Hannah Morgan-Lewis
Just a Bit Twisted is the tale of Shawn, a college boy who has been left to look after his two four year old twin sister's since his parents died. He somehow ends up pimping himself to his professor, the chilly Derek Rutledge. Okay, so the beginnings of their relationship does require some suspension of disbelief as Derek puts himself in an incredibly dangerous position but hell I liked both the characters and what she did with them, and I thought the sex was hot! Shawn struggles with his attraction but continually tries to act in a dignified way, especially about the money. The story is from his point of view but we do get to explore why Derek is so cold and against relationships. It left me wanting more. The only criticism I really had was the absence of proper lube in the sex!
The Passengers by John Marrs
A very clever set up leads to a fantastic thriller full of twists and turns and unexpected moments.
Set in a future not unlike the present where society has come to rely on autonomous cars to the extent that the government is outlawing the use of non autonomous cars; Libby is participating in a jury considering if an autonomous car is responsible for killing some pedestrians or if it was their own fault when someone hacks into the cars and takes control. What follows is a rollercoaster ride where the jury are forced to decide who lives and who dies. This is all made worse by the inevitable online publicity, and a great feature of this book is online snippets that add to the realistic feel of the novel.
The characters are well drawn and there are some great funny moments particularly with the aging actress trapped in a car who has no idea what's going on. I think the author has made great use of his former experiences of writing articles about celebrities!
Whilst this is a really entertaining read, it does also make you think about reliance on technology and how it can encourage snap judgments based on little more than how a person appears and a mob mentality. The inquest where the jury are deciding is attended by an expert who is more excited by the online stats generated by what's happening than by the thought that someone is about to die.
This month the book is 99p on Kindle and would make a great holiday read.
Nelly Dean by Alison Case
Billed as a return to Wuthering Heights, Nelly Dean is the story of WH from the point of view of the servant who partially narrated the story. In it, Nelly has written her story down addressed to Mr Lockwood without sending it.
I think the most important thing about this is whether it adds to the story of WH, and out of the #backstairs books I've read, I think this one adds the most to the story. Nelly is a fully imagined character who sheds a great deal of light on Mr Earnshaw and particularly on Hareton who she has a really close, motherly relationship with. She also has a relationship with Hindley and sheds light on the way that he degenerates due to alcohol. The book doesn't go into a great detail about Heathcliffe and Cathy's relationship, but I don't think it needs to. However, it brings in all the themes of the moors, doomed love and the supernatural in anyway.
Aside from the WH characters, the author also brings Bodkin, the son of the family doctor who is a friend and advisor to Nelly. He brings in a welcome outside perspective to a story that can seem insular with its settings of the home and the Moor. The story can be heartbreaking at times, especially when Nelly is seperated from Hareton but her relationship with Bodkin often lightens the book without taking away the tragedy of the situation.
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
I think this is probably going to be one of my favourite books of the year. A beautifully written magic realist historical novel set in Malay during the 1930s. The story centres around Ren, a young boy who is given a mission by his British master (who has died) to return his missing finger to his grave, preventing the master from walking the earth in search of it, and Ji Lin, a young woman who works as a dance partner but wishes to become a nurse. Along with Ji Lin's stepbrother Shin, they are mysteriously connected by the Confucian virtues.
A great part of the story is taken up with Chinese traditions and mythology, which is fascinating. The main motif of the story is that there is a were-tiger killing and mauling people, this is part of the magic realist aspect as well as imagery the author uses to describe the reoccurring dreams where Ren and Ji Lin communicate.
The time period and the place are perfectly chosen as you get the amazing imagery of the tiger and the sense that things are changing as the expats live and work in Malay. Another important character is William, who works as a doctor and is Ren's new master. The characters are also very well written and it's the kind of book that you could easily re-read to pick up more of the hints in the story. As readers have found on Quercus's brilliant #NightTigerTogether Twitter book club, it makes for some brilliant discussions and would make a perfect book club read.
