I’ll let you into a secret. I have an ambition to complete a Ph.D. My husband has one, but I only have a BA in Literature and a Master of Arts in Education and so, consequently, when Gaby Monteiro at Canbury Press asked if I’d like to read the anonymously written The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University, I was intrigued. This might reveal more! My thanks to Gaby for sending me a copy in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Published by Canbury on 28th March 2024, and distributed by Simon and Schuster, The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University is available for purchase through the links here.

The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University

Odd students, racist colleagues and inept administrators.

Rising business influence and crumbling academic freedom.

Absurdly wasteful corporate schemes and broken toilets.

Low student welfare, an unwillingness to fail anyone and an A+ explosion in cheating… 

For a decade, students and academics have been painfully aware of the deteriorating state of UK universities. But the public has only been able to glean anecdotal accounts about poor value for money, underwhelming lecturers, falling standards and creaking facilities.

Now, after a decade of frozen tuition fees, an anonymous academic presents a no-holds-barred account of life on campus.

My Review of The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University

A year in the life of an anonymous academic.

Goodness. I’m not sure if I loved or loathed this book. And that is not a criticism, but rather is a reflection of the narrative’s absolute strength because the frustration of working in HE is replicated in the reading of The Secret Lecturer: What Really Goes on at University. 

The author makes the reader think, forcing them to contemplate unpalatable truths, such as the impact of the nefarious financial sources underpinning today’s higher education (HE), and is perhaps as complicit as those he berates and accuses. I say this because The Secret Lecturer is predicated on the premise that no-one stands up to corruption, complacency and duplicity in HE. The evidence for this is presented with complete authenticity and a compelling argument, and yet the author remains anonymous – which feels rather akin to the very practice of refusing to accept responsibility that is so despaired of within the text. And yet, the reasons why the author has remained anonymous are valid and honourable – what’s the point of trying to change things from within the system if identifying yourself means you’ll be thrown out of that very system rendering yourself impotent? 

There’s incredible impact in this book because the nonsensical administration, the casual acceptance of corrupt or lazy practice, and the sheer frustration of those doing their best to counteract such things all feel sadly all too familiar. Reading The Secret Lecturer reinforces the feeling that we have lost our integrity in order to retain wealth and our own status and self-importance. 

But if this sounds unremittingly negative, then don’t be misled. The Secret Lecturer (both book and author) conveys a dry, ironic and often self-deprecating humour and considerable humanity, particularly through consideration of mental health, sexism and racism. There’s a real feeling that we ordinary folk are all in this together and if we support one another in subverting the ineffective status quo within institutions, not just HE, we can, and will, make a difference. I found the book enraged me, but it made me feel heard. The scenarios depicted are similar to those any of us might encounter. The Secret Lecturer speaks out on our behalf. So, whilst being enraged I was also inspired. As a result of this book I feel galvanised to do something, to speak up and to be proactive. 

As an aside, I loved the way the text has an index and references replicating scholarly research that the author so misses in many of his students’ and colleagues’ papers. It also made me wonder if I still hold my ambition to complete a Ph.D, but you’ll need to read the book to see why I might be doubting that concept now!

I found The Secret Lecturer fascinating. It’s pithy, political and revealing. It’s a book that will astonish some and feel all too familiar to others. I still don’t know if I enjoyed reading it, but I’m mightily glad I have. I urge you to read it too. At the very least The Secret Lecturer will entertain you, and in addition it may well surprise you, and it might just change your life! 

About The Secret Lecturer

The Secret Lecturer works in higher education at an undisclosed university in the UK. They’ve written this account to paint an accurate picture of university life and to question whether the status quo is in the long-term interests of students, staff, and the country.

I’m beginning to think Sue Moorcroft appears more often on Linda’s Book Bag than I do, but when she writes such brilliant books, I simply have to read them! My enormous thanks to Becky Hunter for sending me a copy of Sue’s latest novel Under a Summer Skye in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Under a Summer Skye is published by Avon on 9th May and is available for pre-order through the links here.

If you’d like to read my reviews of other books by Sue Moorcroft or my interviews with her, please click here.

Under a Summer Skye

A Scottish island. A stranger from the mainland. A summer of possibilities…

Escape to the Isle of Skye this summer with the Sunday Times bestselling author, and lose yourself in the first book of the Skye Sisters Trilogy.

A chance encounter is about to change everything for Thea Wynter.

The moment she arrived on the Isle of Skye, life changed for Thea. Running from a succession of wrong turns, she comes to the island in search of blue sea, endless skies, and mountains that make the heart soar. Here, she feels at peace.

As head gardener at Rothach Hall, life is exactly how she wants it, with her days spent working in the glorious clifftop garden and her evenings in the cosy village pub.

But an encounter with a stranger from the mainland brings with it an unexpected turn – and she is left wondering whether he is friend or foe.

It seems that even on Skye, life can catch up with you, and Thea is soon faced with the past she left behind – and with it, the family she’s never met…

From old lives to new beginnings, lose yourself on the beautiful Isle of Skye with Thea as she discovers how many possibilities life can truly hold if you look hard enough.

My Review of Under a Summer Skye

Thea has made a new life for herself.

What a totally gorgeous read. I’m used to Sue Moorcroft writing interesting, entertaining and emotionally charged stories, but in Under a Summer Skye she has surpassed herself. I think it’s possibly my favourite of her books to date.

The setting is simply glorious. There’s such a painterly, poetic but not pretentious, use of language that meant I didn’t feel as if I were reading about Rothach Hall and its environs, but rather that I had been placed there physically. I thought this was a wonderful aspect of the narrative. Skye has long been on my wish list of places to visit, but through Under a Summer Skye I feel as if I’ve already been there. Add in the concept of nature and gardening as healing and restorative themes, and with them so well depicted, reading Under a Summer Skye felt as if I’d been given a breathing space from the trials of the world. It’s glorious.

