Month June 2023

Hammer of Fate by G.N Gudgion @SecondSkyBooks #NetGalley #adventure #fantasy #bookreview

yvonnembee 1 Comment

I am delighted to share my review today for The Hammer of Fate by G.N. Gudgion. This is a fabulous first book in a series and is a fantasy that has echoes of mythology, history and is full of action and adventure.

My huge thanks to Second Sky Publisher for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

“No surrender. No retreat.” With twenty enemy swords at their backs and a broken bridge ahead, the last knights of an outlaw order turn to fight. A young woman with forbidden magic joins their final stand. And as blade meets blade, she starts to sing…

Adelais was raised in the far north, learning stories of the old gods and the skill of weaving runes into magic. Now, she is locked in a convent far from home, forced to kneel to a foreign god.

When inquisitors arrive with plans to torture an innocent man, Adelais cannot stand by. She aids an attack to free the prisoner and joins the raiders as they flee into the night.

Her new companions are the last of the Guardians—once a powerful holy order, now ragged fugitives, hunted almost to extinction.

The knights carry a secret treasure, precious and powerful enough to shape kingdoms. Their pursuers, desperate to possess it, will crush any who stand in their way.

Nowhere is safe—in city or chateau, on the road or in the wilds. And even disguised as a boy, Adelais draws attention wherever she goes. Is she angel or demon, priestess or witch?

Adelais must summon all her courage and all her memories of the old gods’ magic as the noose tightens around her and a thunderous final reckoning approaches.

Discover a thrilling new series, with a rich world and action that will leave you breathless. Hammer of Fate is inspired by Viking magic, medieval combat and the fall of the Templar knights.

MY REVIEW

This is the first book in The Rune Song series and it sets out the landscape, traditions, main players, different factions and different religious beliefs in this author’s world and that of his characters that inhabit it. The synopsis does a good job of laying out the story and also hints at various themes that it touches on. It does have a wonderful Templar and Medieval feel to it with armoured knights, sisters of an infirmary, and old beliefs coming up against new beliefs some of this is in the style of Norse mythology. It does feel like a mix of historical fiction with a good fantasy twist to it. Very enjoyable indeed.

The main character is a young girl, Adelais, sent off to live with the sisters as punishment by her parents, disowned and with a nose for trouble. She gets caught up with priests and is soon running for her life as she helps with the rescue of a mortally wounded guardian. This marks her out and also those who she is with. The group run and fights to get away but is always outnumbered. There comes a point when they are caught but the journey they make together is one that makes Adelais realise that she is stronger than she thinks and that she may have a gift, she just needs to work out what it is exactly and how to control its use.

Along her journey she meets some great characters, there is plenty of action and danger from all sides in her travels. Those chasing believe her group are in possession of an icon, it is possibly a threat to them and needs to be captured.

This is a fabulous story and one I have only really touched upon. I really enjoyed this one as it is a story that has thongs from history that could be from different countries and histories. There are time when it felt like a scene out of Robin Hood, or the Templar Crusades, it could just as easily be the onset of Christianity in the Viking era. If you like a mix of history that includes folklore, runes, healing, and natural medicine and herblore as well as some of the nastier sides of a medieval era then you might well be tempted by this. It is a story of persecution and the author has made this a very exciting introduction and first book in his series.

Fantasy with historical fiction feels that I thoroughly enjoyed. It has left me wanting to know what will happen next as the story continues in future books. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Summer at the Ice-Cream Cafe by Jo Thomas @PenguinUKBooks #contemporaryfiction #NetGalley #romance #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Summer at the Ice-Cream Cafe by Jo Thomas. I am a big fan of this author’s books and this is another stunning one that merges the past with the present and a fresh start for the future.

My huge thanks to Penguin UK Books for the e-copy that I requested via NetGalley.

It’s time for a fresh start… After a decade of building her career in the city, Beca is ready to escape the humdrum. When she sees her dream home for sale in her hometown, it starts to seem like fate. But when she arrives and visits her grandparents’ ice cream parlour, Beca is horrified to find out that the new owner, her ex-boyfriend Ed, has stripped the heart out of it. Determined to honour her family’s legacy, Beca decides to follow in their footsteps and make delicious ice cream with the help of a long-forgotten recipe book and boat house. As a fierce rivalry develops, Beca must rely on her oldest friend, Griff, to help her make the parlour a success. But when disaster strikes, is Beca about to discover that true happiness has been right in front of her the whole time?

