My Girl - Jack Jordan

About the book...

Paige Dawson: the mother of a murdered child and wife to a dead man.  She has nothing left to live for… until she finds her husband’s handgun hidden in their house. Why did Ryan need a gun? What did he know about their daughter’s death? 

Desperate for the truth, Paige begins to unearth her husband’s secrets. But she has no idea who she is up against, or that her life isn’t hers to gamble – she belongs to me. 

From the bestselling author of Anything for Her, Jack Jordan's My Girl is the new chilling thriller that you won't want to miss.

About the author...
Jack Jordan lives in East Anglia, England. He describes himself as an introvert disguised as an extrovert, an intelligent person who can say very unintelligent things, and a self-confessed bibliomaniac with more books than sense. 

Author of Anything for Her and My Girl.

I love connecting with other readers, so don't hesitate to add me as a friend. Let's talk books! :-)

My thoughts...
I was given an ecopy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review, something which I am more than happy to do.

Where to begin? This is a shocking tale of a woman, Paige who thinks life can't get any worse - her daughter was murdered at fourteen identified by her fingers found in a river but with no body to bury, the case still unsolved and a husband who committed suicide in the bath. Paige is lurching from day to day in a drunken stupor, surviving on wine, fags and prescription drugs. For what reason she doesn't know - her life really is not worth living.

I read this book in an afternoon at sea, a relaxing holiday read it was not but, I was literally glued to the pages. There were times when I wanted to put the book down but that was never going to happen - My Girl was intensely gripping. 

Jack's descriptions of both people and scenario's was superb.  The characters complex and haunting.  Paige a shell of a person, nothing left of her but a bleeding heart, needing something/someone to drag her out of the abyss. To her mother-in-law with her brittle, biting her lip calm like manner unable to reach Paige and feeling her own pain which she was holding in check - just. Then there was Paige's homely, but emotionally crushed father.  I could have wrapped my arms around him, I visualised his sad, woeful eyes knowing he was as crushed as Paige but not able to shake her out of slump. Maxim her older brother, sitting quietly on the sidelines, bailing her out when necessary, reading her the riot act and retreating until the next time. Their mannerisms and actions played like a cinema reel across my eyes as I read.  

There are twists and turns in this book that are shockingly graphic and highly emotive with the major twist causing a jaw dropping OHHHHHHHH.  I literally never saw that coming and didn't want to deal with it when it did.  If you think Paige is living in hell at the beginning of the book by Part II you'll despair, my stomach literally dropped.  

Jack Jordan hooked me with his synopsis and reeled me in with the story - he is definitely an author to look out for. I'm still reeling now a month after reading it and can honestly say nothing I've read recently has come close to this.  I highly recommend Jack Jordan and My Girl - utterly brilliant and powerfully shocking.  What's next Jack?

How to Find Love in a Bookshop - Veronica Henry

About the book...

Nightingale Books, nestled on the high street in the idyllic Cotswold town of Peasebrook, is a dream come true for booklovers. But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open. The temptation to sell up is proving enormous - but what about the promise she made to her father? Not to mention the loyalty she owes to her customers. 

Sarah Basildon, owner of stately home Peasebrook Manor, has used the bookshop as an escape from all her problems in the past few years. But is there more to her visits than meets the eye? Since messing up his marriage, Jackson asks Emilia for advice on books to read to the son he misses so much. But Jackson has a secret, and is not all he seems... 

And there’s Tomasina, painfully shy, who runs a pop-up restaurant from her tiny cottage. She has a huge crush on a man she met and then lost in the cookery section, somewhere between Auguste Escoffier and Marco Pierre White. Can she find the courage to admit her true feelings? 

How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the delightful story of Emilia’s fight to keep her bookshop alive, the customers whose lives she has touched - and the books they all love. 

Published in Hardback by Orion Books 16th June 2016, £12.99. Also available in ebook and audio. 

About the author...

