Having heard very positive things about Natasha Pulley’s writing I was excited when her novel, The Bedlam Stacks was chosen for this month’s U3A book group. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

The Bedlam Stacks was published by Bloomsbury on 14th June 2018 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Bedlam Stacks

In uncharted Peru, the holy town of Bedlam stands at the edge of a mysterious forest. Deep within are cinchona trees, whose bark yields the only known treatment for malaria.

In 1859, across the Pacific, India is ravaged by the disease. In desperation, the India Office dispatches the injured expeditionary Merrick Tremayne to Bedlam, under orders to return with cinchona cuttings. But there he meets Raphael, an enigmatic priest who is the key to a secret which will prove more valuable than they could ever have imagined.

My Review of The Bedlam Stacks

Merrick Tremayne is off to Peru.

The Bedlam Stacks is an unexpected read that blends reality, geography, history and fantasy into a gripping narrative that is wonderfully entertaining. 

Natasha Pulley writes beautiful prose that conveys her setting to perfection. The use of colour is exquisite and the descriptions of Peru place the reader right where the action is happening. There’s a mesmerising blend of clarity and dreamlike depiction so that the setting feels almost hallucinatory at times. 

Equally enthralling are the characters. I found Clem bombastic and irritating and preferred the sections without him – a bit like having a relative whom you quite like to see, but like even more when they’ve left! It’s interesting that he was a real person, especially as he’s so unpleasant. Merrick, however, was entirely engaging. His injured leg lends him a vulnerability that is appealing and yet he has physical, emotional and intellectual strength so that he feels multi-dimensional. I loved the way he wavers between pragmatism and spirituality. Equally, I thoroughly appreciated the way those whom society usually confines to the periphery, like the disabled, are treated with huge kindness and respect here. However, it was Raphael whom I found the most interesting. It’s difficult to say too much about him as he is so tightly woven into the plot, but he is taciturn and tender, physically visually impaired and yet far seeing. To me, Raphael represented possibility and hope.

The narrative is tautly plotted. I’m not usually a fan of multiple time lines, but here I found the different historical periods distinct and, indeed, essential. Natasha Pulley has obviously researched her geography, geology and history assiduously, as well as the horticultural aspects of the story so there’s a real authenticity behind the more imaginative elements. This makes for such a compelling story.

I really enjoyed the exploration of themes too. There’s so much packed into The Bedlam Stacks that any reader can find a topic that resonates and interests. I am aware that my own ignorance has missed many allusions and references and I feel The Bedlam Stacks deserves rereading many times to appreciate fully the skill of the author in weaving her story. There’s reality, spirituality and belief. There’s domesticity – from laundry to coffee making. There’s family and friendship with love underpinning relationships. There’s loyalty, betrayal and trust, imperialism, class, race and gender. Whilst these aspects might make The Bedlam Stacks sound dry and ‘worthy’, that could not be further from the truth. This is a story of peril and danger, and of identity and belonging, that races along. 

The Bedlam Stacks is a magical, mystical adventure that entertains brilliantly and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About Natasha Pulley

Natasha Pulley is the internationally bestselling author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, The Bedlam Stacks, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow, The Kingdoms, The Half Life of Valery K and The Mars House. She has won a Betty Trask Award, been shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award, the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award, and the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize. She lives in Bristol, England.

For further information about Natasha, visit her website, follow her on Twitter/X @natasha_pulley and find Natasha on Instagram.

I confess I am slightly obsessed with Chris Whitaker’s writing so when I met up with lovely editor Emad Akhtar at a bookish event and he promised to send me a copy of Chris’s latest book, All the Colours of the Dark, I was on tenterhooks waiting for it to arrive. My hugely grateful thanks to Emad for fulfilling that promise.

You’ll find my reviews of Chris’s other books, Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls, We Begin at the End and his Young Adult book The Forevers here.

Published by Orion on 16th July 2024, All The Colours of the Dark is available for pre-order through the links here.

