I am delighted to be one of the Bloggers to open the Blog Tour today and to share my review for Under one Roof by Samantha Tonge. This is a wonderful mix of contemporary fiction, family and life, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley.

One forgotten discovery will change three women’s lives for ever…

Robin hasn’t been home for decades. After running away to London, she never expected to see her cantankerous mother, Faye, again. But when Faye has a fall, the two women are thrown together once more.

The years apart have not made their hearts grow fonder and the ground between them is unsteady. Then Robin finds an unopened scroll – the last of the treasure hunts her much-missed father used to take them on every Sunday. A hunt he believed might change everything. 

Yet, not even this gift from her beloved father can smooth the way until Robin’s daughter, Amber, arrives to meet her grandmother for the first time.  Amber is determined that the decades-old mystery be solved.
Can a 30-year-old treasure hunt really ‘change everything’?

Purchase Link: HERE

MY REVIEW

I have read a couple of this authors books and have really enjoyed them. Her latest one, Under One Roof, is a wonderful mix of contemporary fiction and family life.

Faye has a fall and her daughter, Robin, is persuaded to go to stop with her Mother to help her while she heals and recovers. It may sound odd that a daughter has to be persuaded, but the close bond that many have is just not there between Faye and Robin. To say that the long-overdue reunion is tense would be an understatement. You could cut the tension with a knife! The author has done a great job of creating animosity and tenseness between mother and daughter that you can really feel as you read.

When Robin’s daughter, Amber, also needs a helping hand, it is to Faye’s house she also stayed at. Three generations of women Under One Roof should be something that you would expect to be a time of reminiscing, chatting over stories and memories. Instead, each of the women is a closed book. They are short with each other with just the occasional glimmer of emotion underneath.#

I really enjoyed the dynamics between the three women, each feel hard done by, but why! The author gradually reveals some interesting pasts to Faye and Robin, it will go a long way to bridging the gap, it will also help Amber to see why the women are so aloof with each other.

The author brings into this story some tough things for the women to explain. Not only why there isn’t the closeness, but also why Robin ran away from home. Yes to a certain extent this is about these two women, but the help of a third is also needed and this is where Amber becomes the centre for this see-saw. She gives them a push and in doing so learns more about her family.

This is a wonderfully written story about understanding and opening up to feelings, fears and emotions. Through the three generations, there are different perspectives and opinions. While there is a sadness to some of the secrets that finally are revealed it isn’t overly done. There is a nice lightness to the writing that makes it a very addictive story to read.

This is one for those who like a story that centres around family, secrets and misunderstood people. I adored this story a lot and I would definitely recommend it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK and studied German and French at university. She has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris as part of the Opening Crew, and has travelled widely. She enjoys family time, baking and walking and always knew that one day she would write. Samantha finally took the plunge seriously in her late thirties, and hasn’t stopped since. Under One Roof will be her sixteenth book and she has also sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines.

Samantha’s uplifting stories are about identity and self-discovery, about friendships and communities. She enjoys creating diverse characters and writing about relatable issues that make the reader feel it’s not just me. Her books have hit the AmazonUK overall chart Top Ten position twice and she has won two awards.

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