Veronica Henry has worked as a scriptwriter for THE ARCHERS, HEARTBEAT and HOLBY CITY amongst many others, before turning to fiction. She won the 2014 RNA NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD for A NIGHT ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Veronica lives on the coast in North Devon with her sons. 

For more information on Veronica Henry 

Visit her website www.veronicahenry.co.uk

Follow Veronica on Twitter @veronica_henry

See Veronica’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/veronica- henry author 

My thoughts...

I was offered a copy of How to Find Love In a Bookshop in exchange for an honest review by Elaine Egan, Publicity Manager at Orion Books, something which I am more than happy to do.

This was a touching book that was a pleasure to read.  Emilia, finds herself alone with big decisions to make.  Her father, Julius was a single parent to Emilia and his love of books and their ability to soothe and enlighten was a gift which he passed onto his daughter. Sadly, How to Find Love In a Bookshop begins with the death of Julius and the reality that Nightingale Books is now Emilia's responsibility, bringing with it problems and the one person who she always leant on and sought advice from - gone.

Nightingale Books is a responsibility that she wants to take up but when the reality of the challenge facing her is presented in black and white it becomes a challenge that may be that step too far.

Veronica sensitively conveys Emilia's feelings and her grief, that was at times all consuming.   I really felt for Emilia as she dealt with the huge tug of love that was Nightingale Books.  She realises the bookshop is struggling financially but initially not quite how bad. Grief is a terrible thing that effects us all differently and for Emilia the yo-yoing between decisions is made harder when she arranges a memorial service for her father and practically the whole community wants to take part. The emotional strain of dealing with the desire to keep the bookshop open for her fathers sake, but realising it appears to be a hopeless case so she should sell up is all too evident.  

Emilia slowly begins to realise that perhaps she isn't all alone.  The love and genuine support given and received by Julius and subsequently Emilia was evident with each and every character introduced to us.   Nightingale Books really was at the heart of Peasebrook and to close it down would be like ripping the heart out of the community.   I felt strongly that Emilia should keep it open and willed her on with each chapter.  Every time I thought she had made a positive decision to stay open something would happen to change her mind and I genuinely felt saddened by this.  

I loved this story, at times it was sad and I felt quite emotional but at others found it to be an uplifting read that made me smile and wish for the chance to walk through the doors of Nightingale Books. The descriptions were so vivid I could smell the books and see myself stroking the spines as I chose my next read, wanting to be a part of a community that has a bookshop playing a pivotal part in the community.   Thank you so much for this beautiful read.

House of Dreams - Fanny. Blake

About the book...

It's only a long weekend - what could possibly go wrong?

'House of Dreams is a heart-warming tale of secrets slowly revealed and family tensions in a beautiful Spanish setting. A compelling and delightful read' - Santa Montefiore

In the hilltop villa with its spectacular views across rolling countryside to the straits of Gibraltar, Lucy anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and sister.

They’re spending the weekend together to say farewell to Casa de Sueños, the house in the mountains of southern Spain where they grew up.

Her sister, Jo, landing at the airport with her fractious four year old, dreads the prospect of this time with her family which will fulfil their mother’s last instructions that they celebrate her birthday together. Only this time their mother won’t be there.

Tom, their brother, remembers the chaos of his bohemian upbringing and wants nothing more than for their stay to go off without a hitch. Then a beautiful face from his past appears at the villa . . .

Over one long, hot week weekend, past secrets will spill out, making the siblings question themselves, the choices they’ve made and where their future lies in this gorgeous new novel from Fanny Blake.

About the author...

Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing fiction and general non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written several bestsellers and acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities. She is also Books Editor of Woman and Home magazine. Her novels include The Secrets Women Keep (Orion) and With a Friend Like You (Orion).

My thoughts...

I was sent a copy of House of Dreams by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Something that I,m more than happy to do. Jo, Tom and Lucy, siblings, are heading to their family villa -  a place of happy memories for one last holiday in remembrance and at the express wish of their recently deceased mother.