MY REVIEW

I adore this author’s books; this one is another superb story of new starts in old places. I will admit it took me a minute or two to get involved with this one, but after a few chapters, I was hooked.

After years away from where she grew up, Beca has decided it is time to return, she moves into a wonderful-sounding house and has a new plan in mind. She had run a successful business and had made a good amount of money for herself. What she plans to do now is something that is very different and she wonders if she will be up to it. Moving into a tourist spot where second homes, B&Bs, tourist shops and outsiders have their own opinion as to how villages should look, she finds herself in the midst of a village that looks familiar but does feel as familiar. Luckily there are some old faces that soon remind her, not all of them are as appreciated as others.

Beca is dropped in at the deep end when her next plan suddenly springs up on her. She was expecting to have more time to get things organised, but sometimes this is the best way of approaching things. Less time to overthink. What is this new venture, well it isn’t mentioned in the synopsis so I am not going to mention it here 🙂

The story is fabulous and tells of Beca and the gelateria that her grandparents used to run. The local shop is nothing compared to what it once was, and it is run by someone she doesn’t expect to see. Old friends are still around and it is one in particular that she always relied on, Griff. He got her out of trouble, scrapes and close calls on several occasions growing up. But growing up is something that people do, especially those who you haven’t seen for many years. People move on and have their own families.

The author once again weaves her magic with some great characters, tough dilemmas and some emotional scenes. There are tourist spot politics, regattas, crabbing competitions and new ideas for the village to embrace while remembering those of the past.

This is another heartwarming contemporary fiction and romance story that is simply wonderful. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley @samripleybooks @RandomTTours @simonschusterUK #crime #thriller #mystery #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley. This book has been described as – The Whisper Man meets The Chalk Man with the paranoia of The Blair Witch Project!

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my copy of the books from Simon & Schuster.

‘I wasn’t always crazy, but I was never sane.’

Don’t forget the Rule of Three
It’s coming for you
Like it came for me . . .

How do you solve your own murder before it happens?

When a young woman becomes convinced a mysterious urban myth is real, she must find a way to break the curse, or be doomed to die like those who came before her.

Death comes in threes. But what if the myth is even more sinister in reality?

Amy. Ila. Zoe.

Who will survive and who will solve the rule of three?

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books that has left me in a bit of a quandary, I really enjoyed it but I am also wondering what it was I actually read. It feels like a crime thriller but is there actually a crime? The Rule of Three is a story about things happening in three’s. The death of a sibling, the deaths of parents and finally the death of the person who has left a journal that is being followed and will hopefully keep its next reader alive.

It has a strong psychological lean to it as the author delves into an urban myth and sort of asks the question as to if it can be true. The story is told in three voices, Amy, Ila and Zoe, you may notice they all have three letters to their names, and coincidentally so does the author!

When I started this story it took me a while to get to grips with it, I felt it was confusing but stuck with it because it was intriguing. The more I read the more I needed to know what was going on with things and gradually links are made, friendships formed and deaths occur. The thing is that no one thinks there is anything untoward in the deaths, but there must be sure as the deaths are following a similar pattern as previous ones!

This is quite clever in some ways and it does make you think and also scratch your head. I would not say it is a book that feels smooth to read and it does alter and change pace throughout. But for me, this also sort of worked.

This is one that has divided readers and I did have a glance at other reviews. I really enjoyed it but I didn’t feel at times that I was fully understanding it, but then are we supposed to fully understand an urban myth and mystery?

This book has been likened to a couple of others but I have not read all of them. For me, this book is a step into the lives of distraught and desperate people who are caught up in their grief and anguish and are trying to find an explanation. This explanation is found in the form of the myth, and it then begs the reader to wonder if the myth is true or if death was the natural cause.

A mysterious thriller and one that I really enjoyed. It is a book that the more I think about it after reading it makes me wonder and question myself!!!