All the Colours of the Dark

A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller, and an epic love story – with a unique twist on each…

* * * * *

Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of teenager Joseph ‘Patch’ Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who will risk everything to find her best friend.

But when she does: it will break her heart.

Patch lies alone in a pitch-black room – until he feels a hand in his. Her name is Grace and, though they cannot see each other, she lights their world with her words.

But when he escapes: there is no sign she ever even existed.

Left with only her voice and her name, he paints her from broken memories – and charts an epic search to find her.

As years turn to decades, and hope becomes obsession, Saint will shadow his journey – on a darker path to hunt down the man who took them – and set free the only boy she ever loved.

Even if finding the truth means losing each other forever…

My Review of All the Colours of the Dark

Patch has gone missing.

I genuinely think this is the hardest review I’ve ever written. I am a huge fan of Chris Whitaker’s writing, had heard nothing but glowing praise for All the Colours of the Dark and probably had outrageously and ridiculously high expectations before I read it. I was, therefore, prepared to be disappointed as it would not be possible to meet these expectations. How wrong could I be? I am at a loss to know how to express my thoughts because I genuinely don’t think I have read a book that has affected me more. I appreciate that I am an emotional reader, often moved to tears, laughter or anger by a narrative, but All the Colours of the Dark has rendered me a shattered, emotional wreck who has been reassembled differently. I loved this book. Entirely and absolutely. 

It doesn’t feel adequate to comment on style, plot, theme, setting and character as I usually do in a review as I was so rapt that I feel more that I’ve lived the story rather than read it. I’ve been with Patch and Saint every single second. They are the most compelling, engaging characters I think I’ve encountered in fiction. Both characters are fiercely loyal, strong, vulnerable, responsible and reckless. What is so impactful is their capacity for love so that their actions might be illegal, obsessive or foolhardy but are exactly the actions the reader would carry out in their place. 

It’s difficult to define the book’s genre as Chris Whitaker has provided a fast paced cat and mouse thriller, a police procedural, a murder mystery, a small town domestic drama, and a searing, multi-layered, love story that imprints itself indelibly on the reader’s heart. And yet, whilst being all of those things, All the Colours of the Dark is so much more than any of them. The narrative takes the conventions of right and wrong, and of morality, and shifts the accepted rules and perceptions of society until those like Patch, who commit crime, become the very people we love unreservedly, whilst others who might usually be venerated are reviled. The story considers obsession, creativity and relationships with such skill that I found I could hardly breathe and despite the short chapters I had to keep pausing to allow myself to recover. I lost count of the number of times I cried because the pain endured by the characters felt completely real and visceral and I felt it vicariously. All the Colours of the Dark is intense, mesmerising and completely overwhelming.

That said, in the same way Patch uses the depths of the dark and Grace’s descriptions to create the most incredibly beautiful paintings, so Chris Whitaker writes with scenic poetry so that settings are vivid and colourful, and he uses frequent, understated, humour that alleviates the intensity of sadness, rage and emotion felt by both characters and readers. There’s enormous positivity and hope here. 

The plot is, quite simply, stunning. The story ranges over a quarter of a century but there isn’t a single wasted syllable or moment. I think what works so effectively is that, in the same way Saint’s music might be played, the plot has moments of high drama contrasted with prosaic quietness so that this is a book that is perfectly balanced and nuanced. 

I’m aware I’ve rambled without really saying anything but I don’t want to spoil the read for others. I think that All the Colours of the Dark is the book I have felt most affected by – ever. I’m frequently asked which book is the ‘best’ I’ve ever read. Whilst that’s an imprecise definition, I would say that All the Colours of the Dark is the book I will refer to as the one I would recommend above all others because it has something for lovers of every genre. I cannot express how much I adored every single syllable. I thought it was magnificent. I won’t forget Saint and Patch and I urge you to meet them too, but be prepared to lose your heart to them both.