This is such a lovely book, a story that explores the dynamics of family life. The stereotypical dynamics of sibling rivalry - it never ends but is taken mostly as banter and not personal.  Three children, now adults - three very different characters who don't realise that deep down they actually beat from the same heart and share the same values.  

This was a beautiful story, woven around a setting that from the cover of the book alone just oozed warmth, lazy days, sunshine and smiles - a happy book despite the reason for the visit.  Jo, Tom and Lucy come together to have one last holiday in a house that holds so many happy memories - they are to scatter their mother's ashes, party one last time in her memory - unsure exactly who will turn up and then divide the contents and move on. Something that each of them was dreading.

I loved how Fanny created so many stories within the story and managed to tie them all up nicely over the course of just one long week-end. Each of the siblings at stages in their lives where decisions needed to be made, three very different characters who don't always share the same opinion nor strength of character.  Tom who seems to let his wife and family ride rough shod over him.  Jo, madcap and funny but devoted in her role as single mother to daughter Ivy and lastly, Lucy, the swan - gliding gracefully on the surface taking everything in her stride and paddling like mad underneath.  I simply loved how each thought they couldn't cope or move on without their mother to guide them - little realising that the quality time spent together would unearth some secrets and change opinions not just about each other but themselves too and from this gain the strength to help each other.

I was so looking forward to this book and Fanny Blake delivered ten fold - if you like reading about the intricacies and dynamics of family life and everyday real life situations then you'll love House of Dreams.  It's not all candy floss and gloss, it delves into real life situations and I can guarantee you'll form opinions on each and every one of the characters and for most you'll change that opinion.  First impressions are not always what they seem because the family, very much like most of us, puts on an outward face. Using it like armour to portray a positive image and to protect.  Fanny taps away at the chinks until the real characters with their vulnerabilities are uncovered.  Each of them giving and receiving the love and support of each other, strengthening them individually and as a trio.  Ultimately the memories of their mother, the secrets they uncover brings questions and answers that give them the strength to carry on - the passion to look to the future instead of dwelling on the past. It really was such a good read. I highly recommend this book to everyone as a light read that delves quite a bit deeper than you'd probably expect.

Play Dead - Angela Marsons

About the book… 

The dead don’t tell secrets… unless you listen. 

The girl’s smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess. 

Westerley research facility is not for the faint-hearted. A ‘body farm’ investigating human decomposition, its inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime. 

Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It’s clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work – but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next? 

As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears, the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer’s secrets – but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim …? 

Buy Links: 

About the author… 

Angela discovered a love of writing at Primary School when a short piece on the rocks and the sea gained her the only merit point she ever got.

Angela wrote the stories that burned inside and then stored them safely in a desk drawer.

After much urging from her partner she began to enter short story competitions in Writer's News resulting in a win and three short listed entries.

She used the Amazon KDP program to publish two of her earlier works before concentrating on her true passion - Crime.

After many, many submissions Angela was signed in a 4 book deal to http://bookouture.com as their first crime author.  Her first book SILENT SCREAM was published in February 2015 and was an #1 Amazon best seller.

Contact Links: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriteAngie
Bookouture: http://bookouture.com

My thoughts…

Angela's latest book Play Dead - absolutely, definitely was on my list of must read books, I literally couldn’t wait to start.

Play Dead is the fourth book in the D.I. Kim Stone, detective, thriller series and is equally as gripping and terrifyingly, breathe holding as the first.  As ever, Kim is on the hunt for a serial killer, this time the case is discovered whilst visiting a body farm.  Kim identifies a newer body than those she's there to look at and so begins the hunt for the person who has brutally murdered a young girl, dumping her at a supposedly secret to the public location.  Westerley research facility is studying the decomposition of the human body by natural elements and insects - my stomach is still turning at the thoughts and images evoked whilst reading this book.  Yet, Angela has the knack of delivering just the right amount of detail to be realistic, stopping just short of the need to have me committed to a secure unit as a gibbering wreck.  

