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adult review

Blog Tour: The Adults by Caroline Hulse

Title: The Adults
Author: Caroline Hulse
Published: August 23rd, 2018
Publisher: Orion
Rating: ★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

The most hilarious debut you will read this year. 
* * * * *MEET THE ADULTS.Claire and Matt are divorced but decide what’s best for their daughter Scarlett is to have a ‘normal’ family Christmas. They can’t agree on whose idea it was, or who said they should bring their new partners. But someone did – and it’s too late to pull the plug.Claire brings her new boyfriend Patrick, a seemingly eligible Iron-Man-in-Waiting. Matt brings the new love of his life Alex, funny, smart, and extremely patient. Scarlett, their daughter, brings her imaginary friend Posey. He’s a rabbit.Together the five (or six?) of them grit their teeth over Organized Fun activities, drinking a little too much after bed-time, oversharing classified secrets about their pasts and, before you know it, their holiday is a powder keg that ends – where this story starts – with a tearful, frightened, call to the police…
But what happened? They said they’d all be adults about this…
* * * * *
If you loved THE BREAK by Marian Keyes or raved about THE ROSIE PROJECT – look no further than THE ADULTS.

First Thoughts…

There’s something just super relaxing about reading a book like The Adults. I think when I read YA, I’m like this is my game face, I’m ready to read! But Adult fiction is just a lot more calming to me, no matter what the genre or plot. When I first was introduced to The Adults by the lovely team at Orion, I couldn’t say no! It sounded like a true breath of fresh air.

My Review…

I would pick up any book that was for fans of The Rosie Project. I truly devoured those books and thought this little slice of fiction would be no exception! So, first and foremost, Claire and Matt are a divorced couple. They have a daughter together, Scarlett, who really is a little star among the pages. They want her to have a life as normal as possible, and in doing that, a perfect Christmas that runs along the line of normalcy. They don’t know how it happened, but soon enough, they’re all together and the awkwardness starts to appear. Despite the fact that they have new partners, it first gets off to a rocky but steady start. But then the cracks start to appear. 
With Claire’s new partner Patrick and Matt’s new love Alex, with Scarlett (and her imaginary friend Posey the rabbit) they make an unlikely bunch. Doing activities together and “bonding” with organised “fun” they start to unravel. Oversharing leads to secrets, tears and a whole lot of fireworks. But what they don’t expect most is to learn something new about themselves, each other and what it really means to be an adult.
Overall, I really just couldn’t get enough of The Adults. Whilst it took me a little bit to really get into the novel, the middle and end sure made up for it. The points of view, striking and capturing my attention, were poignant and funny and just so real (is it strange I really loved Posey, the imaginary “friend”?) I never expected for The Adults to be as it was (if that makes sense) and it took me on a whole different journey (in the best way possible). If you’re looking for a novel with humour, “adulting” and mayhem that leaves you feeling like you’ve read something importantly great, you’ve found your new favourite read. Four amazing stars! 
Hi Caroline! Your characters go through so much before the book even begins. Which character has been your favourite to craft personality-wise?

Hi! I should probably answer about a human character first. On that basis, it’s Patrick. I enjoyed writing his dual-edge character, showing the difference between his successful, enviable ‘outside’ and the teeming insecurities within.
Overall though, my favourite character was Posey. There’s an element of wish-fulfilment in writing a character’s imaginary friend who exists purely to support and entertain that human: who can get over physical hurdles effortlessly (logistics, gravity etc.) and who doesn’t care about anyone’s needs or feelings except those of ‘their’ human. It would be ace to go through life with a side-kick like that.
Also, Posey gets to have all the fun, all apart for having to sleep in the airing cupboard. I wouldn’t be so keen on that part.

The Adults is such a funny, yet oh-so-real book. What inspired Claire and Matt’s story?

I was trying to think of a plot for an everyday suspense, with the potential to produce tension between well-meaning people. I don’t really like to write ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’: in my books, people are more complicated than that.
I read an article in a weekend section about an ex-couple who went on holiday together with their shared family and new partners, and I just thought, How? Why?
I wish all my exes well, but I don’t have to see them on a day-to-day basis – and I don’t think it would be a great idea to go on holiday with them and their new partners! But people do! And those people must be way more mature than me.

You blend humour and drama together faultlessly. If you could write in any other genre, what would it be?

Firstly, that is lovely, thank you.
I read widely, mostly crime and thrillers, book club and literary stuff, and I would love to write a serious thriller one day. I just need to think of a killer, edge-of-your-seat plot, and work out how to drop the comedy that sneaks in to my writing. Leave it with me.

Finally, if The Adults was made into a movie, who would you *love* to play who?

I’m so sorry, I can’t answer this properly. The people in the book are so real in my mind, I can’t think how to suggest actors for it. It’s a good thing I’m not a casting director, and if The Adults does get produced as a movie, I’ll be fascinated to see who they choose!

Thank you so much for answering my questions, today.
No problem, and I’m so pleased you enjoyed the book.

Caroline Hulse spends most of her days writing, having fulfilled her dream of having a job she could do in pyjamas. She also works in Human Resources sometimes.
She is openly competitive and loves playing board and card games. She can often be found in casino poker rooms, and wishes other people would want to play Cluedo for money.
She lives with her husband in Manchester, UK, where the two are captive to the whims of a small, controlling dog.he Goodreads database with this name.

Have you read The Adults? Are you looking forward to it?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


Tweet me about the book and get involved in the Blog Tour with the tag #TheAdults


happy reading!