About Chris Whitaker

Chris Whitaker is the award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls and We Begin at the End. All three books were published to widespread critical acclaim, with Tall Oaks going on to win the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award.
An instant New York Times bestseller and the #1 Indie Next Pick, We Begin at the End was also a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. It was shortlisted for both the Gold and the Steel Dagger Awards, and for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year. Chris lives in the UK with his wife and three children.

For further information, visit Chris’s website, follow him on Twitter/X @WhittyAuthor and find Chris on Instagram.

I’ve been a huge fan of Jack Jordan’s writing for almost a decade and I was so disappointed that the joys of Covid prevented me from interviewing Jack at the local Deepings Literary Festival. However, by way of compensation, I’m delighted that my latest My Weekly magazine online review is of Jack’s latest thriller Redemption. My enormous thanks go to Harriett Collins at Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy.

You’ll find my reviews of Jack’s other books, including Conviction and Do No Harm, here.

Redemption was published by Simon and Schuster on 20th June 2024 and is available for purchase through these publisher links.

Redemption

Aaron Alexander has just been released from jail after serving eleven years for causing the death of Joshua Moore in a hit-and-run. Now a free man, all he wants to do is stay on the straight and narrow and leave his troubled past behind him.
But for Joshua’s mother Evelyn, eleven years in jail isn’t nearly enough. Consumed by grief and rage, she has been waiting for Aaron’s release, counting down the days until she can exact the revenge he deserves. And now that time has come.
But as Evelyn and her husband Tobias embark on a road trip to track Aaron down, they find themselves caught on two different sides of a gripping game of cat-and-mouse. Because Tobias knows what Evelyn is planning, and he will do anything to save her from herself.
Even if it means protecting the man who killed their son.

Locked in a collision course set in motion eleven years ago, Aaron, Evelyn and Tobias are about to find out whether the road they have chosen leads to redemption . . . or to retribution.

My Review of Redemption

My full review of Redemption can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Redemption is utterly brilliant. You’ll be hard pressed to find a thriller that is faster paced, more exciting and more emotionally affecting this year. I thought it was an absolute cracker and the author’s best book to date.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Jack Jordan

Jack Jordan is the global bestselling author of Anything for Her, My Girl, A Woman Scorned, Before Her Eyes, Night by Night, Do No Harm and Conviction, and an Amazon No. 1 bestseller in the UK, Canada and Australia. Do No Harm was described as ‘chilling’ by Sarah Pearse, ‘brilliant’ by Lesley Kara and ‘pulse-racing’ by Louise Candlish. It was an instant Times bestseller on first publication and a Waterstones Thriller of the Month pick.

For further information about Jack you can follow him on Instagram, Twitter/X @JackJordanBooks and Facebook.

I’m a huge fan of Louise Candlish’s writing and she has featured here on Linda’s Book Bag many times. Consequently, I’m delighted that my latest online review for My Weekly magazine is of Louise’s latest thriller Our Holiday.

Published by Harper Collins imprint HQ on 4th July 2024, Our Holiday is available for purchase through the links here.

Our Holiday

Charlotte and Perry long for summers at Cliff View, their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge. And now that city friends Amy and Linus have bought a property nearby, they plan lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda.

But there’s trouble in paradise…

A rising tide of resentment towards second-home owners is heading their way and small acts of criminal damage are escalating into something more menacing. By the end of the summer, families and friendships will be torn apart and Pine Ridge will be known for more than its sun-drenched beaches.

It will be known for murder…

My Review of Our Holiday

My full review of Our Holiday can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Our Holiday is that it is filled with Louise Candlish’s trademark toxic relationships, unpleasant characters and has a twisty plot that examines the truth behind the veneer of society. It’s a cracker!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Louise Candlish

Louise Candlish is the Sunday Times bestselling author of sixteen novels. Our House, a number one bestseller, won the Crime & Thriller Book of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards, was longlisted for the 2019 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award. It was also a major ITV drama made by Death in Paradise producers Red Planet Pictures.

Louise’s The Only Suspect has just won the 2024 Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for Thriller of the Year.