Great for readers who are looking for something different and it is one I would happily recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sam Ripley is the fulltime author of the Victor series of thrillers, the standalone thriller A Knock at the Door, and two ebook novellas. ​He was previously a video editor, with credits including the Big Brother web site and motorsport DVDs, as well as scriptwriting.

Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor @HazelGaynor @RandomTTours @fictionpubteam #historicalfiction #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor. I adore this author’s books and this one is fabulous, it is emotional and a real roller-coaster. What makes it more poignant is that it is inspired by a true event.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and my copy from the publisher.

Inspired by a remarkable true story, a young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters, in a moving and triumphant new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor.
 
1940, Kent : Alice King is not brave or daring—she’s happiest finding adventure through the safe pages of books. But times of war demand courage, and as the threat of German invasion looms, a plane crash near her home awakens a strength in Alice she’d long forgotten. Determined to do her part, she finds a role perfectly suited to her experience as a schoolteacher—to help evacuate Britain’s children overseas.
 
1940, London : Lily Nichols once dreamed of using her mathematical talents for more than tabulating the cost of groceries, but life, and love, charted her a different course. With two lively children and a loving husband, Lily’s humble home is her world, until war tears everything asunder. With her husband gone and bombs raining down, Lily is faced with an impossible keep her son and daughter close, knowing she may not be able to protect them, or enroll them in a risky evacuation scheme, where safety awaits so very far away.
 
When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada, a single lifeboat is left adrift in the storm-tossed Atlantic. Alice and Lily, strangers to each other—one on land, the other at sea—will quickly become one another’s very best hope as their lives are fatefully entwined.

MY REVIEW

What an amazing book this was and it is one that is based on some factual details about the sea evacuation of children from the UK during WWII. Most of us are aware of the stories about children being evacuated to the country from the cities, and I am aware of the sea evacuations although it doesn’t get as much mention.

The story focuses on two families, one is about a widow and her two children, the other is about two sisters. When the bombing intensifies it is natural to want to keep your family safe. For Lily Nichols, it means making the hard decision to allow her children to be given a place on a boat to Canada until it is safe for them to return.

Alice King decides that she wants to do something important and decides to become an adult volunteer to be an escort for the children who are being taken to safety.

The story of Alice and how she cares for her charges is one that no one expects when she is placed in the last lifeboat after their ship had been torpedoed. She is the only woman and is given the responsibility of looking after some of the children that they managed to save.

Lily and Alice’s sister, Kitty, are left reeling when they get the telegram saying that the boat has been sunk, some have survived, some are been recovered and some are missing.

My goodness, the author has once again created such an emotional story with this book. Gives the reader access to life on board a lifeboat for more days than is expected and for those who are at home wishing they had done things differently. Wanting to save your family and encourage them to be brave and to try new things is great when things go to plan. However, the guilt of being responsible for a tragic decision is one that sits heavily.

Using actual events, the author creates her story and weaves her magic with her characters. She has been able to give the reader a sense of what it was like, the hardships, rationing, sickness, emotions, frustrations and dangers that they face. She does it in such a way that it feels like you are watching a film as the visual imagery is so good.

There are other things going on around the main characters that show how life still goes on during the turmoil and how people can be good and supportive even when they are frightened.

I admit that there were a couple of times when the story left me with a lump in my throat as the inevitability of certain things comes to fruition. You know that people die and will die but who, when and how is another thing altogether.

The author does such an amazing job and I do adore her writing. This is a wonderful historical fiction story that has a sense of adventure and drama. A stunning book and one that I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning New York Times, USA Today, Globe and Mail and Irish Times bestselling historical novelist. Her debut novel, THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME, was awarded the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year, and her novels have been shortlisted for the 2016 and 2020 Irish Book Awards, the 2019 HWA Gold Crown Award, the 2020 RNA Historical Novel of the Year and the 2021 Grand Prix du Roman Historique. Her latest novel, WHEN WE WERE YOUNG & BRAVE/THE BIRD IN THE BAMBOO CAGE was a national bestseller in the USA and an Irish Times bestseller.