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Blog Tour & Review: The Woolgrower’s Companion by Joy Rhoades
Title: The Woolgrower’s Companion
Author: Joy Rhoades
Published: June 28th, 2018
Publisher: Vintage Books
Rating: ★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I received this ARC in exchange for an impartial review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

As the war draws to a close, one woman faces her greatest battle . . . 
Australia 1945. Until now Kate Dowd has led a sheltered life on Amiens, her family’s sprawling sheep station in northern New South Wales. The horrors of war have for the most part left her untouched. But with her father succumbing to wounds he’s borne since the Great War, the management of the farm is increasingly falling on Kate’s shoulders.
With only the sheep-rearing book The Woolgrower’s Companion to guide her, Kate rises to the challenge. However the arrival of two Italian POW labourers unsettles not only the other workers, but Kate too – especially when she finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Luca Canali.
Then she receives devastating news. The farm is near bankrupt and the bank is set to repossess. Given just eight weeks to pay the debt, Kate is now in a race to save everything she holds dear.
‘A heart-breaking tale beautifully told . . . This compelling story of war and love, of family and prejudice is magical’ Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help

First Thoughts…

I usually stray from any type of Historical Adult Fiction, but there was something about The Woolgrower’s Companion that enticed me from the get-go. It had this simplicity-meets-heartbreak kind of feel and I was so delighted when offered to be on Joy’s tour!

My Review…

Kate has always led more or less a sheltered life in Australia, on her family’s sheep farm. We’re introduced to her life in 1945, wavering the line of the second World War. Her father, a veteran of the first war, has been struggling. From the despair of his wife’s passing and from age, and now with the farm, it’s been difficult. So the responsibility falls to Kate, her only helping hand the sheep-rearing book called The Woolgrower’s Companion, hence the title.
She’s thrown into the grueling everyday tasks of taking charge, but when some Italian POW laborers arrive and she finds out her Father has been hiding things from her to do with the Farm, it all comes crashing down around her. So when she finds herself drawn to the Italian Luca, she doesn’t know how to deal with the newfound ways her life is changing. With the Farm almost bankrupt, it’s a race against time. She loves the Farm and everything it’s provided for her, but losing it is only a blink away.
Overall, The Woolgrower’s Companion really did surprise me. There was of course the beauty of the story, the landscape and the romance aspect. The plot – and some of the choices the characters chose – did keep me on edge and despite not agreeing with everything Kate chose or did, I couldn’t help but be hypnotized by the ways the story kept me reeled in and turning pages faster and faster. It’s heart-breaking and moving to-the-max and despite not being a huge Historical-Lit fan, I thoroughly devoured the book in just a few sittings. If you’re like me, and need a break from reality and a change of pace, The Woolgrower’s Companion will be the breath of fresh air you need. Truly such a beauty of a story! 4 stars.

I grew up in a small town in the bush in Queensland, Australia. I spent my time with my head in a book, or outdoors – climbing trees, playing in dry creek beds, or fishing for yabbies in the railway dam under the big sky. Some of my favourite memories were visiting my grandmother’s sheep farm in rural New South Wales where my father had grown up. She was a fifth generation grazier, a lover of history, and a great and gentle teller of stories. My childhood gave me two passions: a love of the Australian landscape and a fascination with words and stories.
I left the bush at 13 when I went to boarding school in Brisbane. I stayed on there to study law and literature at the University of Queensland. After, my work as a lawyer took me first to Sydney and then all over the world, to London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and New York. But I always carried in my head a strong sense of my childhood: the people, the history, the light and the landscape. Those images have never left me and they would eventually become The Woolgrower’s Companion. It’s a story I’ve felt I had to tell.
I currently live in London with my husband and our two young children. But I miss the Australian sky.

Have you read The Woolgrower’s Companion?


Let me know in the comments, on twitter @LittleMemoirs or using the hashtag #TheWoolgrowersCompanion!



happy reading!

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Book Review: The Scent Of You by Maggie Alderson

Title: The Scent Of You
Author: Maggie Alderson
Published: June 14th, 2018
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: ★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I received this ARC in exchange for an impartial review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Perfume blogger Polly is in crisis. Will her husband’s absence break her … or make her? A novel of perfumes, exploring life, love, loss and forgiveness – Maggie Alderson’s new bestseller.
Are you still married if you haven’t seen your husband for months?Polly’s life is great. Her children are away at uni, her glamorous mother – still modelling at eighty-five – is happily settled in a retirement village, and her perfume blog is taking off. Then her husband announces he needs some space and promptly vanishes.
As Polly grapples with her bewildering situation, she clings to a few new friends to keep her going – Shirlee, the loudmouthed yoga student; Guy, the mysterious, infuriating and hugely talented perfumer; and Edward, an old flame from university.
And while she distracts herself with the heady world of luxury perfume, Polly knows she can’t keep reality at bay forever. Eventually she is forced to confront some difficult truths: about her husband, herself and who she really wants to be.

First Thoughts…

I tend to read more YA as you all know, but when I had the chance to read The Scent Of You, it really drew me in! Not only do I love the fact that the MC is a perfume blogger (and I love perfume), but it had some complex issues in the blurb that make for interesting reading.