Play Dead is very similar to the rest of the series in that the main character is a constant.  Kim Stone is still the brash, matter of fact, hard nosed inspector hell bent on solving a crime - breaking the rules, yet knowing just how far she can push her boss and her team before pulling back.  She has the knack of shutting out the here and now and getting under the skins of the victims and everyone around her.  Despite the gruelling pace she expects her team to work under it's clear they have her back - working a mind numbing number of hours when necessity calls.

Angela Marsons, in Kim Stone drives the narrative at an alarming rate, I literally couldn't put this book down.  Just how many bodies were going to be discovered in the same shocking manner before the case was solved?  This had me reading faster and faster. If I read quicker and got to the end, perhaps I'll save a few people - shocking, unbelievable but it's how I felt.  She really does get under your skin, with characters that are flawed but likeable.

As ever when reading a crime book I like to second guess which character is the guilty one. In Play Dead I guessed, second guessed, third guessed and sat with just pages to go with my mouth open - totally shocked.  At one point I partially guessed but then dismissed the whole idea as ridiculous.  I didn't see that ending coming at all.  The characters are complex and all seem to have a side we as the reader are not privy to, hence questioning everyone's motives. 

I can't tell you how massively brilliant this book and whole series is.  Each could be read as stand alone books but by reading the whole series you'll get a greater insight into what makes D. I. Kim Stone tick.  She really is a multi-faceted, diamond of a character. Sharp, shiny and at the top of her game - four books into this series and there are a few smoothed edges, almost as if she's becoming comfortable with her readers so revealing more of herself.

I can only say if ever I had the need of a detective that would leave no stone unturned and rip the clues apart in pursuit of a serial killer - Kim Stone would be the first, in fat only person I'd call.  Thank you Angela for another book of escapism that is just that little bit too close to reality to ever be a comfortable read - I like the edge of seat, heart hammering experience you provide - until the next time. 

The Other Half of my Heart - Stephanie Butland

About the book… 

“It smelled bittersweetly of sourdough, and there was the trace of hot, fresh bread in the air. She took a deep breath and unlocked the door”

Fifteen years ago Bettina May’s life’s veered off course in one disastrous night. Still reeling from the shock of losing everything she thought was hers, Bettina opens a bakery in a village and throws herself into the comfort of bread-making.

She spends her days kneading dough and measuring ingredients. She meets someone. She begins to heal.

Until someone who knows what happens that night walks into Bettina's bakery. In the pause of a heartbeat, fifteen years disappear and Bettina remembers a time she thought was lost for ever.

Buy Links:

 

About the author… 

Stephanie Butland's first two books were about her dance with cancer. She then turned to fiction, and Letters to My Husband is the first of two novels set in a small English town.

Stephanie lives with her family near the sea in the North east of England. She writes in a studio at the bottom of her garden, and when she's not writing, she trains people to think more creatively. For fun, she reads, knits, sews, bakes, and spins.

How I Said Bah! To Cancer: A Guide to Thinking, Laughing, Living and Dancing Your Way Through is Stephanie's story of how she learned to dance with cancer: through thinking strategies, a proactive approach to treatment, determination to keep the rest of her life going, and keeping her sense of humour (mostly) to hand. It was published by Hay House in 2011. Her second book Thrive: The Bah! Guide to Wellness After Cancer, was published in September 2012.

Stephanie's debut novel Letters to My Husband was published by Transworld in 2014.

Contact Links: 

Follow Stephanie on Twitter: @under_blue_sky 

or her website www.stephaniebutland.com

My thoughts…

My expectations of this book were high.  I had read Stephanie's debut, Letters to My Husband when it was known as Surrounded by Water and have been tapping my fingers waiting for a second novel from her ever since.  As I closed the last page I had to sit quietly, taking in all that I had read.  I must have felt every emotion possible reading this book, from helplessness and sadness to happiness and elation. 

