Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley

Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 9 days (busy December)

Pages - 432

Publisher - Orion

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

In a picturesque town in Derbyshire, Merry has always wanted a family to spend Christmas with, and this year her dream comes true as she says 'I do' to father-of-two Cole. But as she juggles worries about her business, last-minute wedding planning and the two new children in her life, Merry is stretched to breaking point.

Meanwhile, only a few miles away, Emily is desperately waiting for the New Year to begin. Her father Ray's dementia is worsening, and she's struggling to care for him alone while holding down a job. When Ray moves into a residential home, she discovers a photograph in his belongings that has the potential to change everything .

As shocking secrets from Ray's past finally come to light, will this Christmas make or break Emily and Merry?


My Review

So this is marked as a standalone but Merry I am sure was in the other book I read by this author and her partner. We alternate between Merry and Emily. Merry's candle business is successful, in fact branching out so well she really needs to look to more staff but it is her baby and she is reluctant to let go. Everything is coming together great however planning a wedding, stretching herself thin with the business and concerns with her soon to be step children is causing Merry stress. Emily has a selfish boyfriend, I mean the guy is an absolute horror bag and her dad is getting more forgetful, confused and wandering more. Emily has the absolute guilt on what is best to do for her dad but with his condition worsening and the impact it is having on her job/personal life and health - stuck between a rock and a hard place.

We follow the two ladies as they navigate between their own personal issues, I really felt for Emily although with the boyfriend interactions I was near screaming at the book. Honestly a repugnant and vile individual. Emily's dad, the dementia/scenes are very emotive and heart breaking at some points.

The book is a cozy read with some emotive themes, friendship, blended families, wedding planning, stress, dementia, secrets, love & loss. It is a mixed bag, if you want to just escape from your own world for a wee bit this is a good shout. I need to look at her other books to see if these characters are in other despite being standalones, 4/5. I got this on a bargain buy special offer (I got a few copies for my blind dates with a book for my workies too).

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The Woman in the Middle by Milly Johnson

The Woman in the Middle by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Source - Bought

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads

Shay Bastable is the woman in the middle. She is part of the sandwich generation – caring for her parents and her children, supporting her husband Bruce, holding them all together and caring for them as best she can.

Then the arrival of a large orange skip on her mother’s estate sets in motion a cataclysmic series of events which leads to the collapse of Shay’s world. She is forced to put herself first for a change.

But in order to move forward with her present, Shay needs to make sense of her past. And so she returns to the little village she grew up in, to uncover the truth about what happened to her when she was younger. And in doing so, she discovers that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to find the only way is up.


My Review

Shay is just one of those good wholesome people. Married for double figures, grown kids, her mum has dementia so she is in and out caring for her whilst visiting her dad who has never recovered after an acute medical emergency. Her sister could be doing more but she is one of those people who do the bare minimum and has a superior attitude about it and toward pretty much everyone. A big anniversary is coming up for Shay and she intends to make the most of it with her husband. Fate always likes to fling a curve ball and Shay is about to get a few.

Oooft I found myself getting a wee bit emotional and raging at some points in this. Some people are just horror bags and Shay is so so nice, I honestly wanted to reach in and punch one of the characters. So very true to life and I know and had to endure having a bamstick like this character (not Shay) in my life. Some people are just so selfish and self absorbed, nasty and have no concern for anyone else other than what they can get out of them, can you tell it struck a nerve?! I love when a character evokes an emotive response & it made me feel even more for Shay.

Johnson always weaves multi issues or themes in her books, people you like, love, hate or in this case want to punch! I have read most of her books and always eagerly await the next. I need to check my Goodreads and see what ones I have still to read. If you want to ditch your own reality and lose yourselves in someone else's lives/dramas you will love this, 4.5/ for me!

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The One That Got Away by L A Detwiler

The One Who Got Away by L.A. Detwiler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon books

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

The next chilling thriller from the bestselling author of THE WIDOW NEXT DOOR…

“Get out while you can. You’ll die here…”

Adeline Evans has recently moved into a home for the elderly. A safe space, where she can be cared for.

