The Dartmoor Bookworm

                                                       If you’ve read One Day in December then you’ll know how great Josie Silver’s books are and this one, her latest, is no exception.  It’s taken me longer than normal to read this but that’s not a reflection on the story at all, more my head space and I know I need to read to help and this is just one of those stories that takes you into another world that you can  totally imagine. Or at least I can.  Cleo Wilder, 29, writer, is about to turn 30 and her relationship status is nowhere near marriage. Her work sets her an experiment of travelling to an island off the Irish coast to find her true self and to marry herself on her 30th birthday. When she arrives at Otter Lodge she finds it double booked and with no where else to go in this tiny island, Cleo and the...

 I really enjoyed this book, the story of Diana Clare (pianist extraordinaire)and her love song written and performed once by her, and then lost after her tragic death. Her husband Arie, grieving for his wife,  but his instant love of Evie after a brief encounter, a true love story, a song that finds its way to different couples, all who appreciate the song for what it is, but all who know nothing of its whereabouts or where it came from, and the way in which the song travels around the world, to be brought back to Arie.   The couples are all very different, brought together in different ways, across different generations, and so something in the love story will appeal to most readers. It was very cleverly thought through and put together and beautifully written. The characters were well developed and likeable, and the story and the way in which it was interlinked was fabulous. If you like an easy read, and romance then I'd definitely recommend this book.  I gave it ...

I was sent a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. The story follows that of Rita, 19, a nanny for a wealthy London family who after a fire in  the family home in London, moves with the mother and children to Foxcote Manor, their home in the Forest of Dean. It follows Rita whilst nannying but also in the modern day after a fall. It also follows the story of Sylvie, her daughter, in the modern day, recently separated and with her mother in hospital and her daughter discovering she's pregnant, she decides to do some digging into her past, the summer of 1971. I quickly realised the link between the then and now and was captivated to read on and find out what happened. The story had many plot lines all beautifully written and well thought through, the tragedy of the London home, the loss of a child, the mothers affair, a foundling, Rita's relationship with the mother and the two children, a glimpse back to Rita's own tragic childhood and her need...

I was sent a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. OMG! I haven't read a psychological thriller like this for some time.  This is on a totally different level to The Family Upstairs, and so much better. What can I say without giving the story away.  It's about 13 year old Elissa who is a bright young girl, living with her mother.  They go away for a weekend chess tournament that Elissa is playing in and whilst Elissa goes to return something to the car she is abducted. When she comes around she is in the cellar of "The Gingerbread House', chained up and in the dark.  Her captor visits her but so does Elijah, a 12 year old boy who doesn't want Elissa to leave. He sees her as his new friend. Elissa realises that she isn't the first girl who has been brought here and the story follows the time after Elissa's disappearance. The story is brilliantly written, even when you think you've sussed it out, there's a twist a...

Blurb: When Sarah forgets to check on her best friend’s little boy, distraction turns to disaster. And she’s faced with a dilemma. Tell the truth, lose a friend. Tell a lie, keep her close. In a split second, Sarah seals her fate. But accidents have aftershocks, and lies have consequences.  And when it’s someone else’s child, the rumours are quick to multiply. Everyone’s talking about what happened. And sooner or later, the truth will have to come spilling out… We all make mistakes, right?  Bt this one could ruin the perfect friendship. I asked for a preview copy of this book from Netgalley. I'm not really sure why I asked for it. I cannot stand playground politics and this is the main theme of the story. The characters are all members of the PTA and all communicate via the group WhatsApp. These kind of things really bug me - I just can't see the point, however, to bring it into a story plot line I can see would grip a huge number of people. The stor...