The Other Half of My Heart was intense and it was clear pretty early on that the main character Bettina May was a workaholic.  Absorbed in building up her new business, a bakery, filling every minute of the day working on and in it, leaving little time for anything or anyone else.  She did form a tentative relationship, more of a friendship really with her neighbour Rufus and at first it was difficult to see why she held him at arms length. Before too long though it became apparent she was living the life she was as a way of coping and blocking out the past.  Her story unfolds with the past revealed bit by bit by the author who split the chapters between the present day and fifteen years previous when life for Tina, as she was known then, was pretty much perfect.  Spending almost all her time at the stables where she worked, that were owned by the parents of her boyfriend Roddy.  She had everything going for her until one dreadful night when a tragic turn of events shattered the lives of herself and those closest to her.

Stephanie created characters that really got under my skin and made me question what I would have done in the same circumstances.  Sometimes life throws us a curve ball and how we react depends upon the people and characters we were to begin with.  This is a heart breaking story that demonstrates all too clearly how a tragic accident can send ripples way beyond the point of impact.  A truly desperate set of circumstances shattered the lives of two families, everyone coping with the fallout in different ways until the past comes back to meet the present and Bettina and those she was closest too must re-visit Tina's past.

This for me was a compulsive read that was at times quite harrowing but also very uplifting - a story that demonstrates quite strongly that nothing is unsurmountable when faced with true love.  Trust and communication play a huge part in this novel and prove that it's best to face your fears head on.  Time is a great healer and distance and space are sometimes needed to see clearly but it's sometimes best to face your demons head on.

All in all a beautiful story told in such a way I felt genuine empathy for all the characters. When it ended I was left with a warm glow, whilst quietly cheering and clapping - I genuinely cared for the characters as I would any close friends. Stephanie has without doubt got the knack of getting under my skin.  An author who seems to understand that when life falls apart and is full of tragedy, grief and guilt the power of love, trust and friendship can bind it all back together again.

This novel delivered exactly what I expected and more - providing escapism with more than a touch of realism.  I highly recommend both this book but more importantly this author, a lady with huge talent.

The Other Child - Lucy Atkins

About the book...

Sometimes a lie seems kinder than the truth ... but what happens when that lie destroys everything you love? 

When Tess is sent to photograph Greg, a high profile paediatric heart surgeon, she sees something troubled in his face, and feels instantly drawn to him. Their relationship quickly deepens, but then Tess, single mother to nine-year-old Joe, falls pregnant, and Greg is offered the job of a lifetime back in his hometown of Boston. Before she knows it, Tess is married, and relocating to the States. But life in an affluent American suburb proves anything but straightforward. 

Unsettling things keep happening in the large rented house. Joe is distressed, the next-door neighbours are in crisis, and Tess is sure that someone is watching her. Greg's work is all-consuming and, as the baby's birth looms, he grows more and more unreachable. Something is very wrong, Tess knows it, and then she makes a jaw-dropping discovery... 

About the author...

Lucy Atkins is an award-winning author, book critic and journalist. Her latest psychological suspense novel, The Other Child (Quercus, 2015), is about a photographer and single mother, Tess, who falls in love with a paediatric heart surgeon and moves with him and her young son to Boston USA, where things begin to unravel. Her debut novel, The Missing One, is about a woman's search for her mother's hidden past. 

Lucy lives with her family in Oxford, UK but has lived in the USA three times: in Philadelphia, Seattle, and Boston. As well as writing novels, she is a book critic for The Sunday Times, and has written features for newspapers such as The Guardian, The Times,The Telegraph and magazines such as Red, Woman and Home, Psychologies and Grazia. Lucy has also written, co-written or ghost-written six health-related books, including First-Time Parent (Collins, 2008) 

My thoughts...

I follow Lucy on twitter and when she asked if I would be interested in hosting her for part of the blog tour for The Other Child I jumped at the chance.  I love reading contemporary novels and thrillers, especially psychological ones and The Other Child sounded right up my street.  I was just about to go off on holiday so I headed to Amazon to download an ecopy of the book as I couldn't wait for the review copy to arrive in the post.

There was no softly, softly introduction to this novel. Lucy dragged me straight into this edgy, psychological thriller, that had me looking behind doors and talking out loud to Tess on more than one occasion, willing her not to say or do something for my fear of the consequences.  I felt uneasy from almost the first page.  Tess and her situation just didn't sit right with me.  

