Ever After by Amanda Prowse

Happy publication day to Amanda Prowse, Ever After is OUT NOW.

Ever After by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 416

Publisher - Lake Union

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

If you’re given another chance at love, shouldn’t you take it?

Enya’s life has become small. Her husband’s death has left her bereft, and though she’s only in her early fifties, she’s happiest looking after her son, Aiden, his childhood sweetheart, Holly, and her beloved cat, Pickle.

So the spark she feels for the stranger who bumps into her car in the airport car park is a complete shock. But Enya can’t stop thinking about him.

Then, when Aiden makes a life-changing decision, Enya suddenly finds her close-knit community thrown into chaos. Her best friend, Jenny, isn’t speaking to her, Aiden’s future hangs in the balance, Holly is devastated, and the stranger from the car park is suddenly in her life.

Torn between family, love and loyalty, Enya faces a stay safely where she is, or take a leap into the unknown? Because maybe her happily-ever-after could have one more chapter yet…



My Review

Enya is still in the throws of grief, her husband died a few years ago but still she is getting by with life as it is. Her bestie Jenny lives practically next door and often nips in, day or middle of the night for a cuppa and gab. They are going into business together, their kids are growing up, in love and living with each other, despite her loss her life is content and she still sees her husbands "ghost" so she isn't lonely. She also has her wee cat Pickle and despite job upheaval everything seems to be going well. UNTIL.........she is at the airport dropping Aiden (her son) off when someone hits her car, a handsome man, the first to capture her attention since the lose of her husband. That moment changes things for Enya more than she could ever know!

Strap in guys, if you haven't read Prowse before you are in for a treat, if you have, grab your comfies and settle in! Aiden is Enya's pride and joy, her bestie's daughter and him have been destined to be together and done just that. When Aiden gets home from his trip he has made a decision that rips apart their cozy little community and Enya finds herself between a rock and a hard place.

This book captures so much of the everyday issues, love, grief, friendships, family and with Enya she has so much going on and trying to put out all the fires caused by one decision. I felt for her at times, other times I wanted to shake her GURL WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!? She made me feel for her, want to hug her, questioning why she would do/say XYZ. I think one of the talents Prowse has is making her characters quite real to life, even the ones making wild choices and behaviours. Life is like that sometimes, people behave selfishly, erratically, some are so good and kind that you wouldn't believe it unless you met them.

There are so many themes explored, friendships, fractured friendships, grief, how to react when you are loyal to so many people but they are on opposing sides. Feeling attraction after losing your other half and trying to navigate one crisis and or surprise after another. It is a bit chaos, sad, funny and a very good look at how much a mother can and does sacrifice for her loved ones, 4/5 for me this time.

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Close To Death by Anthony Horowitz

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 419

Publisher - Random House UK

Source - Review copy & bought

Blurb from Goodreads

In New York Times–bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound

Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.

It is the perfect idyll until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, a gaggle of shrieking children and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and they quickly offend every last one of their neighbours.

When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator that can be called on to solve the case.

Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?


My Review

So first thing to note, this is book five in the series, I didn't know this and as a result I had some questions. Once finished I did a bit of reading up and have since ordered book one, will read the previous books before this one and then re read this.

A small gated community, new neighbours move in, a family who are loud, not team players and things start to go wrong. Destruction of peoples property, heads butting, block peoples cars in, a missing dog ooft tensions galore. When the trouble makers are invited to a neighbours meet and they don't show tensions run higher and before we know what happens Giles Kentworthy (dad/new neighbour) is found brutally murdered. Everyone is a suspect, everyone has a motive and the police call in Detective Hawthorne for assistance. He is a unique guy who has some trouble and clouds following him but he is very very good at what he does.

So in between the murder and investigation the book then jumps to the author who is writing about the murder case (so the timeline also jumps) and is meeting some walls and resistance in collating information. At this point the reader knows Mr Kentworthy was killed and the method but not the who. It is clear the author is party to information we don't have and he wants to write the novel and see it through to completion but some people do not. The book then bounces between that and then back to the investigation, murder and everything that transpires.

I did find myself spinning a wee bit trying to keep up, Anthony the fictional author in the book is a bit clueless like us but Hawthorne is sharp as a tack. Anthony is writing the new book which is based on the gated community murder of Mr Kentworthy, Hawthorne is his partner but seems a tad reluctant on this one. They aren't together, Hawthorne is a bit elusive when Anthony is trying to get him and then we timeline jump too.

I think by going back and reading book 1-4 I will probably get a better feel for everything so I fully admit picking this up 5 books in wasn't the best move on my part. However I did love the sound of this and I am glad I picked it up as I think it will be a great series. Hawthorne is so sharp and perceptive, he also gets folks backs up but he is brilliant which is a good mix, 3.5/5 for me. I have ordered book one so will get to that when able.