When she begins to receive cryptic and threatening notes, she is certain that someone is out to get her.

But the residents are warned against listening to a woman who is losing her memory. It would seem Adeline is tormented by the secrets in her past, and that the menace is all in her mind.

Until danger comes down the corridor and starts knocking in the night…

A compelling serial killer thriller from the bestselling author of THE WIDOW NEXT DOOR, perfect for fans of A.J Finn, K.L. Slater and Teresa Driscoll.


My Review

Adeline Evans is our main character, a new diagnosis of early dementia and losing her husband relatively recently, her and her daughter agree it is time for a nursing home. Adeline still has her wits, for the most part and the biggest issue is being back in her hometown. Her daughter Claire wanted them both back there after her father brought the town to her attention. Adeline is furious, after everything they ran away from, why why would he do this. Adjusting to a nursing and her condition is task enough but some of the residents and staff are downright hostile. When she makes a friend she is warned that not everything is as it seems and she needs to keep her head down if she wants to stay safe!


Eeek so the book splits into a few parts, present day and back to when Adeline was a teen and the drawn out what she ended up running from. We soon come to know there is a serial killer operating in Adeline's home town. She also has issues from her past she is struggling to stay ahead of, she just wants to be with her new love & free of her nagging parents. We also hear from the killer and snippets of news reports covering the killings.

I did much prefer the past parts of the book, it worked better for me and I felt compelled to read because I wanted to know the who, why and what of it all. Present day - the nursing home, there was so much, even suspending reality I found myself getting a bit annoyed and ratty with the present chapters. Some of the characters are truly horrific, horrible, abusive and nasty and some of the best books have these "baddies" such as they are but I found myself thinking really? several times. I wanted retribution, comeuppance and a bit more of the why.

I also thinks the fact it was in first person narrative helps create the real feel of someone with dementia, the confusion and fear with their thoughts however I found it confusing at times. It certainly lends an authentic feel/voice to the character and how they are struggling and experiencing everything that is happening to them. I feel like I am being quite harsh and I didn't hate the book but I got really frustrated, I would have liked to have reached in and shouted "What are you doing, DO THIS, DO THAT". Even with present day Adeline you can forgive some of the reactions but young Adeline, some points I was like WHY WOULD YOU NOT DO X,Y,Z. Some people absolutely loved this book so don't take my grumpy moaning take because I did say I didn't hate it, I did enjoy parts of it and think she gave Adeline (modern day) an authentic voice I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. 2.5/5 for me, this was my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read her other books - this one just sadly wasn't the best fit for me.

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Strangers by C L Taylor

Strangers by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

The million-copy bestseller returns with a gripping new novel that will keep you guessing until the end.


My Review

If you follow my reviews you will know this house is a big fan of Taylors writing. The opening scene captures you straight away and leads you into the book wanting to know, why, how and what happened before hand, who are these people!

Three main characters, Alice - trying to get back into dating, her husband left her, her daughter is having boyfriend trouble and Alice is dipping her toes back into the world of dating. Ursula, ooft what a car crash of a person, we know something has happened and she is struggling to get through day to day. She is her own worst enemy and being a kleptomaniac and compulsively choosing the wrong decision in almost everything isn't helping. Gareth, caring for his mother who has dementia whilst holding down a security job with its own pressures. All three couldn't be anymore different so what links them and what will bring them into each others path?

The dating stuff, ugh I could have screamed at Alice and her daughter, warning flags and just no don't do that, don't text ahhhh. I suppose that is a nod to the authors talent, creating characters and situations that make you so mad because they are so real to life, we have all seen or done some of these things! Ursula, same, warning flags, don't do it, ask this, question that but when you are desperate you tend to ignore warning flags and when things are so bad and you have limited options you can only go with what is available to you. Gareth is a different character, I felt so sorry for him, caring with someone with dementia is heartbreaking, having unresolved father issues is something many readers will empathetic with.

Each character gets chapters and titled so you know whose is who and it is easy to follow. You have no idea what is coming, where the story is leading (for any of them) and I love when books do that for you. 4.5/5 for me this time, I have read all of Taylor's books (to my knowledge) and cannot wait for the next. Out to buy from April 2nd, ebook and hardbackk, paperback will be available in September.