As well as setting, the plot too is exceptionally entertaining. There are surprises along the way, as well as a simmering attraction between Thea and Dev, that make Under a Summer Skye truly compelling and deliciously romantic. With Thea’s sisters Ezzie and Valentina part of the story, what Sue Moorcroft does is make this book a wonderfully satisfying read, but equally she makes her readers desperate to hear more about the Skye Sisters. I can’t say much more about the storyline for fear of spoilers, but it has a sinuous quality that had me mesmerised.

I loved meeting Thea. Indeed, I loved meeting all the characters, not least because they felt so convincing. There’s a real understanding of nature and nurture making them who they are, and because they all have nuanced elements in their characters, and negative aspects in their past lives or their current situations, it makes them all the more relatable. I confess that I generally do not like dogs at all, but here even Daisy was appealing, realistic and loveable. 

The themes of Under a Summer Skye are mature, complex and handled with remarkable sensitivity. Trust is at the heart of the narrative, but Sue Moorcroft skilfully explores the nature of family and how we become who, and what, we become. I think what appeals so strongly is the thought that any of us could find ourselves in similar situations to Thea and Dev, forced to face the consequences of our actions regardless of the nature of our intentions. 

Under a Summer Skye is a fantastic story written by a brilliant story-teller. It held me entranced throughout and I absolutely loved it. 

About Sue Moorcroft

Award-winning author Sue Moorcroft writes contemporary women’s fiction with occasionally unexpected themes. She’s won a Readers’ Best Romantic Read Award and been nominated for others, including a ‘RoNA’ (Romantic Novel Award). Sue’s a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner, a past vice chair of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and editor of its two anthologies.

She also writes short stories, serials, articles, writing ‘how to’ and is a creative writing tutor.

The daughter of two soldiers, Sue was born in Germany and went on to spend much of her childhood in Malta and Cyprus. She likes reading, Zumba, FitStep, yoga, and watching Formula 1.

For more information, follow Sue on Twitter/X @SueMoorcroft, or find her on Instagram and Facebook and visit her website.

It’s such a pleasure today to share my review of Cressida McLaughlin’s new book The Happy Hour as I love her writing. My huge thanks to Susanna Peden at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of The Happy Hour in return for an honest review.

You can also find my review of Cressida’s The Staycation here and of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop, which was one of my books of the year in 2022, here.

Published by Harper Collins on 9th May 2024, The Happy Hour is available for purchase through the links here.

The Happy Hour

Jess is happy working in Greenwich market selling trinkets to well-heeled locals and excitable tourists.

Then one Sunday, Jess is thrown together with handsome, funny Ash, as they chase a pickpocket through the market, and before long they are making a habit of running into each other at the same time each week.

Jess starts to realize that their hour together is the brightest part of her life. But Ash isn’t telling her everything – can she discover the truth before it’s too late?

My Review of The Happy Hour

Jess and Ash have just met.

Oh my word. The Happy Hour is absolutely lovely. With an initial touch of mystery about where Ash has to be each Sunday, Cressida McLaughlin draws in the reader to this wonderfully romantic story from the very first page in a story that I found totally captivating. 

I loved the market setting with its cast of quirky people who feel like a microcosm of society. There’s a real sense of community and Cressida McLaughlin’s descriptions of the stalls, the aromas, the items for sale, all make for a very vivid picture. My only complaint is that the descriptions of the muffins made me ravenous the whole time I was reading! 

Those market characters are so warmly created. Even the ones like Roger who play relatively minor roles feel true to life and realistic. I adored Felicity as, through her own vulnerabilities and strengths, she illuminates the other characters, bringing them into sharp focus. She also exemplifies how appearances can be deceptive and that we never quite know what is happening in another person’s life or behind their front door. I’d love there to be future books following on from The Happy Hour, developing the stories of the people at the market. 

It is, of course, Jess and Ash who steal the show, partly because they are both equally stubborn and misguided as well as equally vivacious, friendly, caring and attractive so that they are well rounded and convincing. I cared so much about them, feeling their emotions with them and I admit to shedding a tear or two over them as well as laughing with them. In Jess and Ash, Cressida McLaughlin has created something very special indeed because, as they work through their own demons, they are hugely relatable. They show how we are affected by our past and our upbringing, but that we cannot allow it to dominate our future. They also show how, whilst we might not be able to control what happens in our present life, we can decide how to respond. The Happy Hour is a wise and uplifting book as well as being entertaining and absorbing to read.

Indeed, whilst Cressida McLaughlin creates a gorgeous romance, The Happy Hour is steeped in psychological understanding. Grief and loneliness, self-preservation, identity and independence, are threads of the story that make it so wonderful as well as gloriously escapist. 

I truly adored The Happy Hour. Not only is it emotional and beguiling, it’s warm and encouraging too. Reading The Happy Hour took me away from the cares of the real world and left me feeling uplifted and content – feelings we could all do with from time to time…

About Cressida McLaughlin

Cressida McLaughlin is a bestselling author of contemporary romance who has sold over a million copies of her books. Her feel-good, escapist fiction, featuring unforgettable characters who find their happy place, has established her as a firm favourite among readers and fellow authors alike. She is most well known for her eight book Cornish Cream Tea series, and The Happy Hour is her fifteenth novel. Cressida lives in Norwich with her husband David and when not writing her bestsellers, spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.

You can find out more information on Cressy’s website or you can follow her on Twitter/X @cressmclaughlin, Instagram and Facebook.