The story begins when Tess and her son Joe arrive outside their new home in a Boston suburb that Greg, Tess's husband had rented for them. He had lived in the UK for 15 years but had applied and got his dream job back in his home country, America.  As a result, he quickly proposed to Tess, not wanting to leave her behind. A whirlwind wedding and Tess found herself emigrating to begin married life with her new husband in another country at a time when her life was already in turmoil.  Pregnant with Greg's child, despite him making it clear to Tess he never wanted to be a father. He was so good with Joe she was sure things would be ok once the baby was born.  Everything should be hearts and flowers but tension and stress oozes out of the pages.  

Lucy's descriptive skills are brilliant, she got inside my head with both the characters and the physical descriptions of places, with the intricacies of what at first appeared a simple story.  A story that got right under my skin.  Half answered questions, situations that couldn't quite be explained, neighbours that blew hot and cold, an elusive husband who was vague and evasive yet at the same time loving and caring.  Each of these saw me turning the pages faster and faster - wanting to calm my racing heartbeat. At the same time, holding my breathe - willing Tess not to do or say something for fear of the consequences.  

Time and time again I thought this would make such a good film - a jumpy, edge of the seat one - I held my breathe, untangled the story, decided what was happening and why only to change my mind again with the next chapter.  Some things just can't be explained. I would recommend this book to anyone who like me, likes that heart pounding, clammy hand feeling that gets the adrenaline pumping.  I loved this book so much and don't think I've ever read a book that had me contradicting my own thoughts so many times.  Over and over again I veered from not believing a word that was written on the page to believing every one of the same words - I was so convinced by the story. 

Lucy you had me hook, line and sinker.  So very rarely does a book leave me so drained.  I, unlike Tess can't blame pregnancy hormones, absence of close family and friends or worry over an unhappy child to explain my state of mind - I blame you! This rib crushing, adrenaline inducing story held my attention, I never for a minute had to suspend believe as every scenario and character was so very plausible.  Thank you so much for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for this amazing book.

The One Saving Grace - Julie Houston

About the book… 

Lowering her voice so that the three police officers couldn’t hear, Grace whispered, ‘Harriet, could you just moan a bit more confusion, perilously clinging on as the chain of events threatens not only their comfortable, ordinary lives but also their very existence…

The One Saving Grace continues the story of Grace, Harriet and Amanda begun in Goodness, Grace and Me which reached #1 in Amazon’s Top 100 for Humour in 2014.

Buy Links: 

About the author… 

Julie Houston is Yorkshire born and bred. She lives in Huddersfield where her novels are set and her only claims to fame are that she taught at ‘Bridget Jones’ author Helen Fielding’s old school, her neighbour is ‘Chocolat’ author Joanne Harris and her friend is about to marry Tracy Emin’s cousin! Oh, and she was rescued by Frank Bough when, many years ago, she was ‘working as a waitress in a cocktail bar’ at the Kensington Hilton in London.

After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior school teacher. As a newly qualified teacher, broke and paying off her first mortgage, she would spend every long summer holiday working on different Kibbutzim in Israel. After teaching for a few years she decided to go to New Zealand to work and taught in Auckland for a year before coming back to this country.

She now teaches part time, and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children. She has been a magistrate for the last thirteen years, and, when not distracted by ebay, genealogy (so time consuming but so interesting - she recently discovered her husband is descended from the poet Shelley and the Duke of Milan!!) and crosswords, she spends much of her time writing.

Julie is married, has a nineteen-year-old son and sixteen-year-old daughter and a mad cockapoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she’s been told it’s good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book.

Contact Links: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieHouston2

My thoughts…

I have to confess straight off, I am a 'cover tart' and I absolutely love the cover for this and Julie's last novel Goodness, Grace & Me - they make you want to pick them up to start with.