Louise lives in London with her husband and daughter.

You can follow Louise on Twitter/X at @louise_candlish or find out more on her website or on Facebook and Instagram.

It’s my very great pleasure today to share my review of Probably Nothing by Lauren Bravo, not least because I still have Lauren’s debut Preloved waiting for me on my TBR. My huge thanks go to Sara-Jade Virtue of Simon and Schuster’s Books and the City for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for sending me a copy of Probably Nothing in return for an honest review.

Published by Simon and Schuster on 4th July 2024, Probably Nothing is available for purchase through the links here.

Probably Nothing

Bryony doesn’t actually mind being single. So she doesn’t understand why she keeps seeing (ok, sleeping with) Ed, who is perfectly fine, but also only okay. After developing the ick on their fifth date, she resolves to end things – only to receive a call the next day telling her Ed has died.

Worse yet, he seems to have represented her to his family and friends as his great love. Obviously, it would be cruel to correct them. Then she’s invited to the funeral. It would be equally rude to refuse… right?

Before she knows it, Bryony has been drawn in by the charisma and chaos of Ed’s eccentric family and tangled in a web of her own lies. She’s been guilted into signing up to his sister’s pyramid scheme, she’s in far too deep with several of his nearest and dearest – and to make matters worse she’s experiencing a lot of physical symptoms that are becoming harder and harder to ignore…

Probably Nothing is the answer to just how far sheer awkwardness can take someone. Peppered with Lauren Bravo’s irresistible wit, it explores the relatable modern cults of wellness and people-pleasing, and digs into the eternal dilemma: life is short – so should you settle for perfectly fine?

My Review of Probably Nothing

Bryony’s casual boyfriend has died leaving his family believing she is the love of his life. 

I loved Probably Nothing because it is witty, relatable and deliciously entertaining. The plot is so good as it encompasses events and situations any reader can identify with so that it is as if Lauren Bravo has written it just for the individual. This is a story of ordinary people, often doing ordinary things, told with humour and affection. Equally, Probably Nothing is a warm, mature and insightful exploration of relationships – relationships between friends and lovers, in marriages and families, in communities and workplaces so that there is a universal and identifiable appeal making for a really compelling read.

The characters are fabulous. Time after time I felt their actions could belong to any number of people I know because Lauren Bravo depicts them so realistically, and my poor husband was constantly interrupted as I read aloud the most perfect descriptions of very familiar behaviour. Bryony is a triumph as she finds herself embroiled in the family events that celebrate Ed’s life. As Ed’s family learn more about Bryony, so she gains a greater understanding of herself. There’s a vivid sense of growth and development that makes Bryony a rich and complex character. She’s no cardboard protagonist who is perfect in comparison to others, but her personality leaps from the page and I particularly relished her hypochondria and her need to please others all the time. 

Indeed, I loved all the characters here. It’s a brilliant touch to make Ed the catalyst for the action and yet we never encounter him directly. Ann’s need to weave people into her family, Steve’s pragmatic approach, Kelly’s obsession with pregnancy, Annie’s ill fated attempts at being a grown up, Bryony’s inability to say no, are just a few of the traits that are so cleverly depicted so that it feels as if the reader is a fly on the wall, eavesdropping their lives rather than merely reading about them. The prickly, adversarial relationship between Bryony and Kelly is a touch of genius because it illustrates how we so frequently judge others without knowing the full facts, adding depth as well as fun to the story. I think Probably Nothing is crying out to be made into a television series because these are folk we care about and want to champion. There are no great heroes or villains, but rather flawed and messy personalities simply trying to get by who are hugely relatable. 

Probably Nothing is a wonderful story. The twists and turns of the plot are fun, moving and brilliantly uplifting. The narrative shines an affectionate, funny and engaging light onto who we are as people. Lauren Bravo uncovers our fears and foibles in a way that not only entertains the reader, but gives them permission to be themselves too. I thought it was a belter of a book and absolutely loved it.