Hazel’s co-written novels with Heather Webb – LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, MEET ME IN MONACE and THREE WORDS FOR GOODBYE have all been published to critical acclaim, winning and being shortlisted for several international awards.

Hazel was selected as a 2015 WHSmith Fresh Talent pick, and by Library Journal as one of Ten Big Breakout Authors. She is published in twenty-five territories and her books have been translated into eighteen languages. Originally from Yorkshire, England, she now lives in Ireland with her husband and two children and is represented by Michelle Brower of Trellis Literary Management, USA.

For more information, visit www.hazelgaynor.com
where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

Check out the other stops on the Blog tour…

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Coming to Find You by Jane Corry @PenguinUKBooks #mystery #historicalfiction #NetGalley #crime #publicationday #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for Coming To Find You by Jane Corry, I do like this author and her books are always fabulous reads. This latest one is a little different as it is a mix of present-day and historical fiction and she does it very well indeed.

My huge thanks to Penguin Books for granting my request to review this title via NetGalley.

You can run away from your life.
But you can’t run away from murder.

When her family tragedy is splashed across the newspapers, Nancy decides to disappear. Her grandmother’s beautiful Regency house in a quiet seaside village seems like the safest place to hide. But the old house has its own secrets and a chilling wartime legacy . . .

Now someone knows the truth about the night Nancy’s mother and stepfather were murdered. Someone knows where to find her. And they have nothing to lose . . .

So what really happened that night? And how far will she go to keep it hidden?

MY REVIEW

I have been a fan of this author since her first book; her latest one is another fantastic story. Slightly different to others she writes in as much as this is a historical fiction and mystery as well as a present-day thriller.

Coming To Find You is a story of generations and of a mystery of a house in Devon. The house in Devon has had its pasts and this one starts at the beginning of WWII through a wonderful back-and-forth style of telling the story, we are gradually led to fill in the gaps and to have the mystery solved.

Using some historical facts the author has woven a tale of three generations that have lived in the house. When its current owner is forced to relocate there to avoid the press that had hounded her in her London home. She doesn’t expect to discover more secrets. She certainly doesn’t expect her life to turn out the way it does.

The author manages to brilliantly inject such a sense of fear and dread into her main character Nancy, showing signs of PTSD but also of holding things very close. But, then it turns out that she is not the only one with something that should have been told but wasn’t. The house has clues, the locals have secrets and it seems that virtually everyone that has a connection to her has a little snippet of something that they r not being completely honest about.

The historical fiction section of this story was wonderful, it showed what life was like at home for those left behind, missing loved ones who had gone to fight and hearing news of deaths from bombings and the trauma that this leaves. I am not sure which section I loved the most as the historical setting was as compelling as the present-day setting. The same amount of danger and dread but with a series of different events.

I would love to share more about things that happened in the story but the synopsis doesn’t give much away, so neither am I.

The story is one of tragedy and heartbreak as well as suffering. There are some subjects that the author tentatively mentions but doesn’t go into great detail with. As she has with her previous books, she has made them part of the story and is the crux of the beginnings of some of the rot that is the story.

This is a story that is a mix of different genres, historical fiction and romance, crime, thriller and also a thread of psychological thriller and mystery to it. Ideal for fans of contemporary fiction with a twist. fabulous story and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Corry is a writer and journalist who has spent time working as the writer in residence of a high security prison for men – an experience that helped inspire her Sunday Times bestsellers ‘My Husband’s Wife’ and ‘Blood Sisters’. Jane runs regular writing workshops and speaks at literary festivals all over the world. Many of her ideas strike during morning dog-jogs along the beach followed by a dip in the sea – no matter how cold it is!

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

The Fall by Gilly Macmillan @penguinrandom #NetGalley #mystery #thriller #crime #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for The Fall by Gilly Macmillan. This is a wonderful mystery, crime and thriller that throws up some surprises.

My huge thanks to Penguin Random House for accepting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

Be careful what you wish for…

Nicole and Tom’s lives are changed overnight by a ten-million-pound lottery win.

Before they know it they’ve moved into a state-of-the-art Glass Barn conversion in the stunning grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire.

But their dream quickly turns into a nightmare when Tom is found dead in the swimming pool, with a wound on his head.