My Review…

Polly’s life is on the rocks. Well, technically, it’s because of one thing: her husband. Before he just left abruptly, life was good. But perfume blogger Polly, who links different scents to different memories and other things, on her own little blog, hasn’t seen her husband for months. Before he announces his need for space, Polly had an idyllic kind of normalcy. Her kids are away at university, her mother is still modelling and settled in a retirement village, she’s loving being a perfume blogger among other things. 
So with his vanishing from her every day life, she struggles to cling to what her life is without him there. She hangs on to her friends – some new, from her yoga class – and with the space in her life, finds herself being drawn to a man from her past and a striking new man with the same tastes in perfume as her. But the end of her trying to ignore her husbands vacancy comes too soon, and she’s forced to face the reasons why he’s left and who she wants to be in life. 
I wasn’t sure how I felt about The Scent Of You when I first started it. It did take me a little while to get into the world and get used to the character setting, but once I was mid-way in, something clicked. I became absorbed with the way Polly loved perfume (and as a candle maker, myself, I love scents just the same!) and the way she was. Despite it not engaging me until a lot into the story, the middle and ending really did make up for that. 
Overall, The Scent Of You was a cloud of sweet fiction that I didn’t know I needed. If I only read a few Adult reads this year, I’m definitely glad this was one of them. Maggie has a very unique and compelling way of storytelling and I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves women’s fiction and heart-felt reads. 

Have you heard about The Scent Of You?


It publishes TOMORROW, so be sure to add it to your TBR!


Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @LittleMemoirs! I just want to say a major thanks to Jessie at Harper360 for this book, too! 


happy reading!

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Blog Tour & Review: The Leavers by Lisa Ko

Title: The Leavers

Author: Lisa Ko

Published: April 26th, 2018

Publisher: Dialogue Books

Rating: 🐱🐱🐱🐱

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I received this ARC in exchange for an impartial review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


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Winner of the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Fiction.
One morning, Deming Guo’s mother, Polly, an undocumented Chinese immigrant, goes to her job at a nail salon – and never comes home. No one can find any trace of her. With his mother gone, eleven-year-old Deming is left mystified and bereft. Eventually adopted by a pair of well-meaning white professors, Deming is moved from the Bronx to a small town upstate and renamed Daniel Wilkinson. But far from all he’s ever known, Daniel struggles to reconcile his adoptive parents’ desire that he assimilate with his memories of his mother and the community he left behind.Set in New York and China, The Leavers is a vivid examination of borders and belonging. It’s a moving story of how a boy comes into his own when everything he loves is taken away, and how a mother learns to live with the mistakes of the past.

First Thoughts…

I don’t typically read books in the same genre as The Leavers, but lately I’ve been loving testing out different genres within the Adult and YA world and getting to have a fresh perspective on a new favourite or maybe, stumble upon something I wouldn’t have read in the first place. When I was offered the chance to be on the tour, I jumped at the chance. I love getting to celebrate an authors hard work and spread the word when I’ve loved a book. And did I love The Leavers? Read below to find out… (hint: it’s good news)

My Review…

One morning, when Deming Guo’s mother, who is a Chinese immigrant and also happens to be undocumented, goes to work, she never returns and can’t be found anywhere. He feels lost in a world where his Mother isn’t in it. She’s the only person he’s been that close to, and without her, the pang of loneliness kicks in from the get-go. He doesn’t understand why she’s left, so he tries to change himself, hoping she’ll return…but she never does. In her absence when the people that Deming and Polly, his mother, lived with, can’t look after him anymore, he is renamed Daniel Wilkinson and adopted by two white-American professors, moving from the Bronx to a town upstate. He’s only human, but he understands the world around him far better than his Mother, Polly. She was alone when she came to America with her son, and in a world where he understands it more than her, she’s lost as well. Deming thrives in a way that she struggles to in a new country, and the two stories that The Leavers weaves for us couldn’t be more different and alike at the same time.
I was stunned by just how fast I turned the pages of The Leavers. I didn’t think I’d connect with the characters because of our vast differences in age and upbringing, but somehow, I felt a part of myself resonate with them so clearly through the pages. The pain of not fitting in, of having to sacrifice a part of yourself and the sense of trying to find a place you belong in a big world…I nodded so many times and felt myself feel for the characters.
Overall, The Leavers is more than a novel. It’s a gem. It’s a story of loss, love, belonging, loneliness, family and borders. There’s so much beneath the surface of pain and love, from the backstory of Polly to the current day of Daniel. Lisa has written a rare find that I absolutely loved. This will tug at your heartstrings all day long. Huge four stars!

Have you read The Leavers?

 What did you think?

 Let me know in the comments or on twitter using the hashtag #TheLeaversTour! 

 happy reading!

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Blog Tour & Review | Force Of Nature by Jane Harper


 I am thrilled and very honored to be a part of Jane’s second book, following the major success of The Dry! I absolutely loved the first book and I couldn’t wait for the second! Thank you to Little Brown for letting me be a part of this bookish journey! You can read my review for THE DRY here.

Title: Force Of Nature

Author:  Jane Harper

Published: February 1st, 2018

Publisher: Little, Brown

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this ARC from the Publisher in exchange for a review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Add To Goodreads

Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side.
The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises.
Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker. Alice Russell is the whistleblower in his latest case – in just a matter of days she was to provide the documents that will bring down the company she works for.
Falk discovers that far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the women tell a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. But does it include murder?

First Thoughts…

The Dry definitely left me wanting more from the Aaron Falk books. Jane has this certain way of writing that just leaves me wanting more, despite being a huge YA fan. I’d definitely class her as an Author to-watch and one of my new favourites!