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The Longest Farewell by Nula Suchet Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for "The Longest Farewell" by Nula Suchet, a LoveBooksTour.




Please check out the other stops on the tour, we all offer different content.









Blurb

When Nula's husband James, a British documentary filmmaker, becomes forgetful they put it down to the stress of his work. But his behavior becomes more erratic and inexplicable, and he is eventually diagnosed as suffering from Picks Disease, an early onset and aggressive form of dementia. Suddenly their lives change from comfortable middle-class creatives through inexplicable behaviour, the shock of diagnosis, coping with the ongoing illness, not coping with the illness, to the indignities of care home life. The Longest Farewell is a moving description of James utter mental and physical deterioration, and the effect that it had both on him and on the people from whom he was involuntarily retreating, particularly Nula. Her life is completely taken over by James illness: her frustration at trying to cope, her guilt at having to hand over his care to professionals in England, are just part of her at times harrowing story.

With James in care and left with seemingly little to do but wait for his death, Nula meets Bonnie, another resident at the care home suffering from the same condition. In turn she meets Bonnie's husband, the broadcaster John Suchet and the similarity of their positions becomes a bond between them. After the deaths of James and Bonnie, and some guilt-induced false starts, Nula's story takes a bitter-sweet turn: they become partners, and eventually marry. The Longest Farewell is a heartfelt yet inspiring account of dealing with dementia, and of unexpectedly finding a happy ending.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/39ME7gC

About the author




Nula Suchet

Nula Suchet was born in Ireland, part of a large family. After a difficult early life she became an interior designer who worked internationally in the UK, Europe and the US. Now retired, she lives in London with her husband, the broadcaster John Suchet, who she met in the care home where their spouses were being cared for with dementia. Her book, The Longest Farewell, on dealing with her husband's dementia and the heartbreak that came with it is available now.

You can find the author on Twitter

@nulasuchet

@SerenBooks

@LoveBooksTours

For my stop I have my review.

The Longest Farewell: James, Dementia and Me by Nula Suchet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 280

Publisher - Seren

Source - Review book

Blurb from back cover

Dementia crept early into the life of James Black, insidious and unannounced. The result was a long farewell to him as he changed from a happy and successful film maker into a completely dependent care home resident, and stranger to his wife Nula.

Yet after seven stressful years, Nula's life unexpectedly changed when she met a man whose wife was also a dementia patient in the home. Her friendship with John Suchet become a relationship, but theirs is a difficult road. There is joy, but also despair and guilt. Is even a moment of happiness allowed when their loves ones are in a slow decline towards death? Theirs is a story that plumbs the depths but also reaches a happiness that they thought they would never experience.


My Review

Told in first person narrative we step into Nula's world, from the very beginnings of something not being right, to diagnosis and thereafter living with her husband's descent into dementia. I have read a few books about dementia now, Suchet's is different in that this is her story, her footsteps, her life living with the devastation brought about by dementia. Written almost in diary format, Sachet writes down her experiences and shapes it together into this book, her pre, during and post dementia.

Often we hear or see dementia affecting our loved ones as they age but some people see their lives turned upside down by it coming much earlier. This is what happens with James, James is still young, fit, has a career and a very happy marriage. Nula starts to notice small things, things that can be explained away however as more incidents happen Nula can no longer ignore it. With her very honest recollections we, the reader, live each of them and walk down the road as dementia strips her husband of everything that made him him.

Often when we hear dementia we see older adults, elderly and devastating as they loose who they are, their memories, their abilities. In this book, as well as all of that we see a different side, that of a wife losing her husband, the intimacy, the suspicion from people when they see a middle age man "acting out". The struggles of simple things such as going out for a meal, trying to travel, trying to get help when she finally accepted she needed it and what she endured before she got to that stage.