Someone close to home must be responsible. But other than the young couple who live in the Manor, and their housekeeper in the Coach House next door, there’s no one around for miles.

Who among them is capable of murder?

MY REVIEW

When Nicole and Tom win the lottery they decide to build their own home. Using the remains of a barn they build a contemporary home known as the Glass Barn. Full of up-to-date tech and state-of-the-art features. It sounds idyllic with wonderful views and a dream home. That was the dream until Nicole returns home one day to find her husband dead in their pool.

Their immediate neighbours are Olly and Sasha who live in The Manor and they have a housekeeper who lives in the nearby Coach House. They are the nearest neighbours and are the first people Nicole goes to when she discovers the body.

The story that then unravels is one of intrigue, huge amounts of twists and many red herrings!

This is a fabulous story that does involve a small cast of characters, they are a mixed bunch and from different backgrounds which are revealed as the story unfolds. With a police presence investigating the author flits between the main characters and the investigation. She also flits back and forth in time as this story has its roots further back before Nicole and Tom had moved in. This makes it sound like a confusing story, but it really isn’t, well as least not as the author has written it.

Describing the area and the houses makes you realise that this is almost like a locked room mystery, the setting is isolated with only the two houses and the cast is small. This means that there is only a limited number of suspects, so, therefore, everyone is a suspect!

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the houses as they are so very different, but they also add to the story as they become their own characters as such. The older maze-like Manor has secrets and the Glass Barn technology doesn’t always work as it should, this gives them a sort of quirky personality of their own.

The police investigation is one that is important and it does feature prominently, rather than just a side story. There are things that are discussed and discovered that add to the plot as it thickens and becomes more confusing. It seems as if the police get a few leads then almost are left to surmise. It makes for intriguing reading indeed.

This is a mix of mystery, thriller, crime and police procedural. It is twisted and devious and a fabulous story doesn’t stop throwing surprises throughout. Great story that I would happily recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gilly Macmillan is the New York Times & Sunday Times bestselling author of TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, THE NANNY, WHAT SHE KNEW (previously published as BURNT PAPER SKY in some territories), THE PERFECT GIRL, ODD CHILD OUT & I KNOW YOU KNOW.

Gilly is Edgar Award nominated and an ITW award finalist. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages.

She grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time. She’s currently working on her seventh novel.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be wonderful 🙂 xx

Empire by Conn Iggulden @MichaelJBooks #NetGalley #historicalfiction #thegoldenage #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for Empire by Conn Iggulden. This author is a favourite of mine when it comes to historical fiction, this book is another wonderful action-packed one that tells the story of Pericles and is the second book in The Golden Age series.

My huge thanks to Michael Joseph Books for accepting my request to review this title via NetGalley.

Pericles is more than a hero. He’s the leader of Athens. The empire’s beacon of light.

But even during times of peace, the threat of Sparta – Athens’s legendary rival – looms large on the horizon. When a sudden catastrophe brings Sparta to its knees, Pericles sees a golden opportunity to forever shift the balance of power in his city’s favour.

For sometimes, the only way to win lasting peace is to wage war.

Sparta may be weak, but their power is far from extinguished. Soon a ruthless young boy steps forward to lead the Spartans back to greatness.

As the drums of battle draw closer, can Pericles rise once more?

Or will the world’s greatest empire fall under his watch?

MY REVIEW

This is the 2nd book in The Golden Age series and it sees the return of Pericles and is more his story and his role in history at the time. Once again the author weaves his magic as he brings the ancient history of Athens, Sparta and Persia to life. He has a wonderful ability to bring life to the pages and there is never a dull moment.

Spata has been floored after an unforeseen event, it has left them vulnerable. I don’t think vulnerable is a word that you could use for Sparta, but it has left them in an unenviable position as riots and natural disasters rock them to their foundations. What the Spartans are though are strong-willed, resourceful and well-trained. They don’t see failure but they do see opportunity.

Pericles also saw opportunity and he decided that the time had come to protect Athens and he was instrumental in bringing forward plans to protect his empire. The Long Walls were constructed and these were to provide a haven from any attack from the Spartans, and while it did work, it also had unforeseen consequences.