My Review…

I have always had a certain thing for thrillers. Whether it was the underlying tone of a book, the hook of a movie or the darker things in life (anyone else obsessed with night time and the moon/stars?!). So when books like Force Of Nature come along, I can’t say no. We’re thrust back into the mystery of The Dry, in a small town, the thickly unnerving atmosphere so real it could reach out of the book and pull you in. Aaron Falk is back, only this time he’s looking into a different mystery – surrounding five women who got lost in the Forest, and only four make it back – but what’s shocking is that the secrets of The Dry are not over and done with. Aaron is bewildered to find that Alice, his informant on a case, is the missing woman. Suddenly he’s thrown back into the ever-weaving mystery that surrounds the dark case, delving into unknown territory to uncover the truth. 
Since The Dry left off, Aaron’s character development has soared into Force Of Nature. Piece by piece, as a reader I can put together this image of him and the person that he was and has become. Jane’s thrilling and poignant story-telling is magnificent once again, the descriptive passage of the heat in The Dry, into the deep dark forest in Force Of Nature, are forces to be reckoned with. Told in these two distinctive points of views; one in the moment, and another that sends chills up my spine (yes, it’s that good), it was a match made in heaven. I was intrigued by Carmen, Aaron’s new work partner, and how their relationship seemed to build and change with the plot effortlessly. 
Overall, Force Of Nature is definitely a very fitting name – it swept into my hands and didn’t leave until the last page was turned. I was turning and turning and turning, so captivated by the characters, the description, the everything. Jane is quickly becoming one of the best Authors I’ve had the pleasure of reading books from and it’s insane how fast you will become addicted to these stories. I can’t recommend them enough! Five stars completely.



You can buy Force Of Nature here:

Amazon UK | Book Depository

Have you read The Dry / Force Of Nature?

Let me know in the comments, on Twitter using the tag #ForceOfNature or on Facebook!

happy reading!

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Book Review: The Guilty Wife by Elle Croft

Title: The Guilty Wife

Author:  Elle Croft

Published: January 25th, 2018

Publisher: Orion

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this book for review by the publisher. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


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WIFE. MISTRESS. MURDERER.
If you were being framed for murder, how far would you go to clear your name?
The debut psychological thriller that reads as Apple Tree Yardmeets Behind Closed Doors, by way of Double Jeopardy.
I’m not guilty of murder.
Bethany Reston is happily married. But she’s also having an affair with a famous client.
And no one can ever know.
But that doesn’t make me innocent.
When Bethany’s lover is brutally murdered, she has to hide her grief from everyone.
But someone knows her secret. And then one day the threats begin.
With an ever-growing pile of evidence pointing to her as the murderer, the only way she can protect her secrets is to prove her innocence. And that means tracking down a killer.
An incredibly taut, tense game of cat and mouse – with a twist you’ll never see coming.

First Thoughts… When I read Adult fiction, it’s got to be a killer-read. I can’t take any of that bland, non-existent storyline and same old, same old. I need action! Characters! An epic plot! So when I was approached to read The Guilty Wife, I was intrigued. Thrillers are definitely a genre that is popular at the moment. I own a lot of them, but never seem to get that gel with any of them, so I went into the book with an open mind.

My Review… I wasn’t expecting to like The Guilty Wife this much. But, sitting here after finishing the last few pages and reeling from a story with more twists and turns than a roller-coaster, I can say it blew my expectations out of the water. Bethany Reston is a married woman who runs a photographer studio, living in London, happily it would appear from the surface. Peaking underneath the wobbly surface, she is having an affair with a client of hers. A suave billionaire – who also happens to be married. Oh, and now, he’s dead. 

See, Calum (the dead billionaire Bethany was having an affair with) had no intentions of leaving his wife for Bethany. But that doesn’t make Bethany guilty, from a shallow perspective. But as the mistress? That does make her a suspect in the spotlight. But the further that Bethany has to hide her grief from everyone in secret, the more the mystery unravels. Throughout the bustling plot, many suspects and intricate mystery that wove itself through a modern mystery, I was totally engrossed by the compelling story Elle Croft had written. Bethany knows that to protect herself from the spotlight and evidence crawling back to her, she has to prove her story is the truth. The only way she knows to clear her name is to catch the killer. But catching a murderer? Not as easy (or safe) as it may seem…

Overall, this book totally changed my perspectives on trying something new to read. I was so surprised how I didn’t know who was guilty or not, and the things I didn’t see coming (even though I’m usually so good at that!). I did get a little lost toward the end when the plot started unraveling, but as a whole, The Guilty Wife is a must-read for Thriller-lovers and a true great read. I can see myself recommending this to a lot of my friends and family that love this genre for it’s originality and surprises around each corner! Huge four stars. Loved.



Have you read The Guilty Wife?

What did you think?

Let me know on Twitter, Facebook or in the Comments! 

happy reading!

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Blog Tour & Review: “The New Mrs Clifton” by Elizabeth Buchan

Title: The New Mrs Clifton

Author: Elizabeth Buchan

Published: August 11th, 2017

Publisher: Penguin 

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this book for review purposes. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

As the Second World War draws to a close, Intelligence Officer Gus Clifton surprises his sisters at their London home. But an even greater shock is the woman he brings with him, Krista – the German wife whom he has married secretly in Berlin.
Krista is clearly devastated by her experiences at the hands of the British and their allies – all but broken by horrors she cannot share. But Gus’s sisters can only see the enemy their brother has brought under their roof. And their friend Nella, Gus’s beautiful, loyal fiancée, cannot understand what made Gus change his mind about their marriage. What hold does Krista have over their honourable and upright Gus? And how can the three women get her out of their home, their future, their England?
Haunted by passion, betrayal, and misunderstanding these damaged souls are propelled towards a spectacular resolution. Krista has lost her country, her people, her identity, and the ties that bind her to Gus hold more tightly than the sisters can ever understand… 


First Thoughts

I tend to stray toward Young Adult literature, but for a refreshing change every now and again, I’m totally open to other types of reads. So when I was offered the chance to be on Elizabeth’s blog tour for her new novel, I thought it would be the perfect one to seal in the end of Summer and the start of darker reads, twined with mystery. 


