Book Review: A Song for Tomorrow by Alice Peterson

"Tom fell in love with Alice the moment he saw her. He realises that being with her will not be easy, but she is a force of nature, a burst of sunlight in his otherwise ordinary world. 

Some people might look at Alice and think she has everything, but Alice knows she is not like other women. Her life is complicated, unpredictable, difficult. Alice does not like pity. All she wants to do, has ever wanted to do, is sing.

Alice has been told not to follow her dreams. But when fate has already dealt a tough hand, it’s time to stop listening to everyone else and only follow their hearts."

Rating: 5/5

I love Alice Peterson's stories, and when I was sent a review copy of her brand new book A Song for Tomorrow, I was over the moon and couldn't wait to get reading. As the publicity for this book began, I found out it was based upon a true story, a real woman called Alice Martineau suffering with Cystic Fibrosis, and this certainly adds an element of realism when you are reading it. It's based on the real Alice, but this particular story, including Alice's family and friends, are fictional, but again you can't help but draw parallels with a real family going through these things.

Alice knows that her Cystic Fibrosis is going to kill her before she reaches old age, unless she is lucky enough to receive a lung transplant, among other things that she needs. However, before she dies, Alice is determined to prove everyone wrong and fulfill her ambition of becoming a singer. She won't let her bad lungs hold her back, and is sure that she can do it. When she meets Tom, completely by chance, the pair strike up a quick friendship which soon develops into something more, although he knows he could lose her at any time. Will Alice be able to make the songs she so desperately wants to before its too late, for both her and Tom?

As you can probably tell, this is a very emotive book right from the beginning, and doesn't let up throughout. It also doesn't shy away from detailing the horrible realities of suffering with Cystic Fibrosis, and some of the scenes in the book did shock me a bit I have to confess. I did know a little about CF before I read this, but the book certainly opened my eyes to elements of the illness that I wasn't aware of before. It's very clear how much research Alice Peterson has done in order to write this book properly, and I have to commend her for that because it reads incredibly well. and it was very eye-opening for me.

Alice is a great character to lead the book, and I loved her straight away. She is very realistic about her illness, how it affects her and the prognosis it has on her life. It's horrible to confront your own mortality, especially at such a young age like Alice does, and I don't know how she had the strength. In fact, it was her parents that made me the most upset - how do you contemplate losing your child before you die, watching them get weaker and weaker, losing them and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it? The scenes with Alice's parents, particularly her mother, were truly heart-breaking and often had me in tears.

Alice's talent at songwriting was amazing, and seeing her lyrics on the pages of this book was so touching, and made me want to go and download some of the real Alice's songs and hear just how good she was for myself, to understand why she was so determined to make a success of her music against the odds. As well as this part of the story, there was her relationship with Tom which was emotional reading as well. Tom has a lot of harsh realities to face, something his family and friends worry about (as anyone would of course), but the way he was determined to show that his love for Alice could come above all of the worry, fear, grief and loss was very emotional and inspirational.

For me, this novel was a triumph, and certainly the best book of Alice's I have read so far, which is no mean feat believe me! Alice's writing about everything from the strength and grace of the leading lady Alice through her struggles, to the details of CF and the effects that has on not only the patient but the family and friends were so well handled, it was very emotional to read and I did shed lots of tears throughout this book. For me, though, the over-riding sadness came from reading Alice's parents side of it, the small things Alice witnesses between them, the crushing grief that clearly lives inside them was just awful to read, and as a parent, it is your worst nightmare. However, I cannot help but recommend this stunning, emotive read. Wonderfully written, a joy to read and a story that has touched me and will stay with me forever.

Blog Tour: The First Time Mums' Club by Lucie Wheeler

I am thrilled to be hosting the opening day of Lucie Wheeler's blog tour for her debut novel The First Time Mums' Club. I have the book sat on my kindle ready to be read, but in the meantime, I have a very interesting article by Lucie herself on 'The Many Colours of Inspiration' so please enjoy, and let me know in the comments if you have or are going to be reading The First Time Mums' Club!

The many colours of Inspiration
I am a very visual person. I like to look at beautiful things and scenery is something that draws so much emotion from deep within. I love looking at colour, too. It is amazing what a vision of vibrant colour can do for your imagination and your mood. I think, when I eventually get the chance to redecorate my writing space, I want to have vibrant splashes of colour around. Not blocks of colour, splashes. I like the unevenness and messiness of a splodge of colour – maybe it’s the big kid inside of me. I am not one for straight angles and equal lines – although saying this, I do like -. I like things to be even, but not necessarily straight.