About Lauren Bravo

Lauren Bravo is an author, journalist and lifelong hypochondriac who has written about fashion, popular culture, food and feminism for titles including Grazia, Stylist, Vogue and Sunday Times Style. Her debut novel, Preloved, was named one of Red‘s best books of 2023. She lives in London with her husband and daughter.

For further information, follow Lauren on Twitter/X @laurenbravo. You’ll find Lauren on Instagram too.

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What a pleasure to announce that my latest My Weekly magazine online review is of The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling by Katherine Blake.

The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling was published by Penguin Viking on 20th June 2024 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling

You’re Loretta Darling now, welcome to your brand-new flipping life.

Dreams don’t come true for girls like Loretta but she won’t let that stop her. With her sights set on becoming a make-up artist to the stars, Loretta wangles her way from Lancashire to the bright lights of Golden Age Hollywood.

Only it turns out that Sunset Boulevard is less about dashing fellas and chilled martinis – more sticky floors and misbehaving men. The gift of the gab can only get her so far but she refuses to go quietly.

Hollywood has its secrets … and so does Loretta.

For a start, that’s not her real name, and much more than lipstick lurks inside her beauty case.

After all, revenge is a dish best served with a perfectly painted smile.

My Review of The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling

My full review of The Unforgettable Loretta can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Unforgettable Loretta is filled with venomous revenge, naked ambition and a good dose of feminist triumph. I loved it!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Katherine Blake

Katherine Blake is a pseudonym for Karen Ball, an author who has written over twenty-five children’s books and was a Bookseller Rising Star thanks to her publishing consultancy, Speckled Pen. She regularly appears on podcasts, including The Bestseller Experiment and SJ Bennett’s PrePublished. She lives in London and runs a biweekly newsletter filled with fun news, book reviews, and regular updates about her miniature schnauzer.

For further information, visit Katherine’s website follow Katherine on Twitter/X @karenball and Instagram.

Many of you know that life has been a bit of a challenge of late and as a result I’ve been avoiding blog tours. However, as a passionate cat lover I simply couldn’t resist participating in the tour for New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe by Julie Haworth and would like to extend my huge thanks to the inimitable SJ of Simon and Schuster’s Books and the City for inviting me to take part. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published by Simon and Schuster on 18th July 2024 New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe is available for purchase through the links here.

New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe

New Beginnings at The Cosy Cat Café tells the story of Tori who, after being dumped and left stranded by her long-term boyfriend Ryan on a trip of a lifetime to Asia, returns home to the sleepy Sussex village of Blossom Heath with her tail between her legs and her dreams shattered. Donning her frilly apron to help her Mum, Joyce, behind the counter at The Cosy Cup Café, Tori starts to believe – with the help of a hunky fireman and a clowder of rescue cats – that perhaps the secret to her future happiness might lie closer to home than she ever thought possible.

If you love your romance with a side order of cake, cats and cosy community dynamics, this is the purrfect uplifting, feel-good read from the winner of the RNA Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year 2023.

My Review of New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe

Tori has broken up with Ryan.

My goodness I needed this book. Is New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe most challenging book I’ve ever read? No. Is it the most literary book I’ve ever read? Also no. Is it utterly charming, being filled with romance and community with a wonderful story that allows the reader time away from the stress of real life? Absolutely. I so enjoyed escaping between its pages. 

The plot is relatively gentle, and although it has moments of drama and tension, what I enjoyed most was the way the story is entirely believable. What happens in Blossom Heath feels relatable, authentic and engaging. The petty rivalries between some of the villagers, the sense of community and place are pitch perfect, making the reader feel as if they live there too.

The characters are warm, vivid and relatable. New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe may have Tori as the focus, but I loved meeting all the villagers. They have their strengths, weaknesses and foibles, and there is a moment with Violet that I felt showed incredible humanity but you’ll need to read the book to discover that for yourself. As a result of reading this book I rather fell in love with Leo and thought the fact that his name is linked to large cats was inspired! The cats themselves are quite wonderful. As a cat lover, I felt New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe depicted them to purrfection! 