Review

I started reading The New Mrs Clifton with an open mind, intrigued by the historical fiction genre. I haven’t read any of them recently, and neither anything from Elizabeth Buchan, so I was going in for a totally blank slate. The storyline opens with a picture painted for us – set shortly after the second World War, everyone’s lives changed by the devastation that’s happened. Gus returns back to home in London with his new wife Krista, but with a twist, that he’s still got a fiancee at home called Nella. His family are distraught, particularly his sisters, by his actions, but Gus and his wife know the truth of why he did it – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the events that would unravel.

From a few chapters in, you could definitely say that I was hooked. The more that I breezed through the chapters, the more that the truth began to tell itself, and the cultural divide of The New Mrs Clifton, Krista, felt in London as a German. The way that Elizabeth described the emotion of the aftermath of the War, raw and heartbreaking, was totally believable and I loved the way that she takes the readers to that very place in time. She didn’t comb over the harsh details and told everything exactly how it is. 

Overall, The New Mrs Clifton was passionate, eye-opening, inviting and truthful. If I only read a few Historical reads in the year in Adult Fiction, I am so very thankful that this was one of them. Although at times I felt the plot dipped off and became less interesting than other parts, the story as a whole was more important and didn’t effect the way that I feel about this book as readable, because it was a major four star page-turner with a certain kind of spark that filled my heart with remembrance and enthralment. Adult fiction readers, you don’t want to miss this one. 


Rating

Have you read The New Mrs Clifton?


Let me know what you thought in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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The Sense of an Ending: Review & Comparison Spotlight

Title: The Sense of an Ending 

Author: Julian Barnes 

Published: August 4th, 2011

Publisher: Vintage

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review/feature on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry and book-hungry, they would navigate the girl-less sixth form together, trading in affectations, in-jokes, rumour and wit. Maybe Adrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly more intelligent, but they all swore to stay friends for life.

Now Tony is retired. He’s had a career and a single marriage, a calm divorce. He’s certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer’s letter is about to prove.

The Sense of an Ending 

Hello, book lovers! Today I’m talking about the great read that is The Sense of an Ending. If you’ve been at the movies recently, or watching trailers on YouTube, you might have seen the movie adaption on the big screen (which by any means looks like an amazing film). Or if you were a fan from the very start when it was just a book, you might have been waiting anxiously to see it played out by famous faces Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, Freya Mavor, Billy Howle and Joe Alwyn. 

I just finished reading the book that bounced onto the scene in 2011, and without a doubt can see what the hype is about. I usually steer toward YA, but this was a totally refreshing and welcomed change. Today I’m going to do a review of the book and talk a little about the comparison between the book and the movie and share a little about it. 



Review

After watching the trailer for The Sense of an Ending, I had only high expectations for the book. I knew that there would be some differences as with all book-to-movie adaptions and since I hadn’t watched the film, only the trailer, I could go into it with fresh new eyes. Tony Webster is quite the character. When he meets Adrian at school, in the past portion of the short novel, they become fast friends. Through their teenage years, they get up to all sorts of mayhem and trudge their way through inside jokes and fun times together – but something happens that throws all those good times to the dirt – and it changes both their lives, and the people around them, forever.

Adrian was always the smart, consistent one. But after Tony and Veronica, whom they were both friends with in the past portion of the novel, break up after a year of dating, Adrian starts dating Veronica. Tony, feeling a dwelling of betrayal and mixture of feelings inside, drunkenly decides to write them both an angry letter. 

But what we know as the reader could ultimately be due to an unreliable narrator and repression of the past, because sometimes, we don’t want to remember the things that happened in the correct way that they did, all because we think: we have time to fix them, which is in my opinion the true moral of the story. 

I thoroughly devoured and adored The Sense of an Ending. Without giving too much away, because Pretty Little Memoirs is a strictly no spoilers zone (unless disclosed beforehand) this book is a total game-changer that’s thought-provoking, witty and incredibly powerful at twisting the past and present into a life meaning lesson. It was warm, absorbing, careful and reckless at the same time, filled with multidimensional characters and a story that begged to be told. Julian Barnes is a brilliant storyteller and I can’t wait to watch the movie and become an even bigger fan. Five stars completely!




Watch the trailer yourself to know just what I’m talking about:


The Sense of an Ending is out in UK cinemas 14 April.

As you can see, this novel-to-movie looks incredible, doesn’t it? 

The Sense of an Ending movie is directed by Ritesh Batra and based upon the screenplay by Nick Payne and the book by Julian Barnes (did I mention it won the Booker Prize?!). 

The movie description differs a little from the book description, but we’re still following the life of Tony Webster, divorced and retired who lives a lonely and quiet life. He quickly learns that the mother of his university girlfriend, Veronica, left in her will a diary kept by his best friend, who dated Veronica after they parted ways. Tony’s quest to recover the diary, now in Veronica’s possession, forces him to revisit his flawed recollections of his friends and of his younger self. As he digs deeper into his past, it all starts to come back; the first love, the broken heart, the deceit, the regrets, the guilt… Can Tony bear to face the truth and take responsibility for the devastating consequences of actions he took so long ago?

Comparisons 

Some book-to-movie adaptions can be clear cut the same, with minimal differences and still play out wonderfully. But then, there are certain people who would argue that to make the film a hit and success, it must be unique and different to the book to really stand out. I think that the rule can differ, personally. When it comes to adaptions like Gone Girl or Divergent, they stayed relatively the same. Knowing that The Sense of an Ending played a more emotional and touching adaption sounds like it would attract a wider and differing audience. 