The region at the time was one that was fought over constantly, with each tribe or country wanting to get the upper hand. This was done either with straight-out fighting and wars or in a sneaky way with spies, the odd slip of a knife and political undermining within the Assembly.

With politics and war, there is little time for rest, the author keeps up a relentless pace that is suited to the story. With so many things going on the author navigates the reader through history and includes a great deal of factual information and accounts. he does mention, that occasionally he has moved an event or skipped over the odd more mundane fact to keep the story flowing. He does this with great flair as the story never once lets up or feels like it has a dull moment.

If you have read any of this author’s books then you will know how fascinating and engaging they are. He gives an account as close to what he thinks life was like at that time. He does it so well and as a reader, you are able to immerse yourself. Rather than a dull account he gives a tale that is bursting with life and imagery to a point where you can see things as you read.

If you like a more realistic historical fiction story then this is one that you should read if you like ancient history. Engaging, at times brutal, political, backstabbing and totally addictive reading. Part of a series that will lead you through The Peleponese Wars. It is a book I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Also publishes under author name C.F. Iggulden.

I was born in the normal way in 1971, and vaguely remember half-pennies and sixpences. I have written for as long as I can remember: poetry, short stories and novels. It’s what I always wanted to do and read English at London University with writing in mind. I taught English for seven years and was Head of English at St. Gregory’s RC High School in London by the end of that period. I have enormous respect for those who still labour at the chalk-face. In truth, I can’t find it in me to miss the grind of paperwork and initiatives. I do miss the camaraderie of the smokers’ room, as well as the lessons where their faces lit up as they understood what I was wittering on about.

My mother is Irish and from an early age she told me history as an exciting series of stories – with dates. My great-grandfather was a Seannachie, so I suppose story-telling is in the genes somewhere. My father flew in Bomber Command in WWII, then taught maths and science. Perhaps crucially, he also loved poetry and cracking good tales. Though it seems a dated idea now, I began teaching when boys were told only girls were good at English, despite the great names that must spring to mind after that statement. My father loved working with wood and equations, but he also recited ‘Vitai Lampada’ with a gleam in his eye and that matters, frankly.

I’ve always loved historical fiction as a genre and cut my teeth on Hornblower and Tai-Pan, Flashman, Sharpe and Jack Aubrey. I still remember the sheer joy of reading my first Patrick O’Brian book and discovering there were nineteen more in the series. I love just about anything by David Gemmell, or Peter F. Hamilton or Wilbur Smith. I suppose the one thing that links all those is the love of a good tale.

That’s about it for the moment. If you’d like to get in touch with me leave a comment in the forum or you can tweet me @Conn_Iggulden. I’ll leave it there for the moment. If you’ve read my books, you know an awful lot about the way I think already. There’s no point overdoing it.

Conn Iggulden

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

My Week In Books (w/e 18th June 2023) #booklove #bookupdates #MeAndMyBooks

yvonnembee 2 Comments

Hello and welcome to another weekly round-up of books I have read. Over the past couple of weeks, I have managed two a week, this week I managed three! Well, that was unexpected. Also, we had some rain, not huge amounts but enough to rinse the dut of the plants and give them a much-needed freshen up. I have been eating my own asparagus for a few weeks and we have made a start on our new potatoes, I have also noticed the mangetout are ready to eat as well.

I almost forgot about this post as I had been busy clearing out the shed and suddenly remembered Sunday is the day I write this post, so it is only a quick one this week. So here are the books I have read…

The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley – this is an intriguing and twisted thriller that sees a pattern emerging in threes, it is one that had me wondering if a crime had been committed or not! Quite an addictive read and one that felt different to other thrillers I have read. Keep an eye out for the full review next week as part of the Blog Tour.

Evil at Alardyce House by Heather Atkinson – this is an author who I have read several books, but none of them like this one. I know her as a gangland crime writer, but my goodness she also writes cracking historical fiction as well. Brilliant story and my full review will be out at the beginning of next month.

Summer at the Ice-cream Cafe by Jo Thomas – I adore this author’s books and this is another fantastic contemporary fiction story. It did take me a few chapters to get the feel of this one which is unusual for me with this author, but once I got it I was hooked. Another wonderful heartwarming, community-spirited and special story set in a small Welsh seaside village. Full review to follow soon.

