Cathy Kelly that I've picked up, I was very excited to see what it was like. Cathy Kelly has already got a firm place in my mind as an author that I can turn to when I want something that I can really get absorbed into. This is a book that I felt I could unwind with and read all day.

Though this is a book that I could easily relax with, that doesn't mean that it's lacking in substance. Kelly seems to have an ability to hook you in and feel comfortable with her stories, even if she is tackling some very difficult or taboo subjects at the same time. I love books that explore everyday problems and it is great to see them being explored in such a good, well thought out manner. There are a lot of things going on in this book - from one character mourning the death of her husband to the stabilisation of a rocky marriage and even to the issue of past abuse. Most of the characters mentioned are interlinked in some way - relationships understandably play a large part in this book and it's interesting to see how they interact and come together. 

Although I admire the author for being able to create so many well developed and complex characters with their own subplots, this was also, partially, a flaw in the book. Kelly introduced so many characters into this book that the first chapters felt quite confusing and even a little overwhelming - I think that most people will struggle to remember so many names and stories at first. Thankfully, as the book progressed I did find myself being more quickly able to identify each character.  It is certainly worth persisting with this book, even if you do become a little confused at first. Though there are a vast array of characters, Kelly manages to give them all very distinct and multi-layered personalities, which is such an impressive achievement.

I can't say that there was a particular character or story that I connected with most, which is actually quite a great compliment - I connected with each and every character and subplot. Though some of the characters were initially a little more difficult to relate to, I did grow to like them all, each in their own way with their own quirks - including the lesser mentioned supporting characters.

Although I've only read one other Cathy Kelly book (so far!), I would certainly imagine that if you're a fan of hers, you will enjoy this one - it does draw a lot of parallels from others, dealing with similar issues. It is so clear that Kelly is a talented writer and that she has a lot of experience alongside it. I'd certainly recommend this book to any adult who enjoys reading realistic fiction and/or books that deal with real-life problems.