In the book, Tony remembers incidents over and over, whereas in the movie he recalls certain memories from his past but knows that his versions have been manipulated as time has passed by. Unreliability in a main character has always attracted my attention because that in itself is a mystery, trying to pick out the truth from the fabricated and I think that the movie has stayed true to this from watching the trailer and hearing the notes from the screening. 



Overall, I think that the book-to-movie has been done beautifully and I think that they picked the perfect people to play the parts of the characters, particularly Tony and Veronica. When you read a book, you always have this vision of who they would be or what they would look like, and for me this rang true and the characters did look very similar in my imagination! I’ve watched the trailer over and over (maybe I broke the re-play button) and I can say that it’s going to be one of the best British films this year.

What do you think of The Sense of an Ending?


Have you read the book?


Let me know in the comments your thoughts! The movie is out April 14th and it’s definitely one to watch.


 happy reading!

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Blog Tour: “The Dry” by Jane Harper

Title: The Dry
Author: Jane Harper

Published: Janurary 10th, 2017

Publisher: Little, Brown

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

A small town hides big secrets in The Dry, an atmospheric, page-turning debut mystery by award-winning author Jane Harper.
After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.
Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.

First Thoughts

The Dry isn’t my typical go-to read as I usually reach for YA. But as soon as I delved into the blurb, the premise seemed more and more like a greatly welcomed change of pace for my reading habits. I was eager to see what Jane Harper’s writing was like, also, because I had heard great things from Goodreads and given it’s her debut, it was even more enticing. 


Review

Set in a small town, The Dry began with a setting that immediately makes a mystery more interesting. Small towns are like a goldmine for a mystery and like the synopsis says, they certainly do have big secrets for such a small vicinity. Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his hometown after being called back to the town he fled years ago. His best friend from his childhood has killed himself after murdering his wife and child and Falk returns to attend his funeral. The town is reeling from the shocking scandal of the murder, although Falk can’t help but think that there’s more to this than meets the eye. He throws himself back to their childhood when his dead friend Luke and him hid another secret, but it only makes the situation more dire and he has to ask himself the question hanging in the air. Did Luke actually murder his family? Or is this tied to the secret from their childhood?

I absolutely loved The Dry. It was compelling and eerie in the small town in the midst of a bad drought, alongside a puzzling mystery that bound together the lives and secrets of Aaron and Luke. The characters were vivid and believable, and I could honestly picture this being such an immensely powerful movie. The flashbacks put the present day secrets into a frame that kept the mystery going with slight tension and brilliant engaging charisma until the enthralling and startling end. 

Overall, Jane is surely an author to watch. The Dry is a five-star novel not to be missed! Mystery and Psychological-Mystery fans will be turning the pages in this like there’s no tomorrow. 

Rating

Thank you for stopping by my blog for this day of The Dry Blog Tour! It’s been an absolute pleasure.


What did you think of The Dry?


Let me know in the comments below!


happy reading!

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Blog Tour / Review: “How to Find Love in a Bookshop” by Veronica Henry

*Minor spoiler / spoiler-free review*

Title: How to Find Love in a Bookshop

Author: Veronica Henry

Published: June 16th, 2016

Publisher: Orion

Find the Author: Goodreads


I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Nightingale Books, nestled on the high street in Peasebrook, a picture-postcard Cotswold town, is a dream comes true for booklovers. Everyone who enters falls in love with something.

But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open and the developers are circling. The temptation to sell up is proving enormous – but what about the promise she made to her father? Not to mention her customers, for whom the shop is a comfort, a meeting place, a lifeline.

There’s Gary, a stable lad for a nearby trainer, who buys books to read to Nikki, who is lying in a coma. He spends every spare hour at Nikki’s bedside, never giving up hope that she will come round.
Betty, who runs a supper club from her tiny cottage, has a huge crush on a man she met and then lost in the cookery section, somewhere Auguste Escoffier and Marco Pierre White.
Mrs Norris repeatedly ‘forgets’ to pay for her books – and Emilia never has the heart to remind her. But Mrs Norris isn’t quite as forgetful as she pretends …
And then Emilia meets Dexter, local jack-the-lad, who is looking to improve his English so he can better himself. He buys all Emilia’s recommendations, and together they re-discover all her favourite authors. But Dexter has a secret, and is not all he seems…

How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the delightful story of Emilia’s fight to keep her bookshop alive, the customers whose lives she has touched – and the books they all love.

When I first heard about a novel about falling in love in a bookshop, I thought about how that’s literally every book lover’s dream. What better way to fall in love than the place we love the most? I had heard such great things about Veronica Henry’s writing from other bloggers and I was definitely excited to get started reading my first novel from her.

Nightingale Books is exactly the kind of bookshop you want to go to. It used to be owned by Julius who had sadly passed and now was passed on to his daughter; Emilia, who took over everything to do with the store. But what she didn’t expect was the multitude of things she would have to re-organise and put the store back together again to optimal condition. There are other characters that weave into the tapestry of the book, like Thomasina who’s shy and has a secret crush, Sarah who uses Nightingale Books to escape her life and Jackson who wants to buy the bookshop to convert it, working for developers, among many characters that blend into the story in their own plots. They all play important parts, but Emilia’s storyline takes center stage and I couldn’t help but become enthralled by her story, past and future that may or may not include Nightingale Books.
Everyone is there for Emilia when her father dies and the shop is left to her, book lovers and musicians among them. There is a moment when I thought maybe she would cave in to the developers and sell the store, but I knew underneath it all she had learned to love the store just as much as her father did, after all, it sounded like an idyllic, wonderful little bookshop. Not only does Emilia find herself in the store, but she finds love, friendship and happiness within the cosy walls of Nightingale Books.
Overall, How To Find Love In a Bookshop is a book that all book lovers have been waiting for. It’s a love story, friendship rollercoaster and journey all in one, all tied to one special bookshop. It had heart, love, beauty and charm and everything that I love in a story. I can’t praise it highly enough – Veronica has surely written something all book lovers are going to think is a dream read. Five stars completely.