There we go, another week done and dusted,

Have a great week ahead,

All the best

Yvonne xx

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Straight as a Jalebi by Ritu Bhathal @RituBhathal @SpellBoundBks @ZooloosBT #romance #contemporaryfiction #bookreview

yvonnembee 8 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Straight as a Jalebi by Ritu Bhathal. This is the second book in the Rishtay series and it is fabulous. If you are a fan of contemporary fiction and romance then this is one you may well enjoy, I loved it.

Here is my review of the first book – Marriage Unarranged

My huge thanks to Zoe at Zooloo’s Book Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this fabulous story from the publisher Spellbound.

I did have to look up to see what a Jalebi was, and once I had done that I could see the relevance for the title. A Jalebi is a sweet treat that is made for special occasions. They are made by frying batter into swirls and then dipping them in a sugary syrup flavoured with cardamom and saffron, well according to Google! They sound very yummy although they do come with a warning for diabetics.

Who knew that an innocent trip to India in the year 2000 would have such an impact on his life?
Sunny had only gone as a chaperone for his sister and her best friend and to attend to a few business matters. He ended up with a deal that would change the shape of his professional future and possibly his personal one too.
Battling the pressures of marriage by his family isn’t Sunny’s only fight, as he finds his feelings for a certain ‘friend’ may be more than just friendship.
But how can he tell anyone how he truly feels? Because the road to love isn’t always straight…

MY REVIEW

I adored the first book in this series and this second one is just as good as the story of the Gill family continues. The focus of this book is on Sunny and his struggle to conform to what the family expect of him. There are, obviously, the rest of the family and others that are a large part of the story as well.

Sunny is quiet and shy, he has always been focused on working in the family shop and it was the previous book that saw him gain a contract and a friendship with Milan. Milan lives in India and is a larger-than-life character and a fashion designer. A very different person from Sunny, but they do have similar interests and paths.

While the family is focused on one wedding, another is potentially in the offering but the focus is on when Sunny is going to settle down. Sunny is the eldest and it seems he is the last one to get hitched. This is where Milan can sympathise as his family are pressuring him as well.

The first book, Marriage Unarranged was a great introduction to the characters and the families, this one adds more and also introduces some new characters. The author brings in foods, ceremonies, religion, travel and so much more to her books. It gave me the chance to learn more about how a family from a different background than mine lives, works and loves.

Love is one focus of the story that throws what is expected and what actually happens in life. The way a family sees the future of their children and how the children see their future are two very different things. The author brings in how things are changing and how some of the traditional ways feel dated and unwanted, especially in marriage ceremonies. The compromise of keeping the traditionalists happy and wanting something more modern is a battle that I can see in most cultures to be fair.

Mixing the different attitudes and expectations is one part of the story, the other is one that does threaten to break the family but how the author deals with that is amazing. There is a stigma in society in general about how relationships should work, but we all know that relationships come in all shapes and sizes, and not one size fits all. The author brings so much to the story that highlights this.

A mix of contemporary fiction and romance that will take you to and from Birmingham and India and back on a roller coaster of emotions. A fabulous story and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ritu Bhathal was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but of Indian origin. This colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her. From childhood, she always enjoyed reading. This love of books is credited to her mother. The joy of reading spurred her on to become creative in her writing, from fiction to poetry. Winning little writing competitions at school and locally encouraged her to continue writing.
As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, she has drawn inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that she writes. A qualified teacher, having studied at Kingston University, she now deals with classes of children as a sideline to her writing! Ritu also writes a blog, http://www.butismileanyway.com, a mixture of life and creativity, thoughts and opinions, which was awarded first place in the Best Overall Blog Category at the 2017 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards and Best Book Blog in 2019.
Ritu is happily married and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the fur baby Sonu Singh.

Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…

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When the Lion Feeds by Wilbur Smith #TeamWilbur @Tr4cyF3nt0n @bonnierbooks_uk #adventure #historicalfiction #bookreview

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I am delighted to share my review of When the Lion Feeds by Wilbur Smith. I am a big fan of this author and I was delighted to be able to take part in the ongoing Blog Tour for this author. My huge thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for accepting me on this tour and for arranging my copy of the book via the publisher.