This book gets off to a hilarious start that had me laughing and cringing in equal measures - never again will I be able to visit Harvey Nicks without a detour to the mens 'smalls dept' for a giggle.  Harriet, the lead female in this novel and her best friend Grace are  both expecting, due within weeks of each other.  They are on a little shopping trip when Harriet goes into premature labour - she's not due for another two months!  What ensues is nothing short of 'Comedy Gold'.  The two women spark off each other with an ease that is only seen with long term friends - add to the mix a drop dead, gorgeous, hunk of a knight in shining armour and a couple of scrapes with the law, as the girls try to execute an escape back to Yorkshire from Manchester wanting the babies (she's expecting twins) to be born on home turf, was like a scene from 'Thelma and Louise'.  If I tell you I sat grinning like a slightly insane person, laughing out loud regularly and you've got the measure of this book from the off.

The story really begins to split into two once the babies for both women are born.  Harriet's twins make five children for her with Grace giving birth to her first.  Julie describes with ease, two very different reactions to pregnancy and birth, one had no real plans, was very laid back and the other had the pregnancy, birth and post labour organised down to the last detail.  Suffice to say life isn't easy for either of the women, Grace's plans go by the wayside and Harriet needs an extra 12 hours in every day just to stay on top of day to day life - they begin to drift apart without realising it, their friendship stretched beyond recognition in the end.

It's clear to the reader that Grace is suffering from Post Natal Depression, something that best friend Harriet doesn't even realise for a long time because she literally doesn't have a minute left in her day for anything other than grabbing a few minutes sleep.  Such a serious topic could so easily have dragged the mood down but Julie deals with it in a sensitive but realistic way, balancing it with snippets of humour usually caused by Harriet's chaotic household.

What I wasn't prepared for, was the other storyline.  Harriet and Nick live happily with their brood of five, they clearly adore each other but neither has any time - Nick is always travelling with work, trying to build his business as security for his family and poor Harriet is worked to the bone.  As one day ends, the next instantly begins - the clock ticking faster than she'd like, there are simply not enough hours in the day.  The scene has been set so when Harriet finds herself locking eyes with the hunk from Harvey Nicks, in her living room of all places, she goes into a melt-down. Such was Julie's description I could literally feel the attraction fizzing off the page.

Julie introduced a supporting cast of family, friends and relations that read like a page from Ancestry.Com - everyone was seemingly connected or related to each other in some way - so and so's brother's, sister's, mother's, uncle that married .... You get the picture?  I thought I'd never keep up but it all slotted together, surprisingly quickly I'm glad to say and there wasn't a single one that I thought was un-necessary to the plot.  Some I liked more than others, but that's real life isn't it?  

There are many twists and turns, things don't always happen as you'd expect and some things were definitely not as clear cut as I initially thought.  It's this and the pacing that kept me turning the pages - wanting to see if my guesses were right (they mainly weren't). Both women reached rock bottom before they could climb back up and re-build their lives - many relationships were shattered along the way some irretrievably and it was difficult at times to see how there could be any positive outcomes at all. I thought Julie bravely, but sensitively dealt with both the post natal depression and the infidelity in such a way that the reader is left in no uncertain terms as to the wider ripples caused by both.  I was left thinking and analysing long after the final page.  This wasn't your classic happy ever after chick lit, girl meets boy, falls in love, runs off into the sunset.  It was a million times better than that - because it was about real life and real life isn't all hearts and roses every day.  We get up in a morning and don't know what curve balls are coming our way.  One thing Julie demonstrated particularly well, is that the grass isn't always greener on the other side and time is a great healer.  We cannot force issues, people heal and build themselves back up at their pace and in their own time and only they know if they can move forward or need to take a different path.  But , true love runs deep and if you love someone you have to let them go - if it's meant to be, they'll come back.

This book is the authors second novel but can easily be read as a stand alone.  I loved it, even if I did get a bit confused at times ;D - there are some truly hilarious moments amongst the serious bits, Julie has brilliant comic timing and some of her terminology was hilarious.  I'd love to know who her characters were based on and how much of herself is in this book.