You know, it isn’t until you start to write these things down that you realise how strange you sound. But stay with me, it gets more ‘normal’.

As well as being a visual person, I also respond highly to audio stimuli. I find music incredibly inspiring. Sometimes I like to listen to the melodic notes of classical music to relax my chaotic brain, to allow the inspiration to materialise in my mind. But equally, I find quite heavy music inspiring too. By heavy, I mean in reflection of the vocals and the words. I listen to a wide range of music, I don’t really have a genre that I won’t listen to. Growing up, I went through a stage in my teens where I was heavily influenced by bands such as Green Day (who I still LOVE to listen to- much to the dismay of my family) Nirvana, Offspring and Linkin Park. Some of my friends couldn’t understand why I liked to listen to that style of music. “It’s just shouting – that’s not singing,” they would say to me. And I would think; but listen to the words, listen to what they’re saying. Because you can hear the passion, and the heartbreak and the life lessons pouring from their hearts as they shout the words. The emotion those types of songs draw from me is immense.

And then we come to people. Who inspires me?

There is one woman who was the inspiration that started my writing journey off. One woman who is my idol, who I admire and who I would desperately love to grab a coffee with (or a glass of wine!). And that woman is JK Rowling. Reading Harry Potter gave me the spark that deveoped into my writing passion. The way I felt when I read Harry Potter was incredible. Not necessarily because of the story (although I love it), but because of the awe I had that she could write a story, with just words, of which totally transported me to another land. There have been other writers since who have equally wowed me with their ability to write, but she was my first real writing idol and I credit her for giving me the drive to want to be just like her. I don’t just admire her talent, but her love, kindness and drive to make the world a better place. She is beautiful inside and out and I really hope one day I get to meet her – although I worry that I would be that woman who totally has a fan girl moment and merely makes noises instead of forming words to say.

But, actually, I think the person who inspires me the most - and she inspires me every single day -  is my daughter. She is an incredible little lady and as I watch her grow, I can feel my heart grow with love. Everything I do, I do it for her. Every day I wake up and I work hard, just to make her proud. She is the one thing in my life that I will work every hour, of every day, of every year, to make happy and believe that she can achieve great things. Without her, I wouldn’t have that drive to succeed. She makes me the person I am and I hope that one day, she looks back and is inspired by me as much as I am by her.

Thank you so much, Lucie!

Check out the other stops on the blog tour this week too :)

Book Review: My Everything by Katie Marsh

"On the day Hannah is finally going to tell her husband she's leaving him, he has a stroke . . . and life changes in an instant.

Tom's only 32. Now he can't walk or cut up his own food, let alone use his phone or take her in his arms. And Hannah's trapped. She knows she has to care for her husband, the very same man she was ready to walk away from.

But with the time and fresh perspective he's been given, Tom re-evaluates his life, and becomes determined to save his marriage. Can he once again become the man his wife fell in love with, or has he left it too late?"

Rating: 5/5

Sometimes, I enjoy taking a look at my bookshelves, and look for an older book, one that has somehow passed me by but one that I know I really want to read. Katie Marsh's book My Everything was one such book. I remember wanting to read it, but as usual, I haven't got time for everything so it got left on the shelf. Recently, I decided I had to read this one, and I am so pleased that I did because I found it was a compulsive read and I really didn't want to put it down. I now can't wait to read more of Katie's more recent novels!

Hannah has finally decided it's time to tell her husband that their marriage is over, and she's leaving. But when she awakes in the middle of the night and finds him on the floor, having suffered a stroke, she knows those plans have to go out of the window and she has to step up. Tom is really struggling with his new reality, barely able to walk and talk, and totally dependent on his wife and nurses to help him. However, it's made him realise how much he loves Hannah, and that he has to save their marriage, against the odds. Will Hannah be open to a reconciliation, or has too much passed to save something that has long been lost?

This story drew me in right from the beginning. We know Hannah's intentions, why she is wanting to leave her marriage, and how it all gets thrown away once she realises the horror that has happened to her husband. She of course can't leave him - who could? But now she is stuck caring for a husband she doesn't truly love anymore, unsure if she can carry on doing this for a long period of time like she knows she will have to do. I felt sorry for her, in an impossible situation, but at the same time, I wanted her to do the right thing and stand by her husband, to see if there was anything that could be saved. The way she let her dream of teaching abroad float away to stay with her husband was very admirable, and was a touching story, showing how far some will go to uphold their vows.