So many interesting themes are woven in to the story, as well as the romance one might expect. I really enjoyed the reality presented of creating a business plan, charity work, fund raising, the place of social media in our lives and so on. The concept of community and belonging is strong, but I think I enjoyed the idea of self knowledge the most. Several characters from Tori to Violet, Cora to Claire, and Leo to Ryan all discover something about themselves at so that there’s a real sense of growth as well as entertainment in the story.

New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe is a gentle, authentic, heart-warming story and one I very much enjoyed because it allowed me to escape the cares of the world and be entertained by an author who really seems to care about people and who writes with humanity. 

About Julie Haworth

With a degree in English and American Literature, Julie Haworth worked as an English teacher for a number of years, specialising in working with learners with literacy difficulties, before launching her own freelance copywriting business. She is  a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and her debut novel, Always By Your Side, which she wrote whilst recovering from Covid in 2020, won the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award in 2023.

For further information, follow Julie on Twitter/X @jhaworthauthor, or find her on Instagram.

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I was delighted when Vicki Berwick at Pushkin Press asked me if I’d like a copy of the children’s book Storm Child by Ele Fountain and sent it across. I’d like thank Vicki very much indeed and it’s my pleasure to share my review of Storm Child today.

Storm Child is published by Pushkin Press tomorrow, 4th July 2024 and is available for purchase through the links here.

Storm Child

Maya’s life is about to be upended. After her dad’s fishing boat is ravaged by a relentless storm, Maya’s parents make the decision to start over-by moving to a tropical island. But making a change doesn’t always make a difference. Far from her friends and her quiet seaside home where she spent all her time surfing, Maya is swept away by a storm much larger than herself. As Maya begins to realise that paradise is not always what it seems, can she bring her family back home again?

My Review of Storm Child

Maya’s family is in financial trouble.

Storm Child is a wonderful book. It opens in dramatic fashion and proceeds at a pace that captivates readers young and old.  

I love the way modern issues of climate change, sustainability and family debt are woven into the story, enabling young readers to comprehend adult issues in an appropriate manner, but without these aspects feeling contrived. Indeed, this might even be a story that enables an adult to have difficult conversations with children. It’s very clear in the story that grown ups don’t always have all the answers to life’s difficulties.

There’s a fast moving, frequently dramatic storyline that holds the reader’s full attention throughout, but it was the themes of the story that I found the most affecting. Through Maya’s experiences, Ele Fountain considers family and friendship, the difficulties of change and how best to weather the storms of life. The extended storm metaphor is brilliantly handled, from Maya’s tricky physical experience at the start and end of the book, through her father’s fishing boat accident, to the more intangible storms of starting a new life and making new friends. I thought this aspect was fantastic and incredibly emotional.

Maya herself is a wonderful character. She’s mature and sensitive in her outlook and yet very much a child who doesn’t always respond as well as she might to others, so young readers can relate to her completely. All the aspects that are familiar to youngsters are present in Maya’s life such as school and friendships, but there’s adventure and novelty in surfing, travel and a different culture too, making Storm Child a truly engaging story. 

Storm Child is beautifully written with descriptions that have a filmic, poetic quality and that feed the imagination. However, the most glorious aspect of the story telling is the way Ele Fountain conveys deep emotion through what she doesn’t write, every bit as skilfully as she does through her words. She provides such nuanced light and shade that Storm Child is profoundly moving as well as interesting and exciting. I confess there were several moments when I had a tear in my eye as I read. 

The ex-teacher in me wants to highlight all the learning opportunities Storm Child provides, from the potential for art or drama lessons in interpreting and illustrating the story, through geographical climate issues and astronomy to personal safety, but actually I think Storm Child deserves to be read for sheer pleasure. I loved Storm Child because it looks right into the heart of a child’s life and illustrates that true strength comes from family, friendship and being true to yourself. It’s a superb book that readers of all ages will enjoy and I thought it was fantastic.