 Book Lovers everywhere.

Veronica Henry was a television script writer before turning her hand to fiction. She has published six novels which she describes as realistic escapism – her characters might have Agent Provocateur knickers drying on the Aga, but their problems and dilemmas are ones everyone can identify with. She is also on the writing team of Bafta-award winning Holby City.

Thank you for stopping by my tour stop for How to Find Love in a Bookshop!


What did you think of the story?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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Tour // Review & Guest Post: “House of Dreams” by Fanny Blake

Title: House Of Dreams

Author: Fanny Blake 

Published: November 5th, 2015

Publisher: Orion

Find the Author: Goodreads

Other Reviews by this Author: The Secrets Women Keep


I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

It’s only a long weekend – what could possibly go wrong?

In the hilltop villa with its spectacular views across rolling countryside to the straits of Gibraltar, Lucy anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and sister.

They’re spending the weekend together to say farewell to Casa de Sueños, the house in the mountains of southern Spain where they grew up.

Her sister, Jo, landing at the airport with her fractious four year old, dreads the prospect of this time with her family which will fulfil their mother’s last instructions that they celebrate her birthday together. Only this time their mother won’t be there.

Tom, their brother, remembers the chaos of his bohemian upbringing and wants nothing more than for their stay to go off without a hitch. Then a beautiful face from his past appears at the villa . . .

Over one long, hot week weekend, past secrets will spill out, making the siblings question themselves, the choices they’ve made and where their future lies in this gorgeous new novel from Fanny Blake.


When House of Dreams landed on my doorstep, I couldn’t have been more excited for bookish mail. It had been three years since I read anything by Fanny Blake (The Secrets Women Keep, 2013) and I was in need of a beautiful, summer Adult fiction read. 

At first glance, House of Dreams looks like it was; idyllic, mesmerising and gorgeous. But it’s far more than it’s scenic cover and isn’t your typical Summer-y light-themed novel. Underneath the surface, there was a truly compelling story about siblings and life after the death of their Mother, back in Casa de Sueños to where they grew up, to say goodbye to it for good. 
At the start, we see Lucy awaiting the arrival of her brother and sister. It’s an anxious wait as she isn’t prepared for what this week will play out like. She’s the youngest sibling and was probably the closest to her late Mother. Her true motivation for this week is to give her Mother, Hope, the proper send-off she deserves.  Jo, her sister and a single mother, isn’t sure of it either. But they are honouring their mother’s wish that they spend her birthday together there, in southern Spain one last time. For Tom, he’s dreading returning to his unconventional, bohemian childhood and just wants it to go without a single thing going wrong. He attends the house with his wife and kids, ready to scatter his mother’s ashes and arrange dividing up the money from the house’s sale, driven by his wife’s demands.
During the week, certain true colours come out from the families and characters, also unveiling things their Mother had kept a secret. As the story plays out, they also grow closer than they were before and I loved the character development across the characters that played out truly effortlessly. 
Overall, House of Dreams was truly a dream read. From the blissful setting to the emotional, powerful plot, I was truly won over by this exceptional five-star read. Fanny Blake has definitely out-done herself, writing what is surely going to be such a hit with Adult Fiction lovers. The book was slow paced, just as a Summer read should be, and portrayed the realness of sibling bonds and saying goodbye in the backdrop of sunny Spain. 

 Chick-lit fans, Adult ficiton and feel good reads.

Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing fiction and general non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written several bestsellers and acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities.
She is also Books Editor of womanandhome magazine. Her novels include The Secrets Women Keep (Orion), With a Friend Like You (Orion) and House of Dreams (Orion).

Top Writing Tips

by Fanny Blake


I think it’s important to say that these are things that work for me, but that there’s no right or wrong way of writing a novel. A writer has to find out what works best for them and not take any notice of what others do  …


1. Read, read, read. Don’t just read in the area in which you’re writing. Expand your horizons by seeing how other writers handle different topics and characters. There’s a lot to be learnt from them.


2. Write every day. Whether you write 100 or 1000 words, it doesn’t matter. Writing’s like a muscle. The more you work at it, the more it will develop and the stronger it will get. 


3. Write what you want to write. Be true to yourself. Don’t follow fashion – chances are it will have moved on by the time you’ve finished or the market will be so crowded there may not be room for you


4. Don’t give up – frustration, self doubt and rejection are all part of the process


5. Show your work to people whose opinions you trust and who will be honest. I try not to show anyone anything until I’ve finished a draft but sometimes I can’t help myself if there’s something I really can’t iron out.


6. Listen to criticism


7. Beware adjectives and adverbs. Use them only when essential ie when they add something to the scene. Very often you can show a mood through an action or something said. Eg. Not: ‘Don’t do that,’ he said angrily. But: ‘Don’t do that,’ he said, banging his fist on the table.


8. Before I show a first (or any other) draft of my novel to my agent or publisher, I polish it within an inch of its life. 