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Lights Out Liverpool by Maureen Lee

Lights Out Liverpool by Maureen Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 496

Publisher - Orion

Source - Bought (I think ABE books )

Blurb from Goodreads

The first of the Liverpool Pearl Street novels set against the backdrop of the Second World War.

As Britain stands alone against a monstrous enemy, the inhabitants of Pearl Street face hardship and heartbreak with courage and humour.

The war touches each of them in a different way: for Annie Poulson, a widow, it means never-ending worry when her twin boys are called up and sent to France; Sheila Reilly's husband, Cal, faces the terror of U-Boat attacks; Eileen Costello is liberated from a bitter, loveless marriage when her husband is sent to Egypt and she goes to work in a munitions factory - and falls in love. And Jessica Fleming, down on her luck, is forced to return to the street she'd hoped never to see again.



My Review

Book one in the Liverpool Pearl Street series, I hadn't read (nor heard) of this author before but it was a bulk buy job. I got eight books for a bargain deal and just realised none of them are the next in the series lol, typical!

Set in Pearl Street we meet the families living there, Eileen and Sheila, sisters and both married, Eileen to Frank, Sheila to Cal. Their marriages could not be more different although on the surface it all looks fine. Set pre and just kicking off, World War Two we see the community as they are, gossiping, pulling together, judging all the usual in small communities. Some of the relationships are not what they seem and no matter how bad things are, a woman, especially a catholic one, must stand by her man, right?

I really like Eileen, she is strong and quite opinionated in a time when women were thought to be seen and not heard or only just to serve their men and have babies. Eileen has a strong personality and we see this throughout her personal choices and helping out with her family and friends. A good start to a trilogy and of course I will need to buy the others to see what is coming next for our people.

A different range of characters and issues, poverty, class divisions, grief, loss, violence, war, relationships, family, societal expectations, alcoholism and how things change as the war kicks off. 3.5/5 for me this time, hopefully not too long before I buy and get to read the next one.

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A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 279

Publisher - Headline Review

Source - Review book

Blurb from Goodreads

In Oak Knoll, a verdant, tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood, professor of forestry and ecology Valerie Alston-Holt is raising her bright and talented biracial son. Xavier is headed to college in the fall, and after years of single parenting, Valerie is facing the prospect of an empty nest. All is well until the Whitmans move in next door―an apparently traditional family with new money, ambition, and a secretly troubled teenaged daughter.

Thanks to his thriving local business, Brad Whitman is something of a celebrity around town, and he's made a small fortune on his customer service and charm, while his wife, Julia, escaped her trailer park upbringing for the security of marriage and homemaking. Their new house is more than she ever imagined for herself, and who wouldn't want to live in Oak Knoll? With little in common except a property line, these two very different families quickly find themselves at odds: first, over an historic oak tree in Valerie's yard, and soon after, the blossoming romance between their two teenagers.

Told from multiple points of view, A Good Neighborhood asks big questions about life in America today―What does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don't see eye to eye?―as it explores the effects of class, race, and heartrending star-crossed love in a story that’s as provocative as it is powerful.


My Review

Valerie Alston Holt is living in a wee neighborhood in North Carolina with her bi racial son Xavier, he has the whole world ahead of him, a scholarship, fabulous music career and he is a healthy good looking boy. Valeria is a professor and very eco friendly, when her new neighbours move in, a while affluent family, the house built for them and a lot of trees lost to accommodate it Valerie isn't best pleased. When the tree in her yard, 80 odd years old starts dying as a result of the new home Valerie decides to take on Brad Whitman, local celebrity and her new neighbour. If that isn't enough, Mrs Whitman has just been to Valerie's for book night and to make friends and her oldest daughter Juniper and Xavier have just started to notice each other, talk about bad timing!

It is a busy wee story, we hear from the three main characters, each varying chapters and getting to know and see from their perspectives. Juniper is a bit of a grumpy problem teen, mocked at school for valuing her purity and having a brain. Xavier hasn't really found anyone he is interested in and he is out of here in six short months but there is something about Juniper....

The book has a few turns and goes into some pretty shocking topics, racism, power, abuse, wealth (and a mix of abuse of power/wealth), the depravity of some humans and the shocking way some people think. How easy it is to ruin/change a life with one decision, one action and the ripple effects that has. It is one of those books you aren't too sure where it is going to go and I was shocked at the depth of how some of it went. A modern day Romeo and Juliette type story but with so much more issues and themes that left me a bit shocked to be honest. 4.5/5 for me this time, first time reading this author I will absolutely be looking into her other books!