My first and probably last James Patterson. I hated how much italics were used to show that another character was speaking, it felt really patronising to the reader. The plot was okay, if a bit daft. But President Mary Sue got on my nerves, he was such a hero you expected girls to swoon wherever he went. I think the reason why I quite like Bill Clinton is that he is a complex character, so I would have hoped that a character in a book he'd supposedly contributed to would be more human and less fan flippin' fantastic!
A Victorian gothic novel which investigates ideas that a person can be born ‘bad' and can be identified as a criminal by their features. The story centres around Cora Burns, a young woman who has grown up in a workhouse, an asylum and has spent time in gaol for a crime. She finds a position in a mysterious house where the owner is doing research mainly on Violet, a mysterious little girl.
The storyline is very well plotted, using different timelines and journal entries from another researcher who is hypnotising a woman in an attempt to find more about her. There is a strong sense of mystery about the story, and the reader has to prize out the puzzle of what is going on, what happened in the past and how the characters are related. I thought this was brilliantly done and kept me guessing until the end.
Cora is an incredibly interesting character, at turns meek and submissive, then resisting violent emotions and desires to hurt people who cross or annoy her. I love what the author did with her friend Alice, I thought that was really clever. Cora develops throughout the story from someone who has no control over what happens to her and is institutionalised to a woman who is fully in control and making her way in a society which stands against her. The story perfectly illustrates the position of lower class women and in particular the lives of the outcasts in society and how they were treated in the period. I thought that the author presented a historically accurate view - this was a tragic childhood but it was not all beatings and starvation, she was treated reasonably by some of the staff, who just didn't know what to do with her.
Overall, I thought this was a good story and particularly liked the inclusion of the journal entries. The gothic elements were well handled and didn't become too over the top. It was also a book that made me think but without becoming too obvious about it.
This is a gentle romance with a well written although ultimately rather passive female lead. Although Lily has unknowingly been placed on a pedestal by Ryder, she defies expectations by being a motor mechanic who is treated as ‘one of the boys' by the men she works mkwith. She seems to feel rather awkward in expressing her femininity, she doesn't wear makeup, finds it difficult to flirt and is obsessed with cars. Her date with Evan is an example of how awkward she feels, he takes her to an expensive restaurant where she is unsure of what she's wearing and how to behave. The author has a very delicate way of showing how Lily feels and who she is, she's a very nuanced character.
Lily was surprised at how simple it had become to ease deeper into conversation with Evan. Although some aspects of their date struck her as superficial, she discovered she could play the part rather well.
She's very passive during dates with Evan and she constantly worries about ‘keeping her slim figure'. Her relationships are unequal conversations are one sided. When she meets Ryder he doesn't ask her anything about herself except what she does which she lies about. When he asks her about her childhood dreams she describes wanting to be a beautiful doll.
Ryder had told her he knew everything he needed to know because he knew her deep down. He'd promised. Lily had tried to tell him more, but he didn't seem interested in knowing more.
I think that the portrayal of the relationship could possibly be the weakest part of the book, probably due to Lily's self esteem issues. She just seems to spend her time asking her boyfriends about themselves and mentally not believing herself worthy. This is problematic as potentially she is looking for self worth by finding a boyfriend. There is part of me that wishes we could have had more of Lily discovering her fabulousness with Aaron and Brooke, but the novel was too short and focussed on the relationship with Ryder. It's a sweet, romantic novel but by no means that steamy. It gets a wouldn't make Grandma blush rating.
Having recently read The Spirit of Grace, the first book in this series, I thought that book two improved on the author's style. Although the plot is still filled, she seemed to have slowed down and focussed a little more on the characters, particularly Sarah Bennett, who is a great heroine. She is independent yet fits in with the role of women during the period (World War II). The paranormal element of Sarah hearing crying was integrated well and I thought the setting of the private psychiatric hospital with the doctor who is obsessed with the occult was good, and I particularly liked what the author did with Minna, a patient of the hospital who is frightened that a dead man is returning for revenge. If I had a criticism, it would be that I thought the denouemont was a little rushed. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series though.
An utterly bonkers gothic historical mystery set in America during WWII. The heroine sees ghosts and has returned to her home after a stay in a psychiatric hospital having lost her memory after the death of her mother. The plot moves on at a cracking pace, which doesn't leave a lot of room for characterisation, and the romance part of the plot is rather rushed and you don't really get a sense of who Zeke is. Nevertheless, this is a fun Kindle Unlimited read, and I want to give the rest of the series a chance.
Not a bad attempt at writing a slash foursome! Inevitably it got a bit confusing during the sex though, and in some of the multiple first person narratives. I think that I found Noah a bit too helpless which I am generally not a fan of. Although his mutismbwas handled quite sensitively, he was still a bit of a sweet little baby gay. Sex was hot though.
It had potential, but I found it quite a frustrating read at times. This is not a mystery by any means, there is pretty much no detective work involved. It's more of a light hearted book about an orchestra.
I think the most frustrating thing is the sheer amount of exposition about pieces of music and orchestras and choirs. It's obvious that the author knows a great deal about it, but at times this really slows the story down. The characters are okay but other than Erin, don't really develop or have personalities, I think perhaps this was due to the number of people to service and all that exposition. The author never seems to show when telling is available.
I didn't hate it, I'd probably pick it up as a Kindle Unlimited and I did think the author had promise.
A book that will probably divide opinions, mine too. I wasn't a great fan of the beginning, other people (on Pigeonhole) found it hilarious, but I just feel vaguely depressed and too old for descriptions of bad sex and taking drugs and getting wasted. It did pick up though, I thought the first person narrative of coming out and entering into a relationship with a polyamorous controlling lesbian were very convincing, you can definetly see how a controlling relationship can happen to someone and the excuses that you can make for their behaviour. Plus I liked the little streams of story running through like her correspondence with a war veteran, joining a lgtbq jive class and her relationships with her friends and family. I also found the second half funnier, it was as if once the writer had calmed down and got into the writing, the funny parts shone through without there needing to be a ‘look, hilarious straight dissapointing sex!' ‘getting wasted in a toilet' label all over it!
An appealing m/m romantic novel with a psychic twist! Nick is a straight house flipper who buys the house homeless gay Sasha is squatting in. Sasha is drawn to the house as he has a special talent that allows him to see visions from the past and pick up on vibes about places.
This is not really a ghost story as such, but I enjoyed the psychic elements as it was integrated nicely into the novel. The relationship is well paced with two good characters, and Nick's coming out isn't too rushed. The sex scenes were well written and seemed realistic, though they are not that frequent. Best part was the plot though, some good twists and turns with Nick's loan from a local thug and Sasha dealing with his drug addicted mother, it had enough suspense to keep me finishing it quickly and I would like to read more about the characters in the future as I thought they were realisticlly written and as a reader, I was drawn into their lives. I thought this was a good example of this genre. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me early access through Netgalley.
This was my first time reading anything by this author, so I was not familiar with the series, but it wasn't too hard to pick up. Set in the reign of Richard II this seemed well researched with some cameos from some historical figures! It was the kind of book you end up looking for additional historical information about, and the end note helpfully explains where the author diverged from history. I found the characters well written and I would be happy to read more about Crispin and Jack's adventures. Instead of one mystery, there are several cleverly interwoven including the possible murder of the Queen and a mysterious document which could be a lost gospel. If you are a fan of the Shardlake series, I think you would probably enjoy reading this too.
Read this on Pigeonhole, and I was gripped, the plot takes some very unexpected, clever turns and this book makes you think about the nature of how we project ourselves online and about online privacy. I think it would make a fantastic book club read. I like the way Chad was portrayed, at first the reader feels a mixture of disgust and pity for him, but he grows as a character in a realistic way. This is also a pretty funny book and it ends in a completely unexpected way.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
An enjoyable tale of three women, two in the present day and one in the past, all struggling with issues. Sophia is a therapist coping with the aftermath of an abusive relationship. She travels to Cornwall as a way of escaping where she meets Ginny, a bookstore owner who is coping with her husband leaving her. In the course of working in the bookstore, Sophia finds a mysterious diary. Is it from a real woman or has someone invented a fictional character?