9. Once I’ve got a draft, I find it helps to change the typeface before I reread it. For some reason it gives me an extra degree of objectivity and I start noticing different things in it. 


10. Dialogue – Bad dialogue can really let the novel down. Read it out loud. You may feel an idiot but shut the door and get on with it. It can make all the difference.


11. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you there’s a right or a wrong way to write a novel.


12. Just do it!

Fanny Blake’s House of Dreams is published by Orion in paperback, £7.99 and is out now!

Have you read House of Dreams?


What did you think of Fanny’s writing tips?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs or using the hashtag #HouseofDreamsPLM


happy reading!

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Blog Tour: “The Summer We Danced” by Fiona Harper (Q&A!)

Title: The Summer We Danced

Author: Fiona Harper

Published: April 21st, 2016

Publisher: MIRA

Find the Author: Goodreads


I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.



Fiona Harper, a rising star in the world of romantic fiction, had phenomenal digital success with her 2014 title, The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams, which was a Kindle #1 bestseller and one of the top 10 bestselling ebooks of 2015. Her new novel The Summer We Danced is a warm, summery read perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Carole Matthews and Katie Fforde.

After a humiliating divorce and watching her former rock star husband leave her for a model live on reality TV, Pippa is determined to disappear. So she returns to the small Kent village where she grew up to make a fresh start. Little did she know that would mean saving her beloved childhood dance school or falling for her old school crush Tom too!

The Summer We Danced explores lost love and new beginnings with emotional depth and wry humour. This is a novel to curl up with and laugh, cry and enjoy the perfect happy-ever-after.

I have a soft spot for books like Fiona’s: the type that make you swoon and feel comforted reading with entertaining and humorous lines to keep you laughing and crying ’till the end. I hadn’t read anything by Fiona before, but my sister has and she couldn’t recommend her highly enough, so I was eager to get stuck in.

Straight away, I loved Pippa. I felt so bad for her after she was horribly dumped by her husband that she had stood by through his journey for fame without batting an eyelid,  only for him to leave her for a model on TV as soon as he’d gotten to be a star. She was humiliated, as anyone in her situation would be, and now it was all she could think about. She wanted to get away and forget about her troubles, even if it was just for a while. She returned back to her hometown where she was brought up and searches for some kind of meaning to how her life had ended up this way. So, ultimately she decides to go to a dance lesson of all things, still run by the tutor she used to have, Miss Mimi. It was a huge thing for Pippa as a child and she loved dancing but she ditched it to support her husband – now, what was stopping her?
But Miss Mimi’s dance school is on the rocks and Pippa feels like she should help try to save it and make it thrive again. Then she meets her old school crush, Tom, who still lives in the village she grew up in. He has a daughter, and even though they’re older and have lived two very different lives, they find their old selves in each other as they work together to save Miss Mimi’s dance school and maybe their lost love along the way.
I really connected with The Summer We Danced. Not just the characters, but the plot and the way it all came together like a perfect story about a small town love and reconnecting. Pippa was such a bright, brilliant character and she really made the book.  Fiona did such an amazing job writing her story with so much believability. There were laughs along the way and although it was humorous, it didn’t distract from the deeper elements of romance and emotion that I love in adult romance novels. 
Overall, The Summer We Danced is a perfect, funny, enchantingly amusing book that had me hooked from beginning to end. This will definitely not be the last I read of Fiona’s novels and I can’t recommend this highly enough. It’s definitely one of the stand-out Adult romances I’ve read this year and is a top contender with the likes of Lindsey Kelk and Milly Johnson.  

Adult romance fans with humour and love elements.

Hi Fiona! I just read my first book of yours (The Summer We Danced) and I’m an instant fan! What gives you the inspiration for your books?


I get ideas from all over the place – sometimes it’s a headline in a newspaper, sometimes an enchanting place I’ve visited, and sometimes the idea of a character or a situation they face. Before The Summer We Danced I’d written a book called The Doris Day Vintage Film Club and I enjoyed combining a story with my love of old movies so much I wanted to do another one. The working title for The Summer We Danced was The Ginger Rogers Tap Club – so you can see where the idea came from!


Pippa is such a likeable character. If The Summer We Danced were a movie, who do you think would play her and Tom?


I imagined Pippa to be a curvier version of Ginnifer Goodwin (from Once Upon A Time and He’s Just Not That Into You), with those beautiful big eyes and a dark pixie cut. Tom’s harder to pin down, though. Hmm. No one too pretty. But ruggedly handsome would do! How about Dougray Scott?


If you could sum up your ideal writing environment in a sentence, what would it be?


I can write almost anywhere, but I have to have my trusty Moleskine notebook and Post-it notes, my current favourite pen and coffee! (And occasionally my laptop.)


As an aspiring writer, I’m always grateful for advice. Do you have any for me—and for all the other aspiring writers out there—who aspire to be like you?


I have two bits of advice:

1. Don’t stop dreaming! You might have to work hard to make those dreams happen, but if you don’t try you’ll never get there. 

2. Don’t stop learning. You can always improve your craft.


Finally, do you have plans for another book? If so, is it similar to The Summer We Danced?


I’m working on the next book at the moment, but it’s a bit of a gear change from The Summer We Danced in that it’s romantic, but it’s not a boy-meets-girl story. The new book looks at long-term love: what makes it work, what makes it fail… It also has a slight supernatural element, which is a bit of anew thing for me, but I have to say I’m loving every second of writing it!


Thank you for being on my blog; Pretty Little Memoirs today!


Thanks for having me, It’s been a blast!


The Summer We Danced by Fiona Harper is out now in paperback and ebook (MIRA) 

happy reading!

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