About Ele Fountain

Ele Fountain worked as an editor in children’s publishing where she helped launch and nurture the careers of many prize-winning and bestselling authors. Ele’s debut novel, Boy 87, won four awards and was nominated for nine more, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. She lives in Hampshire with her husband and two daughters.

For further information, visit Ele’s website, or follow her on Twitter/X @EleFountain.

I just love Isabelle Broom’s writing. You’ll find my reviews of her books here on Linda’s Book Bag. I was thrilled when a copy of her latest book, The Orange House was sent to me and delighted to be asked onto the blog tour by lovely Alainna Hadjigeorgiou. It’s my pleasure to share my review of The Orange House today.

Published by Hodder and Stoughton on 4th July 2024, The Orange House is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

The Orange House

Henry and Violet first met in the garden of The Orange House on the beautiful island of Mallorca.

They promised their lives to each other, poured their love into restoring the house and built the foundations of their marriage within its walls. First it was their private idyll, then a place to escape with their son, Luke – but now it has become a battleground.

As the years have passed, cracks have appeared and secrets have built barriers between them.

Finally, on the brink of divorce, they have come back to Mallorca to sell up. Will this final summer together be the end – or a new beginning?

Twenty years ago, The Orange House brought them together.
Now, will it be reason they part?

My Review of The Orange House

Henry and Violet are on the brink of divorce.

From the first page it is obvious that The Orange House is a very special book. It shimmers with tangible emotion so that the reader is ensnared immediately. 

Initially, The Orange House might appear to be a relatively simple story of a failed marriage, but my goodness, wonderful as that element is, that description is to do it an injustice. This is a mature, affecting and sensitively written exploration not just of marriage, but of family and the very essence of what makes us human. Isabelle Broom peels away the layers of identity and mental health so that I found the story emotionally stunning.

I confess that I found Violet hard to like at times. Her constant wariness around Luke, her self-deception and the secrets she keeps from others made me want to shake her, but by the end of The Orange House I could not have cared more for her. The reader goes on the journey of self-realisation with her, getting to know every aspect of her flawed, fragile and yet incredibly resilient personality. She’s one of the most well rounded characters I think I’ve encountered in fiction.

That said, both Luke and Henry are real triumphs too. With a family member of my own suffering the same kind of issues as Luke, The Orange House felt all the more authentic to me. My heart ached for Henry as he tried to find his role within the family unit, but he too has faults and stubbornness so that he contains true depth. I loved the way Eliza is a touchstone and pivot around whom the dysfunctional relationships between Violet, Henry and Luke revolve. She provides distance and perspective, despite her youth.

The plot is brilliantly constructed and whilst I’m not usually a huge fan of dual time lines, I loved the way Isabelle Broom gradually uncovered the past leading to the impasse Violet and Henry now find themselves in. There’s a touch of mystery too that heightens the tension so that the story is gripping and immersive.

Speaking of immersive, the Majorcan setting is quite perfect. Descriptions are vivid, and with everything from food to rooftops woven in with true dexterity, it is as if the reader is on the island. 

But it is the range of emotion and theme that makes The Orange House so mesmerising and moving. It’s a story resonating with the depths of despair and sadness, and yet it remains hopeful and uplifting so that it lifts the spirits even as it entertains. 

The Orange House is a profound book. It’s steeped in humanity. It’s mature and intelligent and I loved it.

About Isabelle Broom

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts at university in London before a 12-year stint at Heat magazine. When she is not travelling all over the world seeking out settings for her escapist novels, Isabelle can mostly be found in Suffolk, where she shares a home with her two dogs and more books than she could ever hope to read in a lifetime.

For more information, visit Isabelle’s website. You can also follow her on Twitter/X @Isabelle_Broom or Instagram and find her on Facebook.

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My enormous thanks to Louisa Treger for ensuring I received an early copy of her latest book The Paris Muse. I adored Louisa’s The Dragon Lady (reviewed here) and have Madwoman still waiting for me on my TBR. I’m delighted to share my review of The Paris Muse today.