Tom was living every person's nightmare, especially someone at the peak of their life, a fit young man who has had every independent thing about him ripped away cruelly. I think anyone else would feel exactly as Tom does, helpless and trapped, but I liked how it made him decide he had to do something about the state of his marriage, to change what he feels could have been broken. Again, I hugely sympathised with Tom, his scenes were awful to read because he was in a horrible situation, and I hated his reality, it really was a nightmare.

What I loved about Marsh's writing was the way she gets right into the heads of her characters. She carefully balances Hannah's guilt, her reluctance, her duty to her husband and the dreams she is letting go, and places them perfectly into this story. This is held together by the flashbacks to Tom and Hannah's relationship building up, with an item that links to a chapter about that particular thing, showing their love growing in the days before things turned sour between the pair. It gave me hope that they could find that side of their love again, and I really enjoyed the balance of this book, and Marsh's detail in Hannah and Tom's romance.

This was a brilliantly written novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it. As the story hurtled towards its conclusion, I felt optismistic, hopeful that these two characters I had come to love and care about would be able to work it out, and that Tom's recovery would carry on in the right direction. Plenty of detail is given about what Tom goes through, how hard he has to work to aid his recovery, but also the toll it takes on not only him, but those around him too. This is a topic I haven't encountered before but found this book eye-opening and completely intriguing to read. A love story, a story of hope, grief, loss and acceptance. It's all in here, and I cannot wait to read more from Katie Marsh, this was simply brilliant.

Book Review: To Rome, With Love by TA Williams

"A summer of second chances…

Just a week before her big day, Sarah returns home to find a note from her husband-to-be – the wedding’s off! So when her boss decides to send her on an epic cycling trip, from Venice to Rome, it seems like the perfect distraction…

Although she never expected the distraction to come in the form of her oh-so-handsome, but slightly serious, cycling companion, Miles. And with still 600 miles of beautiful scenery, mouthwatering food and delicious wine yet to cover, anything could happen!"

Rating: 4/5

I am a big TA Williams, and find his books a joy to read, often taking me to far away places with great characters and a very enjoyable story to boot. His latest book with HQ is called To Rome, With Love, following his usual theme to send the characters off on some exotic holiday that I can join in with from the comfort of my sofa or bed! The cover for this one is really fun, and I was very much looking forward to this one, and luckily, it didn't disappoint!

The story focuses on one woman, Sarah,  who is pretty heart-broken after her husband-to-be tells her he can't go through with their wedding, just a week before the big day. Sarah chooses to not tell anyone at work, and when she is offered the opportunity to go on a cycling trip abroad for work, she jumps at the chance. Just her, her bicycle and Italy... what more could you ask for? Oh.. and the tourist group going along with her of course! It's a trek from Venice to Rome, and much more in between, and Sarah is hoping to fix that broken heart of hers again...

I loved the character of Sarah, and found her to be someone I could warm to straight away. I felt very sorry for her as her ex-fiancé sounded a bit of a pig, and treated her so badly. She was really brave after what he did, and I understood her need to get away from it all and escape to much sunnier climes. She is a cycling enthusiast, and that really comes across. TA Williams uses his own personal knowledge of this subject to fill the reader in with lots of detail, not so much that you get bogged down, but its easy to imagine whats going on with the bikes as you read along.

There are quite a few other characters in this book too, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the whole group. Williams creates these characters perfectly, allowing you to care about them, and want their friendships to develop. There are rookie cyclists, ones who have done many treks like this before, and others along for the fun of it, and I admired them all - I couldn't do it! One colleague in particular who stood out to me was Miles, Sarah's boss. He's clearly hiding something, but I was desperate for he and Sarah to get it together, they seemed like a perfect match!

Finally, the setting of Italy is perfect for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of the cycle routes they went on, the lovely hotels they stayed in and the experiences that they had together, from the gorgeous Italian food to the sights and scenes. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish, I loved the relationships between the cycling group; the laughs and jokes, the tears and frustration, and sheer determination from everyone to keep going, there was always something going on in this story to keep me wanting more! Williams' writing was excellent, kept me interested and I loved both the cycling element and the location of this. I'll definitely be reading more from this author, and if you haven't yet discovered him, try starting with this fab summer read!

Book Review: The Things I Should Have Told You by Carmel Harrington

"Every family has a story…

But for the Guinness family a happy ending looks out of reach. Olly and Mae's marriage is crumbling, their teenage daughter Evie is on a mission to self-destruct and their beloved Pops is dying of cancer. Their once strong family unit is slowly falling apart.

But Pops has one final gift to offer his beloved family – a ray of hope to cling to. As his life's journey draws to a close, he sends his family on an adventure across Europe in a camper van, guided by his letters, his wisdom and his love.

Because Pops knows that all his family need is time to be together, to find their love for each other and to find their way back home…"

Rating: 5/5 

I read my first Carmel Harrington book last year when I read her festive book Every Time A Bell Rings. I enjoyed that read very much, and when I was sent a copy of Carmel's new read for review, I was definitely looking forward to reading this one too. This is the story of one family, and their trip around Europe, a last-chance to save their family once and for all. The marriage of Olly and Mae is at rock bottom, and following the death of Olly's father, they know it's make or break time. Olly's dad has organised a camper van across Europe, not Mae's idea of a relaxing holiday. They are all determined to try and make the holiday work, and live their grandfather's legacy as best they can... but maybe there are some surprises around the corner...

I loved the idea of this book! When I read the synopsis, I just knew I was going to love the story, and luckily, it lived up to every expectation I had and more! The Guinness family were perfect to read about, and I thoroughly enjoyed following their trip all the way until the final page, I simply didn't want this one to end. Olly and Mae are a couple in crisis, but right from the off I was hoping these two would work it out. Bad circumstances have sent them on a slippery slope, and I was so hopeful Mae could push her anger towards Olly away, and that Olly could start to feel proud of himself again, and not useless in their home. The book also features the pair's children, Jamie and Evie, and these are perfectly written, wonderful characters that I loved to read about.

Evie is a teenager, suffering with a recent hospitalisation which is causing big rifts between her parents, and also anxiety over why events happened. Jamie is much younger, and a joy to read. I loved his optimism, his zest for life and many of his actions throughout the book. Carmel writes families so well, the ups, the downs, the anger, the worry - everything is written so realistically, every drama believable, every tear heartfelt and true. I became completely obsessed with this book and reading about this family, it was just a perfect read.

As well as the brilliantly written family aspect, there is also the road trip around Europe. I have to confess I agree with Mae here, it sounds like my holiday from hell but as the trip gets underway, and Carmel writes about the advantages of such travel, it piqued my interest and I loved reading about the experiences. Many countries are also covered here, from Germany, to Austria, France and more, and I loved reading about each of them, and the things that the family got up, especially the more authentic, less touristy experiences! Vienna sounded like a dream, and no visit to France is complete without a bit of Disney magic of course! The way Olly's late father orchestrates everything from beyond the grave is simply perfect, and adds the emotional element throughout.

The book was brilliant from start to finish, and most definitely a contender for my best read of 2017 already. I know this story and these characters will stay with me for a long time, I simply adored this book, Carmel's writing and the story as a whole. Carmel is a brilliant talent, a writer who can tap into the heart of her characters, create a family any one of us could know or be part of, and send them off on an adventure of a lifetime. Emotional at times (it definitely made me cry!), funny, poignant and heart-warming, this book is a must-read and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Blog Tour Book Review: Under a Sardinian Sky by Sara Alexander

"Sometimes a family’s deepest silences hide the most powerful secrets.

For Mina, a London-based travel writer, the enigmatic silence surrounding her aunt Carmela has become a personal obsession.

Carmela disappeared from her Italian hometown long ago and is mentioned only in fragments and whispers. Mina has resisted prying, respectful of her family’s Sardinian reserve. But now, with her mother battling cancer, it’s time to learn the truth.

In 1952, Simius is a busy Sardinian town surrounded by fertile farms and orchards. Carmela Chirigoni, a farmer’s daughter and talented seamstress, is engaged to Franco, son of the area’s wealthiest family. Everyone agrees it’s a good match. But Carmela’s growing doubts about Franco’s possessiveness are magnified when she meets Captain Joe Kavanagh.

Joe, an American officer stationed at a local army base, is charismatic, intelligent, and married. Hired as his interpreter, Carmela resolves to ignore her feelings, knowing that any future together must bring upheaval and heartache to both families.

As Mina follows the threads of Carmela’s life to uncover her fate, she will discover a past still deeply alive in the present, revealing a story of hope, sacrifice, and extraordinary love."

Rating: 3.5/5

I have to be honest and say that I was initially drawn to reading this book because of its beautiful cover. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I can't help myself, and often find myself doing this. This is author Sara Alexander's debut novel, and is a book set on the Italian island of Sardinia. I don't personally know much about the location, so was looking forward to finding out much more about this lovely place with a new, exciting cast of characters. I went into this without expectation, and here is my honest review.

This book is the story of a Sardinian native called Carmela, and her family, the Chirigoni's. The book is set in 1952 so is a historical read, and I enjoyed this element of the book very much. Carmela is a traditional young woman, working hard for her family, and living with them all too. She's a talented seamstress, and also is a great cook when working with her sister Piera. She's engaged to a local man Franco, and knows the wedding is something that the whole family is looking forward to. However, when she meets American Captain Kavanagh one day, Carmela's eyes are opened to a world she never even dreamt of exploring, and wonders if she is settling in marrying Franco.

I didn't find the book to be particularly easy reading. There is quite a lot of characters within Carmela's family to keep track of, and in parts, I found it hard to remember who was who, and how they were all related to each other. However, I just tried to plough on regardless, and was soon pretty sure I had an idea on it all, rightly or wrongly! Carmela herself was a great character, one who seemed quite ambitious for a young woman, but didn't seem to know how to break out of her family mold, and their expectations of her. This is particularly prevalent when she is offered opportunities as the book progresses, but doesn't know whether or not to take them due to her family commitments.

I enjoyed seeing how Carmela's world changed when she met the American officer. He was a really fun character to read about, quite straight-laced and trying to do the right thing by everyone, and I can see why Carmela was taken by him. It was a slow-burning friendship, and I very much enjoyed reading it all unfold. There were a few very upsetting scenes in the book, one in particular that I hadn't expected that moved me to tears because it seemed to come out of nowhere, and I have to praise Alexander's writing and how she handled these scenes, as they cannot have been easy to write due to their emotive nature.

For a debut, this is a strong, well written novel, very heavy on the narrative but the descriptions of Sardinia, the local customs and traditions, are brilliant and really bring the whole place to life in my mind. It is definitely somewhere I would like to visit having read this book, and Alexander definitely has succeeded in making Sardinia the centre of this book, an island around which everybody's actions revolve. I will be looking forward to reading more from Sara Alexander. Thanks go to HQ for the review copy of this book.

Book Review: My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon

"I want to make my husband fall back in love with me. Let me explain. This isn't an exercise in 1950s wifeydom. I haven't been reading articles in old women's magazines. 'Twenty ways to keep your man'. That couldn't be further from the truth. I want him to fall back in love with me so that when I tell him to get the hell out of my life he'll care. He won't just think, 'Oh good'. I want it to hurt. 

Paula has had Robert's back since they got together as drama students. She gave up her dreams so he could make it. Now he's one of the nation's most popular actors. And Paula's just discovered he's having an affair. She's going to remind Robert just what he's sacrificing. And then she's going to break his heart like he broke hers. It will be her greatest acting role ever. Revenge is sweet. Isn't it?"

Rating: 5/5

I love Jane Fallon's books and was thrilled to be sent a review copy of her brand new book My Sweet Revenge. The story is a bit of a twist on the 'wronged wife' story we see so much in this genre, and I loved that Jane Fallon took it and made something different out of it. Paula is devastated when she finds out her husband of many years is cheating on her with someone much younger and prettier than her, and is determined to get revenge. She's going to remind him just what he's losing, and make him want her back before breaking his heart once and for all. Will she be able to get the revenge she wants and break Robert's heart?

I have to say I loved Paula from the beginning, and was on her side the whole way through the book. She was truly broken by finding out the man she loves is cheating on her, after sacrificing her own career many years ago to raise their daughter, and now wants to make him pay. She has very low self-esteem but I admired how she got herself up and changed the way she did everything, so she could become the best version of herself before hurting her husband in the way he hurt her.

What I enjoyed about this book was partway through, the narrative changes from Paula to the woman that Robert is supposedly having an affair with. This throws the whole thing on its head, shows us the real truth, and made me have such contempt for Robert and his bit of the side. I was just willing it to all go wrong for them because they just didn't deserve to be happy at all. I did enjoy seeing the whole story from a different perspective though, it was so fun to read, and kept my interest piqued throughout the whole book.

The book does keep you guessing for a big portion of it, as to whether or not Robert is really cheating on poor Paula, and Fallon's writing gets right into Paula's head, showing her uncertainty, her hesitance over what she is doing because she just wants an answer. I had to admire her for not wanting to confront her husband either, I don't know she kept it in! This was a real page-turner from the first page right up until the last, and it's quite possibly my favourite of Jane's books so far, and that's no mean feat! It takes a typical story about a cheating, no-good husband, and turns it into a fabulous revenge tale, one you hope will work out for the best! A brilliant must-read.