When I requested this book from Netgalley, it sounded ideal, a book about books, what more could a book loving girl ask for, and yet, there is a tell tale sign with me about how much I enjoy a book. The time it takes for me to write a review is the first giveaway. I can devour a book in an evening if it's really good, others take a few days, a week maybe, some when I'm three or four weeks in, you can tell I'm struggling and this one, however idyllic it sounded, is just one of those. I started reading it with great expectations.  I love historical, war stories and as this is set at the end of World War 2, I thought I'd love, but I just can't get into it. There is nothing in the first part of the story that inspires to read on. The story itself is very slow, the characters come across as quite dull and boring, and even though I'm a quarter of the way through it doesn't grab me like a book should, I can't even tell you what has happened because noth...

I was sent a free copy of this book by NetGalley in return for an honest review. This book tells the story of Poppy, a nanny working for a well off family who one days speaks her mind and finds herself out on the street. She is rescued by Drew, (Rich, good looking, older)  who offers immediate help and a whirlwind romance quickly materialises. Within weeks they are married and on returning to England , Drew buys a home in the country for them.  The house is big and beautiful but there is something about it that doesn’t sit right with Poppy.  Her one and only friend, Gina, comes to stay and helps Poppy make the house feel a bit more like home and Gina is amazed to discover that Poppy and Drew made a promise never to discuss the past (before they met). After a weekend with Drew’s friends, secrets start to unfold and the past eventually catches up with  both of them.  The book floats between the here and now throughout, looking back at Poppy’s past and gi...

I was sent a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. I loved the look of the book, there was something magical about the cover, I chose a lot of books based on their covers and this one looked so lovely and Christmassy that I had to read it. It took some time to get into but I really enjoyed it once I did.  The story is about Rosie and her family, her sister Kate and their parents. Rosie is living in the US and Katie is a A&E doctor here in England. One night Katie receives a phone call from her sister telling her she is marrying her boyfriend of a few months this coming Christmas in the US. Katie who feels that it is all too quick decides she's going to stop the wedding. Rosie parents and Katie travel to the US for the wedding, but things aren't all they seem, secrets are being kept by all members of the family and the story, however predictable is heart warming. Love blossoms between unexpected people, (though i guessed early on that it ...

It's been a bit manic around here lately, work has taken over and I've started running (that's another blog post!) and I'm hooked but it means I've struggled to find time to read. However, I was given a free copy of this book by HQ and NetGalley in return for an honest review and as I said in part one, the free ebook version I couldn't cope with. I'm really funny about things like that, a slight formatting issue and my head can't cope so I managed to get a paperback copy in my local supermarket. It's taken me a while to read, that's usually a good indication of how I find a book. But not this one! It was quite slow to start, building the story up.  Laura recently widowed and mother of Tilly, together they are about to lose everything, her job, their house, their family. A business deal gone wrong, a break down with their family it's all looking dire.  But when Laura finds out about a local community who are willing to help, she decide...

This is my first time reading a book by Louise Jensen, even though The Sister and The Gift have both been on my kindle for ages, I haven't got around to reading them. The story is that of Laura, recently bereaved after the death of husband and Tilly her 17 year old daughter.  After her husbands death, the insurance company is holding the pay out and Laura is in financial hardship, set to lose her house and her business. Not knowing where to turn, she finds friendship and a safe place to stay with Tilly at Oak Leaf Organics, a farm, come commune, come cult. At the head is Alex who instantly attracts both the attention of Laura and Tilly. when someone dies unexpectedly Laura wants to leave but Tilly refuses to go... I was sent a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley, HQ and the author. The ebook I was sent was formatted incorrectly on the first page and things like that really annoy me and so I couldn't read it, so when I saw it for sale in my local supermarket ...

 I was sent a pre publication copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. I loved this book, really loved it. I read it over two evenings whilst on holiday and i couldn't put it down. Arden Hall has recently come out of an abusive relationship and even though she has a son (not the abusive partner's) she is now living alone and trying to rebuild her life. Whilst visiting a friend in hospital a chance encounter with an ex lover makes Arden reminisce over her previous relationship with him. The book jumps from past to present, and even though I struggle with this usually, it was really easy to follow in this book. As Arden lives in the present, visiting her ex lover in hospital, she also looks back at their relationship whilst she was at university. The descriptions of the time are very good and took me back to my university days, the music, the clothes and the films. Even though I'm not a great movie buff and I haven't seen all the film...

 I was sent a copy of this book in return for an honest review. Edie  Browne, 32 had everything, and after dumping her boyfriend she decided to jump out of a plane to show herself how independent she has become but after tripping over the champagne bucket things take a turn for the worse. Edie  suffers a stroke. To aid her recovery she decides to spend some time in Cornwall with her aunt who has recently been widowed and the journey of recovery begins for both of them. The characters in this book are brilliant, warm and friendly and you feel like you are part of village life. The descriptions of the landmarks and locations are vibrant and you feel like you are there with them. Edie is a lovely character, warm friendly and funny and even though the storyline and the romance are predictable from the start, you want Edie to find happiness in St Aidan and not return to Bath as she says she is going too. With Edie’s help Aunty Jo transforms her cottage and her life t...

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in return for an honest review. Ask,Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane is a story about two people, Kate and Peter, born around the same time to parents living next door to each other. Kate the youngest of three girls and Peter an only child. Their friendship develops and the link between them is strong but Peter's mother disapproves. Both of their fathers are Police officers who worked together for a short time, but that relationship never grew and Kate's father has little time for his neighbours. When the children are 14 an event one evening changes their futures forever and their relationship is put on hold as each of them tries to forget the events of that night and move on with their lives. I will be really honest, it took me four attempts at starting this book before I finally got into it.  The first chapter about when the two fathers were working together didn't inspire me to read on, but I knew I had to persevere with ...

I was sent a  copy of this (ebook) for free in return for an honest review. Tessa is 16 years old, homeschooled and a poetry blogger. She lives at home with her grandparents who have raised her since birth. (Her father is unknown and her mother moved away to find work.) One day Tessa and her grandmother are involved in a car accident, being hit by a drunk driver and as a result of the accident Tessa experiences temporary blindness. Her reaction, as I'm sure most peoples would be is panic, self hatred and a longing to stay safe, safe inside her home. She is unhappy and frustrated at not being able to see and do the things she used to do.  Her grandparents think the best thing for her is to get her back blogging again, but how can she when she can't see? They go to place an ad in a local paper asking for an assistant, but Tessa finds out and makes them pull the ad before it's published. Weston is also 16 years old and helping at his dad's workplace (the newspaper)...

I was given a prepublication copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. Quinn is something of a swimming prodigy, but having failed to make it to the Olympics, she is still piecing her confidence back together and is now aiming for the World Championships. She cannot let herself become distracted by anything or anyone, no matter how pretty they are. At high school everyone knows about Quinn's sexuality but her best friend deserted her when she moved away and since coming back their relationship has been non existent. Kennedy Reed won't even look at Quinn, let alone have a conversation with her and Quinn is unsure why. Go back to when they were 13 and Kennedy was about to move away and a kiss between them on the front porch of Kennedy's house and the story starts to unwind. To add to the confusion, there is also the relationship between Quinn and her twin brother Liam, who also has a massive crush of Kennedy, and the problems that creates. The s...

I was sent a pre publication copy of this book in return for an honest review by Netgalley. The first thing I will say about this book is that it is the third in a series - I haven’t read the other two and you don’t need to. From what I understand a few of the characters and settings are the same but this book is fine to read on its own without the prior knowledge of storylines or characters. The book is set in a small Cornish village and the main character is Pippa Parkin, a teaching assistant, full of life, bubbly and who brings a smile to the room whenever she enters but who’s love life is not so flamboyant! Her mother is desperately trying to get her together with childhood and family friend James, who is polite and courteous when he needs to be but Pippa sees straight through him and decides he’s not the man for her! When her class teacher leaves on maternity at Easter, her temporary cover teacher, Kam, (male, good looking- we know where this is going) joins th...