Published by Bloomsbury on 4th July 2024, The Paris Muse is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

The Paris Muse

‘Living with him was like living at the centre of the universe. It was electrifying and humbling, blissful and destructive, all at the same time.’

Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare. Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn’t long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that sometimes includes sadism and masochism, and ultimately pushes her to the edge.

The Paris Muse is the fictionalized retelling of this disturbing love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set in Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays with their glamorous artist friends, it provides a fascinating insight into how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his human relationships as he did in his art. Much to Dora’s torment, he refused to divorce his wife and conducted affairs with Dora’s friends. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting ‘Guernica’, which Dora documented as he painted.

As the encroaching darkness suffocates their relationship – a darkness that escalates once the Second World War begins and the Nazis invade the country – Dora has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized.

Atmospheric, intense and moving, The Paris Muse is an astonishing read that ensures that this talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso is no longer a footnote.

My Review of The Paris Muse

The fictionalised life of Dora Maar and her relationship with Pablo Picasso.

The Paris Muse is an intense, beautifully written and compulsive narrative. Louisa Treger’s prose is as artistic as those she is writing about so that she creates an almost painful relationship between the reader and the narrative. There were moments in this meticulously researched and convincingly conveyed story when I wanted to rage against Picasso and historical events and to yell my opinions at Dora to protect her, to berate her or comfort her. The plot is creatively embedded in historical events so that it feels thoroughly authentic. Reading The Paris Muse is to experience a dramatic era vicariously. It also sent me off researching people, artifacts and events because I found the story so stimulating. There’s nothing anodyne about Louisa Treger’s prose, but rather there’s a spellbinding intensity too powerful to break free from. 

I am entirely ignorant about art, and confess I didn’t even know of Dora Maar’s existence before reading The Paris Muse. Now she is a vivid, dynamic person whom I admire, respect and, had I known her in real life, a woman I may well have feared. Her first person voice is utterly convincing so that it feels as if one is reading her personal diaries rather than a work of fiction. There’s a stunning intimacy in how the book conveys Dora, who is such a mercurial individual that she created extremes of response in me as a reader. This is testament to the quality of Louisa Treger’s writing.

Picasso too is a rounded, complex and layered individual. The more I read, the more he took shape and the more negative my feelings towards him became. Within his relationship with Dora the lines between who is more sinned against than sinning become blurred and opaque. I thought Louisa Treger portrayed his explosive, bordering unhealthy, coercive and cruel relationship with Dora to perfection, but Dora is most certainly not just a victim of this toxic partnership and there are moments of great tenderness as well as selfishness from both characters. This is a portrait of a very real relationship.

If it doesn’t sound ridiculous, I wouldn’t classify The Paris Muse as a novel. It is more a living, breathing entity that has autonomy and life beyond the confines of its covers. I am not sure it’s accurate to say I always enjoyed it as it was so uncomfortably impactful. I was, however, both mesmerised and fascinated. At times it is exquisitely brutal and on occasion shocking and disturbing. It taught me so much about art, history, society, geography and, most importantly, about Dora Maar, and it lives on in my mind even now I’ve finished reading it. The Paris Muse is intelligent, interesting, intense and, often, unsettling. I thought it was itself a work of art every bit as valuable as one by Maar, Picasso or any other creative mentioned in the story. It’s a magnificent book, written with stunning skill and authority. Don’t miss it. 

About Louisa Treger

Louisa Treger is the acclaimed author of three novels, The Lodger(2014), The Dragon Lady(2019) and Madwoman (2022), which was a Book of the Month in the Independent and The Sunday Times. She has written for The Times, The Telegraph, Tatler, BBC History Magazine and English Heritage. Louisa Treger has a First Class degree and a PhD in English Literature from UCL, and currently lives in London.

You can find out more by following Louisa on Twitter/X @louisatreger, or visiting her website. You’ll also find her on Facebook.