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Make Do and Mend A Broken Heart by Katey Lovell Blog blast

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Make Do and Mend a Broken Heart by Katey Lovell, for my stop I have my review.





Make Do and Mend a Broken Heart by Katey Lovell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 2 days

Pages - 298

Publisher - Quercus

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

When you know how, you can make anything from scratch, including a new life after love...
When Leanne and Richard bought a dilapidated old seaside cottage to renovate together as their forever home, their future was full of hope and promise.

But heartbreak was just around the corner: fast forward a few months and Richard is gone. With his death, Leanne finds herself stony broke, faced with an uninhabitable home and lacking even the basic skills to do it up herself.

With the help of the friendly woman who runs the library and the reluctant assistance of the man who works in the local hardware shop, the cottage is lovingly restored. But broken hearts aren't so easy to fix... are they?


My Review

Leanne and Richard buy an old run down cottage by the sea to move into and do up, in a small town. Everything is planned, they are happy and full of love and ideas for this wee house that is a bit of a wreck. When everything falls apart and Leanne sticks to the plan she heads to the small town to tackle the house herself. Alone, bereft, grieving and realising just how big a job it is Leanne pushes on to fulfill the dream. Some of the towns people are much more accommodating and friendly than others. As Leanne takes on the mamoth task she also has to battle the financial issues, establishing herself within the community and coping being so far from everyone and everything she knows and loves.

Aw God love her, you can just see it, knowing no one - the impact of it all just hitting you. And the home you had so much ideas for, with two of you tackling it, you are now just one person. Pals and family are a sea away, money struggles, loneliness and the huge task of restoration of an almost unlivable house.

The initial few chapters took me a wee bit to settle into as you don't know what happened exactly and it is just Leanne trying to get to terms with all that is ahead. But as we start to get to know the community I really started to like it. Some of the townspeople you just wanted to hug, stepping in when needed but also the not so nice and standoffish ones, true to a wee town with strangers.

Friendship, love, loss, grief a huge focus on a journey of recovery and self discovery, we watch Leanne grow and heal with a little help from old friends and new. This was my first time reading this author and it was the perfect genre switch I needed, 4/5 for me this time.

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Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 292

Publisher - Bantam Press

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Maybe you don't know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . .

"This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out."

In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses--and into the owners' computers as well--learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.

Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they're telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?

In this neighborhood, it's not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .

You never really know what people are capable of.



My Review

As you may well know I am a huge Lapena fan, loved her previous books and this one is no exception. Someone's kid has broken into local houses, didn't take anything but now their parent knows they have written letters to the affected people. One of whom's wife has gone missing, how do you feel/react when you know someone has been in your house snooping? What have they seen and how far would you go to hide a secret?

We hear from a few of the characters, Olivia is just a mum trying to come to terms with what has happened, why and one of their neighbours has gone missing. The missing woman's husband, even from the minute he reports her missing, for me I wasn't a fan. Something about him just doesn't seem right but as the book develops we get more insight into each of the characters and proves you just never really know your neighbour(s) as well as you think you do.

A twisted web of deception, mystery and not really knowing who you can trust. Suspense pretty much from the beginning and a page turner, just wanting to know who done it, who has something to hide and what is coming next. 4.5/5 for me - looking forward to Lapena's next offering, characters you like or hate you just want to know what is going to happen next!

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The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

A gripping domestic page-turner full of shocking reveals, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Amanda Prowse and Kerry Fisher.

The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn't fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange's compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won't let her sweet, gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park - and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread - and they'll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.



My Review

Welcome to your nosey wee neighbourhood, when someone new moves in everyone wants to know who she is. A family and pricey neighbourhood so when Isabelle moves in, no sign of children or a husband, curiosity is piqued. Ange, Fran and Essie are friends and eager to know more about Isabelle, her secrets and why she is there. The ladies have their own secrets/issues, Essie has post partum depression and things weren't so great when she had this before. Ange is preoccupied with her husband's fidelity and Fran has a secret that could blow her marriage apart and change her world as she knows it.

The book splits each chapter into character specific focus, each chapter is titled with the characters name so we know where the focus is for each one. Sometimes this can be an irritating style but if done well it works great, this was the case with Hepworth. You know all isn't well but you aren't sure why, with who or what drawing the reader in pretty much from the first chapter. This is my first dance with Hepworth, she creates characters and an environment where you are swept up in their dramas and reaching for the next page before you are halfway down the current one. Families, friendship, love, relationships, infidelity, intrigue are just some of the labels I can attach to this book. Whilst this was my first read by this author, it won't be my last! If you enjoy a book that immerses you in it's characters this is one for you, if I hadn't had stuff to do I would have read this in one sitting.

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