The book also looks at an unlikely friendship, a kindred spirit experiencing the loss that Nula is living and the guilt that is associated. How do you experience joy, a moment for yourself, happiness, friendship without guilt when you are watching the person you love slowly lose everything about themselves. An emotive book, it makes you want to grab your loved ones and hug them hard, appreciate what you have because you never know the minute. 4.5/5 for me this time, I need to look up the book written by John, the friend she makes who is also experiencing the same loss/heartache as his wife goes through a similar journey to James.



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What Milo Saw by Virginia MacGregor

What Milo Saw by Virginia Macgregor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Sphere

Source - The Works

Blurb from Goodreads

Nine-year-old Milo suffers from retinitis pigmentosa: his eyes are slowly failing, and he will eventually go blind. But for now, he sees the world through a pin hole and notices things other people don't. When Milo's beloved 92-year-old gran succumbs to dementia and moves into a nursing home, Milo begins to notice things amiss at the home. The grown-ups won't listen when he tries to tell them something's wrong so with just Tripi, the nursing home's cook, and Hamlet, his pet pig, to help, Milo sets out on a mission to expose the nursing home and the sinister Nurse Thornhill.




My Review

Told from the point of view of Milo, nine years old, owner of Hamlet his pet pig, carer of his 90+ year old gran and has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa. When Milo's gran has one incident too many his mum decides enough is enough and off she goes to a care home. Milo is distraught and soon discovers the care home isn't what it first appeared to be. It isn't easy being nine, trying to get adults to listen when something isn't right and gathering proof against the charge nurse Thornhill. Milo will stop at nothing to try and get his gran home, making friends along the way and with the trusty Hamlet at his side what can go wrong.

We learn a little about the condition retinitis pigmentosa and I will look more into the condition however I would have liked to have had a bit more in depth in the book. As well as Milo's grans dementia we have family issues, infidelity, abuse, relationships, friendship, the struggles of a refugee and flashes of a war torn country.

It is a busy wee book, emotive at times, humorous, sad, Milo is such a sweet wee boy and I loved his relationship with both his grandma and his pet pig. Such an innocent lad with a big heart, very pure in a situation that is horrific in parts. I think some of the choices made by Milo's mother will rile some readers for different reasons, she made my eyebrows raised & crossed on a few occasions. Easy enough to settle into, I did enjoy it if enjoy is the correct word, this is my first dance with this author, I would read her again 3.5 out of 5 for me.

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Somewhere Inside Of Happy by Anna McPartlin

Somewhere Inside of Happy by Anna McPartlin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 427

Publisher - Black Swan

Blurb from Goodreads

Maisie Bean is a fighter. A survivor. Seventeen years ago, she went on a first date that went so badly it was enough to put the girl off chips. The marriage that followed was hell but it gave her two children: funny, caring Jeremy and bullish but brilliant Valerie.

Just as it seems everything might finally start going right, sixteen-year-old Jeremy goes missing. The police descend and a media storm swirls, over five days of searching that hurtle towards an inevitable, terrible conclusion.

Maisie is facing another fight, and this time it’s the fight of her life. But she’s a survivor. Whatever the odds, she’ll never give in.


My Review

The book opens in present day, Maisie Bean is about to do a talk and she is feeling nervous. She takes the reader back to the past that shows us how she got to where she is and why she does what she does. She has two beautiful kids who have their own issues after watching their mother survive and abusive relationship. They live with Maisie and her mum whose illness provides more stress and strain on the family. Her youngest is moody, argumentative and trying to find herself and Jeremy is the apple of everyone eye, sixteen but responsible, kind, caring and trustworthy. This is what sends everyone into a panic when he doesn't come home, the media get involved and things from the past won't stay buried.

McPartlin has a style where she can hit some very dark and unsettling topics but still infuse the story with humour and provide light relief which I think is an amazing feat for an artist. The characters you immediately warm to, or hate pending on which ones we are talking about. She whirs up a storm and covers many issues in life that the reader can identify with or at least one of them. Friendship, love, domestic abuse, sexuality, homophobia, media scrutiny, personal growth, family secrets, the list goes on and on whilst not overstretching the story or realism.

I could have easily read this in one sitting had time permitted, you are drawn in within the first few chapters and I gasped out loud at least once. A very talented writer, I have read her before and I will read her again, I think her writing gains strength with age and experience, 4/5 for me this time.

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Book Launch & Giveaway - The Exit by Helen Fitzgerald

Well this is a tad later than I had planned, the launch was on the 12th of February at Waterstones Argyll Street.

However, as often is the way, time slipped past and at least now I have had time to do my review and can launch this as the March competition. If you haven't heard Helen Fitzgerald speak or made it to one of her launches, your missing out guys. This was the second I have been to, she brought some of her family with her and her sister, whose name escapes me, made the beautiful bite sized cakes (I'm always about the food!). I am so so fussy but you couldn't say no as they are so good and it just adds a lovely personal touch.

Fitzgerald is hilarious, down to earth, mingles with us mere mortals :P and invited everyone out for a few drinks after the launch. Her family and husband are just such a nice crowd and on top of all that, she provided wine (both red and white), soft drinks and water which may not sound like a lot guys but I have been to a fair few book events and launches were you don't have water available to buy.

You can read my review here http://www.alwaysreading.net/2015/02/review-exit-by-helen-fitzgerald.html

It was a great night and yours truly got a brand new copy of this wee book and got it signed so now have one copy to give away. I have been keeping book giveaways to the UK, just because costs are going up and I am skint however I will open this one up to everyone. As per, fill in the rafflecopter at the bottom of this post, the more entries you fill in the more chances you have.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Exit by Helen Fitzgerald

The Exit by Helen Fitzgerald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Publisher - Faber & Faber

Pages - 297

Blurb from Goodreads

Some people love goodbyes...
23-year-old Catherine is mainly interested in Facebook and flirting, but she reluctantly takes a job at a local care home after her mother puts her foot down - and soon discovers that her new workplace contains many secrets. One of the residents at the home, 82-year-old Rose, is convinced that something sinister is going on in Room 7 and that her own life is under threat. But Rose has dementia - so what does she actually know, and who would believe her anyway? As Catherine starts investigating Rose's allegations, terrible revelations surface about everyone involved. Can Catherine find out what's really going on?


My Review

We have two main characters, Catherine who is 23, self obsessed and all about her Facebook status and what she can get out of life. Rose is 82, successful author of children's books, lives at Dear Green Care Home and has dementia. She flits between present day and being cognitively aware to reverting to her 10 year old self and reliving an event over and over. Catherine gets a job in the care home, at the push of her mother and undertakes a journey of self discovery and personal growth. She forms a relationship with Rose and becomes endeared to the elderly lady, however as Rose becomes more adamant, in her lucid moments, that something is going on Catherine's interest is piqued. As she starts to nose around she finds some clues that maybe Rose is onto something with room 7 and her curiosity may lead her to more trouble and danger than she could have imagined.

I do like Fitzgerald, you never truly know what your going to get when you pick up one of her books as, I feel, they are very different. This one, we know from early on Catherine is ageist, not a particularly nice individual and does some questionable things. However, Rose is quirky and fabulous and I think she gets under Catherine's skin which starts the journey Catherine goes on. There is a lot more to this story and it is hard to go into without spoilers which I never do and generally hate. Needless to say, there are twists and turns that I didn't see coming, whilst some of the book gets really dark and some readers may find uncomfortable, there is some humour within it and I can't state enough how much I liked Rose.

The book also has some sexual content, abuse is also a factor although it is not throughout and when it does appear I found it was relevant to the story rather than just put in for effect. The book I could have read in one sitting however, life did not permit it so I had to steal moments when I could. 4/5 for me this time, I have read Fitzgerald before and absolutely will again, if you like a book that has some tough content, humour and grips you then this book is for you. the Exit is newly released and as good a place as any to start with this author if you haven't read her before.

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Review - Arms Wide Open by Tom Winter

Arms Wide Open by Tom Winter
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Publisher - Corsair

Pages - 353

Blurb from Goodreads

Jack and Meredith are non-identical twins. Their father died before they were born and now they both have to watch as their mother sinks further in to the grip of early-onset dementia.

Jack s career has crashed and burned, all that remains is a Maserati and a nervous disposition. Meredith s world is also crumbling the decomposing yogurt in her fridge a symbol of her newly-expired marriage. Her children, Jemima and Luke, offer little support, too consumed with the world of online dating and amateur taxidermy.

One day, a throwaway comment starts Jack wondering if their father really died. As they begin to untangle the revelations, the twins are forced to ponder both the past and the future: their memories of their mother, their hopes for finding their father, and the fear of what s in their bloodline.


My Review

Our main characters are Jack and Meredith, twins and as different in personality as they are in looks. Meredith simply cannot get over her husband leaving her, for another woman, she still has the yogurt congealing in the fridge from his departure. Her brother is successful, vibrant, loving life and a bit of a car crash waiting to happen. Their mother is in a home with dementia, one comment makes Jack reconsider if his father has actually died as they were always led to believe and trys to find out more.

Meredith has two children, Luke and Jemima, both affected by their fathers departure and trying to cope in their own way. Meredith is becoming more withdrawn, Jack has a secret he is keeping and each is falling apart.

This story flips back and forth, from past to present to try and show how the past has shaped the people and their futures. Lies and secrets will be revealed and have different impacts upon the people involved.

I have to say I wasn't enamored with this book, some people really loved it. I found the characters hard to take to, I did love Reggie, the poor wee blind dog from next door. Once you learn more about Jack, I did warm a little to him however, Meredith, her mother and her daughter were not likable characters. Yes they had reasons for why they behaved as they did but still, I couldn't take to them. Wee Luke, God love him, he was ok but there wasn't a real explanation for his peculiar behaviors really, I felt.

I would have gone with three stars as to be honest it isn't a badly written book, I just didn't like how it jumped around so much or the characters. However the big clincher for me was the ending, I don't do spoilers as a rule and I won't here however, I was left thinking um where is the rest of the story? I hate when books end as this one did, although, reading the reviews out there a lot of people loved or really liked it. Give it a go, you may be in the lovers camp, sadly it just didn't do it for me. 2/5 this time, I would read this author again if I came across their work but I won't be actively seeking it out.

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Review - The Darkening Hour by Penny Hancock

The Darkening Hour by Penny Hancock
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 6 days

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

pages - 402

Blurb from Goodreads

Meet Theodora
And Mona
Two women, from completely different walks of life, forced by circumstances to live together under one roof.
Both women are at their wits' end, scared of losing the one thing that's most precious to them. So when tensions boil over, who will go to the most extreme lengths to survive?
Will it be Theodora, finally breaking under the pressure?
Or Mona, desperate to find a way out?
In a tale of modern day slavery and paranoia, two women tell their sides of the story.
Who do you trust?


My Review

When I read the blurb, I thought it was about two workers living together, perhaps forced into some kind of labour. However the story is quite different. Theodora is caring for her father who has dementia with little help from the family. She is trying to keep her full time career with her own local show, look after her son who has just came back to live with her after some issues and a brush with the law. Her husband gets her Mona, a live in carer to help look after her father with all of his care and the story centers around this and the relationship between the two.

Mona has left behind her sick mother and little girl, in her own country and with a secret agenda, she is looking for her husband although portrays herself as a widow. She has to juggle the increasing demands of her employer as well as trying to find her husband, in this strange country, with limited means to do so.

Mona is trapped and at the mercy of Theodora's increasing demands. It is a story of slavery and abuse, care, devotion and also a bit of a psychological thriller as you see the increasingly bizarre behavior and decline of one of the characters. The chapters alternate between Theodora and Mona so you can see the different view points on the same situations which works really well.

I think this story could have been fantastic and some of it is very well done, however, it took a while to build up. Some of the behavior I felt was too incredulous, there is a lot of questions left unanswered which I absolutely hate. My opinions of the two women changed quite a bit in the first few chapters and I didn't like either of them, as it went on I found myself feeling for Mona and total disgust for Theodora. It will be interesting to see how they were received by other readers. For the most part this book has had high praise and great ratings so I would definitely recommend it to people, for me though there was more I disliked that I actually liked. 2/5 for me this time, first time reading this author and despite not loving this book, I would read her again.

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