The stories are interweaved well, and I particularly liked the writing style I'm the diary. There is some gentle romance, but I felt like the focus was primarily on the women making lives for themselves first and foremost. As it is Christian fiction, there is both a focus on this and it's the kind of book that can be read by people who are not necessarily interested in sexual content. Nevertheless, this was a good read with a warm and fluffy ending.
Highly recommended for people who enjoy literary thrillers. This is a powerful novel about the nature of good and evil. Wilding's writing style is a mixture of the beautiful and profound interspersed with some violence (although as a reader who tends to avoid gory murder mysteries I wouldn't say that this goes too far). The story draws the reader in from the first page and the mysterious Red Henley. I did find some parts of the time skip a little confusing, but at the same time this is such a rewarding book it gripped me enough to read until the end. This is another fantastic pick from the Pigeonhole.
Very much enjoyed this and I couldn't wait to read the next stave (read on Pigeonhole). I thought it was a bit of a departure from purely romance as it's also very much about family. Fixie finds it impossible to stand up to her overbearing family who tend to take advantage of her and make her feel anxious and like she has to overcompensate, which is why she continually tries to fix people's problems. At the beginning she can be quite annoying as she doesn't stand up for herself, but it's worth sticking around for the whole story. Sophie has created such a wonderful blend of characters, particularly the characters who work in the shop, and it's hard not to like such an uplifting story. I also think that it would be a good Christmas read as some of it takes place in the run up to Christmas, and it is the kind of story that gives you the warm fuzzies!
A fantastic collection of short stories inspired by Wuthering Heights. I have a complicated relationship with the book probably due to the crazy love story and weird second generation story, I appreciate it more as I get older. However, you don't need to be a big fan to appreciate these stories. Particularly liked the slightly creepy stories drawing on the gothic elements of the novel.
An intriguing mix of civil war history, women's history and the history of folk remedies. I liked the way that the author analysed the remedies to determine why they might have worked or not worked. Well researched, with a large cast of historical figures (which she does provide a list of at the end). Ann Fanshawe lived a fascinating (if tragic life).
I should have loved this, the kind of book that is right up my street. It does have its good points. The atmosphere is captured well and I can't say I hated it. But I didn't love it either. For a start, I think It was a ghost all along! has to be very skillfully plotted. In this case I found it a bit cringy. It was a little too nudge nudge wink wink with the references to a Christmas Carol and his other work, I get what you're trying to do, you can be a little more subtle about it. The ending was quite rushed and seemed to emphasise Dickens raking in magic money (suddenly writing a Christmas Carol is like wining the lottery) then spending it to solve everything. That's missed the point of the original. I feel like I'm being harsh, and I think I would have loved it when I was younger but it didn't touch me that much and I think that was what it was supposed to do.
Facts about Joe:
1. Joe has never met a working class person. Forced to endure a trip to Lidl in search of inspiration for his junk food menu for the proles he wore ear plugs lest their voices sully his precious ears.
2. No less than 10 editors were sacked for suggesting the book needed a plot and to be cut down somewhat.
3. Joe lives in an ivory tower made from recycled piano keys from country estates.
4. In his spare time he likes to secretly edit Heat and visit champagne shops because you can never have enough champagne.
A really difficult book to review as you feel like you are being unfair. By rights I should have probably loved this book with its mixture of Scottish poetry, meta faction and descriptions of the island, However, I found Mhairi the woman researching McWatt's life pretty annoying as she wanders around the island ignoring her daughter and trying to avoid thinking about her ex husband and stupid affair. The lack of a plot hampers the book, I can't survive on poetry alone and I found the book bit dull and a slog to read at times, The ending made me want to throw the book across the room, it was one of those books when you feel like the writer just ran out of ideas and gave up. I just got so frustrated with the potential, I wanted to pan it but it's just like a beautiful vase with holes in the bottom, brilliantly crafted but ultimately failing in its function. Maybe I would have loved it if it had been about Wales, as it is I am just so pleased to have finished it and be able to return it to the library.