‘Something always dies when the lion feeds and yet there is meat for those that follow him.’ The lion is Sean, hero of this tremendous drama of the men who took possession of South Africa in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Sean and his twin-brother Garrick grew up on their father’s farm in Natal. The first part of the book deals with his childhood and youth and his longing to become a successful farmer and hard-hitting fighter like his father.

The tough life of cattle-farming is brusquely interrupted by the Zulu Wars, when Sean and his brother see fighting for the first time. Wilbur Smith vividly recreates the excitement of the war for the young men-their hope of winning their own cattle, the horror of the massacre at Isandhlwana, the heroism of the defence at Rorkes Drift.

‘Witwatersrand’ is the name of the second part of this book and it tells the story of Sean’s fabulous success in the gold rush and his rich life with Duff Charleywood and the beautiful Candy in the new town of Johannesburg, where huge fortunes were made and lost in a morning’s dealing on the Exchange.

The atmosphere of this feverish, violent time is brilliantly drawn: the heavy drinking, the elaborate houses, the ruthless abandonment of the failure. Sean and Duff are caught at last in a trap laid by their rival, the sinister and clever Hradsky, and leave Johannesburg for the wilderness to seek their fortunes once more.

And now the book moves to its climax. At last it seems as though Sean will settle to a quiet married life – but fate has other plans for him. They return to Johannesburg and tragedy strikes quickly. Sean finds himself alone once more…

Filled with action scenes in war and the early heady days of the gold rush, and adventure among the vast game herds of the African wilderness, this novel is dominated by the towering compelling personality of Sean, whose life story is continued in The Sound of Thunder and A Sparrow Falls.

MY REVIEW

Sean and Garrick Courtney are twins and live on their home farm with their parents. Sean is more outgoing while Garrick tends to be more into his books and tries to shirk some jobs. They are close and do get into trouble, one incident proves to be life-changing for Garrick though.

This is set around the time of the Zulu wars and Rourkes Drift, this conflict is mentioned as Sean has a part to play in this and it is the beginning of different paths that the brothers take.

Some mention is made of Garrick and what he does, however, the main focus is on Sean and how he ended up making a fortune and then losing it in the mines. Sean’s story is one of chance and also of friendship.

This book was first published in 1964 and it is a fabulous intro to the author and the world of the Cournteys’. It is a historical fiction set around the late 1800s, Rourkes Drift took place in 1879. The author was born in central Africa and so knows the history of this country. Using that he has told a story of two brothers and how they lived in this changing world.

This is historical fiction and the author does use some historical facts, but the main story is about the brothers, well more about Sean really. Starting with the boys as they grow up and then charting their paths. At times this story feels like a thriller as tensions are high at times and the risks feel very real. The author does bring drama as Sean begins working a mine for gold and how he then became a wealthy man.

Set out in three sections, the author creates a fabulous story of love, loss, life, romance and a story that is full of action and adventure right from the first through to the last pages. From life at home to the gold rush and then onto the ivory trade, the author takes the reader through the African landscape and history.

I can remember enjoying this book a lot when I first read it at 16 years old, now many years later and picking it up again was great. Some things I remembered but the story was just as thrilling and addictive. I am really looking forward to continuing this series as I know from experience it gets better and better.

If you like historical fiction that is packed full of drama and adventure then you really should have a look at this one. It was a great read and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wilbur Smith was the bestselling author of many novels, each researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His bestselling Courtney series includes Assegai, The Sound of Thunder, Birds of Prey, Monsoon, and Blue Horizon. His other books include Those in Peril, River God, Warlock, The Seventh Scroll, and The Sunbird.

His books have been translated into twenty-six languages and have sold over 120 million copies. Smith was born to a British family in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, in Central Africa, and attended Rhodes University in South Africa. By the time of his death in 2021 he had published 49 books and had sold more than 140 million copies.

Wilbur Smith died at his Cape Town home on November 13, 2021. He was 88 years old at the time of his death.

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx