When Douglas Bruton got in touch with me recently about his latest book I knew it would be one that I’d love. Sadly, life simply didn’t afford me the time to read and review it. However, I so loved the concept that I simply had to invite Douglas onto Linda’s Book Bag to tell me more about it and I’m delighted he agreed to be here.

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Douglas Bruton

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Douglas and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thank you for asking me to do this. I love meeting new people over tea and cake – I hope you are having cake. These things are always better with cake I find.

To be honest, I think everything is better with tea and cake so I know already we’re going to be great friends. Grab a slice and then tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’d like to share my most recent book with you. It’s called Hope Never Knew Horizon.

I love that title. How did the book come about?

The impulse that moved me to write this book came out of the deepest darkest moments of lockdown. I recall waking one morning with a thought in my head – an urgent and pressing thought: that I wanted to write something with ‘hope’ in it. I had no idea what that even meant but over the next few months the ‘universe’ just kept throwing stuff my way, stuff with ‘hope’ in it. And the stories and characters in my head began shouting louder and louder for my attention so that finally I had to sit down and write Hope Never Knew Horizon. The Glasgow Herald summed it up as ‘a book that glows with positivity’ and that’s really what I was going for. Not a book about the pandemic – it’s about as far away from that as you could get; but it’s a book that is, I think, filled up with hope.

Hope Never Knew Horizon sounds fantastic Douglas. We might be on a bit from the pandemic but the world really needs some hope at the moment. So, what can we expect Hope Never Knew Horizon?

Rope is always stronger when it is something braided rather than a single strand – indeed the braided rope is usually stronger than its constituent threads. I like that idea and so I have here braided three stories together.

That sounds very impressive. Tell me more.

The first thread is the story of the American poetess Emily Dickinson as seen through the Dickinson’s maid – and she is overly romantic and hopeful for Emily’s happiness. Emily secretly writes letters to a woman called Susan who will, later in the story, become her sister-in-law. The letters are tender and full of love and deep feeling. The maid, Margaret, thinks Emily might be in love. But there is a greater hope in Emily and only after her death is this hope realised. (Oh, and the maid has her own unexpected love story for love often comes when it is not looked for, when hope is all but gone.)

Fascinating. And the second?

The second thread involves the blue whale skeleton that hangs in the British Natural History Museum. The complete story of the whale unfolds through the voices of characters normally ignored by history books and their stories are full of hope and longing and whale-song. The whale skeleton was recently taken down, cleaned and renovated, then rehung in the splendid Hintz hall of the museum; it was also given a new name: ‘Hope’. I think this expressed the hope of everyone who worked on the project, a hope that the future will still have blue whales swimming in our oceans and don’t we all hope for that?

Oh we do indeed. You know, just hearing about Hope Never Knew Horizon is making me feel more positive. Tell me about the third strand.

The third thread is centred around a painting I fell in love with when I was twenty and it hangs on the wall at Tate Britain; it is a painting called ‘Hope’ by the Victorian artist G F Watts and I remember standing young and a little breathless looking up at it. I thought there must be a story in the woman who had modelled for the painting and a little research showed me there most certainly was – a wonderful story of hope and quiet ambition and love too.

Braiding these three threads together makes the hope I wanted to rediscover in the world all the stronger. I think it is there for the reader to discover also.

I have a feeling I’m going to have to find time to read Hope Never Knew Horizon Douglas as I am intrigued as to how those three strands come together in the book.

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

The first thing I have brought to our stay-in (apart from the tea and cake that is) is a ring. It is a fairly simple silver ring that I had made to celebrate the publication of Hope Never Knew Horizon. Inside the ring is a secret – I have had the title of the novel engraved on the inner ring. The words Hope Never Knew Horizon come from a poem by Emily Dickinson. Their relevance to the book is the idea that ‘hope’ is something we give birth to and maybe even say out loud or express in writing or art or film – but having expressed that hope it is then for the world to realise that hope and it is not always the case that it will do so within the lifetime of the person who has the hope but there is a sort of certainty that it will be realised at last. For example, Emily Dickinson harboured the hope of one day having a book of her poems published; this hope was fulfilled only in the year after her death. I wear my ‘Hope’ ring hoping that my book will be read and liked and that it will go on being read and liked even when I am not in the world – if that’s not too morbid a thought to have when we are drinking tea and eating cake. (btw my cake of choice would be something with almond paste in it – like Bakewell or frangipani.)

That’s not morbid at all. Hope Never Knew Horizon is out in the world. It will live on and so will you through it. I think that’s a lovely message of hope actually. (And I’m very fond of almond paste too!)

The second thing I have brought is a wooden angel that comes all the way from Chile. Isn’t she quite lovely?

She is certainly very different from conventional angel statues. I love that about her.

I have another book coming out in February 2025. It will be called Woman in Blue. It will be published by Fairlight books – my third book to be published by them; the other two are Blue Postcards and With or Without Angels. These first two books have angels in them; and the third, Woman in Blue does not… except that I was one day looking for a name for the central female character and it had to be a Dutch name and I stumbled upon the name ‘Lieke’. I fell in love with the name for its musicality and so used it. Only later in the writing did I discover that ‘Lieke’ is short for ‘Angelieke’, which means angel-like! And so angels creep into my work unawares and very welcome they are too.

That’s serendipity at its best! 

Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about Hope Never Knew Horizon Douglas. You’ve made me desperate to read the book and I think it sounds wonderful.

Thank you, Linda , for your warm hospitality. The cake and tea was fabulous.

My pleasure. Now, you pour us another cup and slice up that Bakewell and I’ll give readers a few more details: 

Hope Never Knew Horizon

Wexford County, 1891. The unlikely discovery of a beached blue whale sets in motion a series of events leading to the present-day re-installation of a fundamental piece of London’s Natural History Museum.

Amherst, Massachusetts, circa. 1850. A letter is found revealing an intimate secret about the reclusive Miss Emily and her brother’s fiancé Susan Huntington.

London, circa. 1880. A young working-class woman named Ada Alice Pullen meets the esteemed painter Frederic Leighton, beginning a relationship that will transform her and the world of art forever. Three objects of hope, their stories retold as you’ve never heard them before: in the voices of the coxswain’s girlfriend, the maid, and the model.

Hope Never Knew Horizon was published by Taproot Press on 30th April 2024 and is available for purchase here.

About Douglas Bruton

Douglas Bruton has had short stories placed in various publications including ‘Northwords Now’, ‘New Writing Scotland’, ‘Aesthetica’ and ‘The Irish Literary Review’. His short stories have also won many competitions including with ‘Fish’ and ‘The Neil Gunn Prize’. His children’s novel, The Chess Piece Magician was published by Floris Books (2009); his literary fiction debut, Mrs Winchester’s Gun Club, was published by Scotland Street Press (2019); and Blue Postcards, longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2022, was published by Fairlight Books (2021); With or Without Angels was also published by Fairlight Books (2023). A novella about the death of Dylan Thomas called Just Like Him To Die was published by Leamington Books (2022). In 2024 Taproot Press published Hope Never Knew Horizon.

For further information, find Douglas on Facebook or follow him on Twitter/X @DB14bbb.

I confess that had The Language of Birds by Jill Dawson not been my book group read for August, I’d never have heard of it! I’m very glad I have now and am delighted to share my review today. 

The Language of Birds was published by Sceptre in paperback on 16th April 2020 and is available for purchase in all formats here.

The Language of Birds

Drawing on the infamous Lord Lucan affair, this compelling novel explores the roots of a shocking murder from a fresh perspective and brings to vivid life an era when women’s voices all too often went unheard. 

In the summer of 1974, Mandy River arrives in London to make a fresh start and begins working as nanny to the children of one Lady Morven. She quickly finds herself in the midst of a bitter custody battle and the house under siege: Lord Morven is having his wife watched. According to Lady Morven, her estranged husband also has a violent streak, yet she doesn’t seem the most reliable witness. Should Mandy believe her? 

As Mandy edges towards her tragic fate, her friend Rosemary watches from the wings – an odd girl with her own painful past and a rare gift. This time, though, she misreads the signs.

My Review of The Language of Birds

Based on the infamous story of Lord Lucan.

I loved The Language of Birds. The events upon which the story is based have been fictionalised compellingly and convincingly, making for a totally riveting read. The historical social and cultural references create a vivid and authentic setting with class hierarchy examined to perfection. I thought Jill Dawson’s style was sophisticated, beautiful, slightly mystical and both firmly concrete and wispily ethereal. This is a really intense read that has been assiduously researched and fine tuned into a mesmerising story.

The plot is excellent, thoroughly engaging the reader, regardless of whether the Lord Lucan story is known. In The Language of Birds Jill Dawson creates a sense of mystery and menace as she weaves a dual first person narrative for Rosemary and third person for Mandy. This works so well because it uncovers the way one person or event can look very different to different people. As a result, readers find their own perceptions heightened and questioned.

Both Rosemary and Mandy are multi-faceted and so believable. Their hopes, dreams, mental health, their mistakes and their triumphs create real, flawed people the reader absolutely cares about. In many ways, The Language of Birds is a feminist narrative that explores the chasm between the attitudes to men and women in the era of the setting. With the unstable Katharine in a coercive and troubling marriage, the attitudes of men, of the media and of other women towards her, lay bare the ways we are conditioned by our upbringing and societal expectation. Sadly, so much of this is still relevant in today’s society so that The Language of Birds feels fresh and pertinent. 

Dickie too is layered and so provocative. He obviously has severe mental health issues and yet it is impossible to feel the empathy towards him that is evoked by Rosemary. Through Dickie Jill Dawson provides insight into domestic physical and emotional violence and yet there’s nothing gratuitous or extraneous in any of the events she describes. I found this enormously powerful.

The Language of Birds is quite brilliant. It’s wonderfully entertaining, but it’s also thought provoking and, I feel, important. I was totally absorbed by reading it and cannot recommend it enough. 

About Jill Dawson

Born in Durham, Jill Dawson grew up in Yorkshire. She has won prizes for poetry, short stories and fiction and held many Fellowships, including the Creative Writing Fellowship at the University of East Anglia, where she taught on the MA in Creative Writing course. In 2006 she received an honorary doctorate in recognition of her work and in 2020 became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She lives in an eco house designed by her husband the architect Meredith Bowles in the Cambridgeshire Fens. She runs Gold Dust a mentoring scheme for writers that you’ll find here.

You can follow Jill on Twitter/X @JDawsonwriter, and find her on Instagram.

I’ve ‘known’ the fantastic G. D. (Gary) Wright for a number of years vicariously, but it was my very great pleasure to meet him in person recently. I was thrilled to have been sent a surprise copy of his new book, After the Storm, in return for an honest review. My huge thanks to Laura Sherlock for sending it to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review of After the Storm today.

After the Storm was published by Harper Collins imprint Avon, on 1st August 2024, and is available for purchase through the links here.

After the Storm

TWO CHILDREN WENT INTO THE SEA.

When local couple Andrew and Sophie take their daughter and her friend to the beach on a stormy day, they are momentarily distracted leading both children to get washed out to sea. Andrew dives in, but comes back ashore with only one child – his own daughter, Maria. Joe, the son of his best friend and local police officer, Chris, has drowned. But it was just a tragic accident…wasn’t it?

ONLY ONE CAME OUT ALIVE.

As Sergeant Mike Adams and DS Sue Willmott investigate what really happened in the water that afternoon, the ripple effects of the tragedy tear the community apart. The detectives must discover the truth before their colleague – bereaved and desperate father, Chris – takes the investigation into his own hands…

BUT WHO IS TO BLAME?

My Review of After the Storm

Maria’s parents Andrew and Sophie look after little Joe for Linda and Chris. 

After the Storm is a dramatic, fast paced and emotional story that illustrates to perfection how one split second can affect future lives irrevocably. With a terrifying prologue that captivates the reader immediately, this is a book that doesn’t let up.

There’s an immediacy – a real time element – to the writing so that it feels as if the reader is seeing the action first hand, giving added impact. It doesn’t seem like reading, more like bearing witness to actual events through an authorial style that I found totally compelling. Descriptions are vivid and evocative and the power of the sea in particular is wonderfully depicted.

However, there’s considerable depth in amongst the exciting action too. Written with a sense of compassion and a sensitive understanding of police procedure and the kinds of situations officers can find themselves in, After the Storm feels authentic and realistic as well as exciting to read. It makes the reader appreciate just what officers go through in the line of duty. 

The drama of the storm feels all the more heightened coming after the early domesticity in the book. We see ordinary, loving, frazzled parents who could easily be anyone of us, and suddenly they are plunged into the most dreadful nightmare, so that by the time of the storm we feel we know Linda, Chris, Andrew and Sophie intimately and, consequently, we are all the more invested in the outcomes of the story. This means that After the Storm has skilful and profound emotional impact.

The characters are layered and drawn with a kind of tender empathy – even when they are at their worst. I’m not usually a fan of children in fiction, but both Joe and Maria seemed completely realistic. I loved the way Joe is a catalyst for so much action even though he’s barely physically present in the story. This is because of the depth of human understanding G.D. Wright weaves into his narrative through the adults’ reactions. I thought the balance of focus on Chris and Andrew against the police procedural element of the story was brilliant. Whilst I think there is enormous scope to develop Sergeant Mike Adams and DS Sue Williams in any future books, what is so affecting here is the impact of crime on individuals. We see with absolute clarity how events can escalate and how ordinary people can have their lives turned upside down. After the Storm is like a pebble dropped into a pool as consequences and reactions ripple out through the lives of the characters. 

The themes of the story that include grief, mental health, family, friendship, professionalism and loyalty, underpinning a fast, high action narrative, mean that After the Storm has an aspect relevant to any reader, giving the book an impressive universality and a surprising emotional depth.

I thought After the Storm was an excellent read. It has drama and entertainment, but above all else it has sensitivity and humanity. I cared about the people between its pages and am thinking about them still. It’s a super book and not to be missed from an author destined to be a real star.

About G. D. Wright

Gary Wright joined Kent Police at the age of 18 and worked in a variety of uniformed roles. At the age of 29, and completely out of the blue, he suffered two cardiac arrests that led to the diagnosis of a life limiting and incurable disease of the heart. Following the implant of an internal defibrillator in his heart, he was unable to continue policing and retired at the age of 30.

He bought a coffee shop in Ramsgate Harbour, and spent years looking out over the sea and dreaming up stories. He now writes full time, committing those very stories to paper.

After the Storm is Gary’s 2024 debut and will be followed in 2025 by Into the Fire.

For further information, visit Gary’s website, follow him on Twitter/X @GDWrightWrites, or find him on Instagram and Facebook.

I try not to blog at the weekend, but when I am excited to share details of my latest My Weekly magazine online review of Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde I am allowed to break my own rules. I’ve been a fan of Katie Fforde’s writing for years and reviewed her A Wedding in Provence for My Weekly here.

Published in paperback by Penguin on 18th July, Island in the Sun is available in all formats through the links here.

Island in the Sun

Dominica. A beautiful remote island where the sun shines and the living is easy.

And where Cass goes to photograph a rare stone carving as a favour to her father.

With her is Ranulph, a deeply attractive, much-travelled journalist, who offers to help Cass with her quest.

But Dominica has just been hit be a severe hurricane, and Cass and Ranulph are spending all of their time helping the local community.

Cass knows she must not fall in love with him… He is just looking out for her. He’s being kind.

There is no way he could be even the slightest bit interested in her. Could he?

My Review of Island in the Sun

My full review of Island in the Sun can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Island in the Sun is perfect summer reading, just right to put in your suitcase if you’re going away or for reading in the garden or on the sofa if you’re not!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Katie Fforde

Katie Fforde lives in the beautiful Cotswold countryside with her family, and is a true country girl at heart. Each of her books explores a different profession or background and her research has helped her bring these to life. She’s been a porter in an auction house, tried her hand at pottery, refurbished furniture, delved behind the scenes of a dating website, and she’s even been on a Ray Mears survival course. She loves being a writer; to her there isn’t a more satisfying and pleasing thing to do. She particularly enjoys writing love stories. She believes falling in love is the best thing in the world, and she wants all her characters to experience it, and her readers to share their stories.

For further information, visit Katie’s website, find her on Facebook or Instagram and follow her on Twitter/X @KatieFforde.

Having loved The Traitor by Ava Glass (reviewed here) I’m thrilled that my latest My Weekly magazine online review is of Ava’s latest Emma Makepeace book, The Trap.

Published by Penguin on 1st August 2024, The Trap is available for purchase through the publishing links here.

The Trap

How far would you go to catch a killer?

This is the question UK agent Emma Makepeace must ask herself when she is sent to Edinburgh for the upcoming global G7 Summit.

The Russians are in town and Emma and her team know a high-profile assassination is being planned.

But who is their target?

There is only one way to find out. Emma must set a trap using herself as bait.

As the most powerful leaders in the world arrive and the city becomes gridlocked, Emma knows the clock is ticking.

My Review of My The Trap

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

However, here I can say that The Trap is a fast paced, plausible and intelligent thriller with a fantastic protagonist in Emma Makepeace. I loved every moment of this classy, enthralling read.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Ava Glass

Ava Glass is the author of the espionage series Alias Emma. A former civil servant and journalist, she once worked closely with spies, and that experience fuels her writing. Ava is the pseudonym for an international bestselling author who has written more than ten crime novels under another name. Her books have been bestsellers in multiple countries, and have been published in more than twenty languages. Alias Emma is currently being developed for television by The Ink Factory.

To find out more, visit Ava’s website or follow her on Twitter/X @AvaGlassBooks, Instagram and Threads.

I cannot believe I’ve never got round to reading Catherine Steadman before, even though all of her books are sitting on my shelves. Consequently,  I’m delighted that Look in the Mirror is my latest My Weekly magazine online review. My enormous thanks to Hannah Robinson and Myrto Kalavrezou at Quercus for sending me a copy of the book.

Published by Quercus on 30th July 2024, Look in the Mirror is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Look in the Mirror

In this paradise you won’t like what you see . . .

When Nina’s father dies, she inherits a gleaming dream vacation home in a balmy tropical paradise – one she had no idea existed. The house is extraordinary: state-of-the-art, all glass and marble. How did her sensible father ever have enough money for this? And why not tell her about it? Desperate to uncover why he hid such a big secret, she decides to visit.

Maria, once an ambitious medical student, is now a nanny for the super-rich. The money’s better, and so are the destinations – like this new assignment in the British Virgin Islands. But when her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home, spending her days luxuriating by the pool. There’s just one rule: Don’t go in the basement. But her curiosity might just get the better of her. And soon, she’ll wish her only worry was not getting paid.

As both women’s timelines intertwine, dark secrets start to unravel and one thing quickly becomes clear – nothing could have prepared them for what they are about to encounter.

My Review of Look in the Mirror

My full review of Look in the Mirror can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Look in the Mirror is a cleverly plotted, plausibly terrifying story that takes the locked room thriller on an innovative and compelling, twisty ride. I found it made my pulse race and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Catherine Steadman

Catherine Steadman is a New York Times bestselling author, screenwriter and actress based in London and is perhaps best known for playing Mabel Lane Fox in the series Downton Abbey. As well as on screen she has also appeared on stage in the West End where she has been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.

Her first novel, Something in the Water, was a New York Times bestseller, a Reese’s Book Club pick and a Richard & Judy Book Club pick with rights sold in more than thirty territories. She is also the author of Mr Nobody, The Disappearing Act and The Family Game.

For more information about Catherine, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter/X @CatSteadman and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Niamh Wallace at Boldwood for sending me a copy of The Orphan Songbird by Chrissie Walsh in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Published by Boldwood on 22nd August 2024, The Orphan Songbird is available for pre-order through the links here.

The Orphan Songbird

With no parents to protect her, Darcy Earnshaw must make her own way in the world.

After the death of her beloved mill-owner father, thirteen-year-old Darcy Earnshaw is left in the care of her lascivious uncle Abe. Not only is he determined to steal her inheritance, but as she blossoms into a captivating young woman, he longs to steal her innocence too. Desperate to avoid his advances, Darcy decides to flee.

Alone and homeless, she is soon taken under the wing of John Carver, a kind-hearted beloved street performer and his family who is captivated by Darcy’s beautiful voice. But it’s Danny, an Italian singer, who captures Darcy’s heart and finally seems to offer the promise of a happy future.

But, when war breaks out, and the pressure on Danny and John to enlist mounts, all Darcy’s dreams start to crumble. And with her evil uncle Abe still determined to wreak his terrible revenge on her, surely now there can be no happy ending for the orphan songbird?

My Review of The Orphan Songbird

Darcy Earnshaw is suffering at the hands of her uncle.

The Orphan Songbird was not what I was expecting. I had anticipated a rather gentle saga with a happy ever after ending. I hadn’t reckoned on a gritty, feminist and occasionally quite sexually explicit #metoo style narrative that not only fitted the early 1900s era brilliantly, but which had complete relevance to today’s society too. I think The Orphan Songbird would somewhat surprise readers who eschew the genre as too twee for their tastes! 

The story is very much about Darcy Earnshaw, but it is set against an authentic historical backdrop that feels real and interesting. As many men head off to war, the author makes such a large global event feel personal and affecting which makes for high impact. Other elements such as the fight for Women’s suffrage give depth and colour. So too do the themes of the story. Family and belonging are very much at the heart and Chrissie Walsh illustrates perfectly that family does not necessarily mean blood relatives. Reading The Orphan Songbird brings home powerfully what is important in life. I loved the title too because it suggests both Darcy’s actual status in life with both her parents dead, and her singing skill, as well as the metaphorical concept of a bird in a cage which very much fits some of the things that happen to her. 

The characters are vividly drawn with Darcy at the heart of the action, but her interplay with others from her odious uncle Abe, her relationship with Danny and her various friendships, give her a special depth and appeal. I thought her the way she developed beyond the trauma of her childhood to realise that her past may have shaped her present, but does not need to constrain her future was a gloriously uplifting message.

Darker and more profound than I had imagined it to be, The Orphan Songbird packs a punch that I thoroughly enjoyed. And as for my expectation of a happy ever after ending, well, you’ll just have to read it for yourself to see if I got one!  

About Chrissie Walsh

Chrissie Walsh was born and raised in West Yorkshire and is a retired schoolteacher with a passion for history. She has written several successful sagas documenting feisty women in challenging times for Aria. Welcome to Weaver Street, was the first title in her WW1 saga series for Boldwood.

My huge thanks to Sabah Khan at Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of Everything You Have by Kate Ruby in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Everything You Have will be published in paperback by Simon and Schuster on 1st August 2024 and is available for pre-order here.

Everything You Have

The perfect assistant is not all she seems in this gripping suspense thriller from the author of the Richard & Judy pick Tell Me Your Lies. 

Sasha Fulton looks like she has it all – the glittering media career, the happy marriage, the perfect kids. But the truth behind the shining façade is very different. The job is nothing but pressure, and the stroppy teens aren’t even hers. She’s fast reaching breaking point.

When Sasha’s new twenty-something assistant Jenna walks through the door, she seems like the answer to her prayers. Dazzlingly efficient, with a whip-smart wit, Sasha’s soon wondering how she ever lived without her.

But with trouble mounting at home and at work, Sasha is starting to lose control. As the lines between professional and personal become dangerously blurred, she feels like there’s only one person she can rely on.

Sasha is heading for a fall. But is Jenna there to catch her, or to push her over the edge?

My Review of Everything You Have

Sasha needs a new assistant. 

Everything You Have is a pressure cooker of a book. It shimmers with poisonous menace that builds throughout. It’s filled with manipulative, self-serving characters who get right under your skin and keep you turning the pages. This is a dark and nasty book and I thought it was excellent.

There’s an intense and claustrophobic atmosphere because of the alternate viewpoints of Sasha and Jenna. I found it interesting that Sasha’s narrative is first person as if she’s more trustworthy and important than Jenna and yet I found her equally manipulative and devious. The pendulum swing of viewpoint is mirrored by that of the reader’s feelings. Kate Ruby made me keep changing my mind about who was most at fault.

Indeed, I thought the characterisation was really well drawn. Sasha’s step-daughter Georgie is so empathetic and I had huge sympathy for her. Vulnerable and hurting, she becomes the lynchpin of action taken by Sasha and Jenna who both manipulate her for their own gains. She made me want to climb into the pages of Everything You Have and comfort her. 

It’s obvious from Sasha’s end of chapter asides to the reader that Jenna is a threat, but why that is the case and what she truly plans only gradually becomes uncovered. Sasha is intelligent, scheming and Machiavellian. But so too is Sasha and the very company they both work for, Bright, is predicated on steering people, on making them believe in fabricated concepts so that there’s a real sense of justice as the story unfolds. 

I was completely fascinated by the insight into corporate big business through Bright. Kate Ruby depicts the cut-throat attitudes, the internal politics, the pressures and the tenuous successes that all place pressure on individuals so that there’s an added layer of toxicity in the story.

It’s hard to review Everything You Have without spoilers. There are themes of family and identity, of abandonment and mental health, of belonging and revenge. I think the greatest success of Everything You Have, however, is the concept of manipulation. It’s at the heart of the story and Kate Ruby manipulates the reader incredibly successfully so that they finish the book wondering just what might happen next. I really, really enjoyed it.

About Kate Ruby

Photo credit – Simon Annand

Kate Ruby is a pseudonym for an award-winning TV drama producer and screenwriter. Her previous novel, Tell Me Your Lies, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick in 2022 and is now in development for TV with a major US network after a fierce bidding war for the rights. Everything You Have is already under option for the screen. Kate balances her writing career alongside her work as an executive producer, with recent credits including The Girl Before for the BBC and HBO and The Flatshare for Paramount Plus.

For further information, follow Kate on Twitter/X @katerubybooks or Instagram.

I so loved Skip to the End by Molly James (reviewed here) that I was thrilled when Elizabeth Masters and Ana McLaughlin at Quercus Books sent me a copy of Molly’s latest book, One Day to Fall in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

One Day to Fall in Love will be published in paperback by Quercus on 1st August 2024 and is available for purchase in all formats through the links here.

One Day to Fall in Love

The clock is ticking, don’t let love run out . . .

When the love of her life falls for someone else, Rena finds herself desperately scrolling for a solution. That’s when an ad for a new dating app pops up:

24 hours to fall in love ❤️ A guaranteed love match by the end of the day or your money back.

Fueled by heartbreak and tequila, Rena signs up and prepares for her life to change. What she doesn’t know is that she is bound to repeat this day over and over again, until she finds her perfect match. One day they said, but there was no mention of how many times that day would play out . . .

My Review of One Day to Fall in Love

Rena is in love with Dylan. 

One Day to Fall in Love is just lovely. I so enjoyed it. 

The plot is smashing. As Rena has signed up for a dating app, she has also inadvertently signed herself up to repeating the same 24 hours over and over again until she finds her perfect love. I had anticipated that this structure might make the story repetitive, but not a bit of it. Molly James makes it fresh, lively, humorous and hugely entertaining. The narrative romps along.

The characters are warm and realistic. There’s an intimacy because of the focus on Rena and Nat, but a wide enough cast to add fun, comedy and interest, so that the story is beguiling and uplifting. Although a super romance is at the heart of the action, it is other relationships that give the book true emotional depth. Rena’s self-preserving distance from her father and Nat’s blind acceptance of Mark’s behaviour are both explored. Through these two wonderfully depicted women we see how the first step in any true relationship is an acceptance of ourselves. If we can’t be honest with ourselves, appreciate our own positives and accept our own flaws, then we can’t really expect others to do so. Consequently, One Day to Fall in Love is a book about romantic, family, self, platonic and genuine love. I thought this aspect was simply wonderful. 

Other messages in this diverting story are equally significant. The importance of belonging, of the Arts, and of not being afraid to step outside our comfort zones and try new things are aspects that are so well depicted. It means the story is inspirational as well as entertaining –  and frequently laugh aloud funny!

I really loved One Day to Fall in Love. I realised I was reading it with a smile on my face throughout and I finished it with a huge sigh of satisfaction. Molly James has written the kind of book to keep on your shelf as a pick-me-up when life feels bleak. It’s witty, warm and incredible fun – a true tonic. Don’t miss it. 

About Molly James

Molly James is the pen name of Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author Belinda Jones. While Belinda’s romcoms double as travel guides to dream destinations from Costa Rica to Capri, Molly’s love stories come with an exciting twist of magical realism. Belinda is dog-besotted, Molly favours felines. Both love a lavender latte!

For more information, find Molly on Instagram.

A little while ago, it was my privilege to review here the children’s book Storm Child by Ele Fountain ahead of publication and as I so loved the book, I’m delighted that Ele has agreed to ‘stay in’ with me to chat all about it.

Lets find out more:

Staying in with Ele Fountain

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Ele and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

I’m delighted to be joining you.

Tell me (as if I didn’t know!), which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought Storm Child, my sixth novel. I wrote this story while my favourite thalassophile was weathering a huge storm of their own, and so it’s particularly special to me.

Interesting. What can we expect from an evening in with Storm Child?

Some of my earliest memories are of being by the sea. In these memories I am always happy (and it’s always windy!). The ocean can be a source of joy, fear, adventure and longing. In Storm Child, I wanted to tether this power to the upheaval faced by Maya, the main character.

And you do it brilliantly! Tell us more about Maya.

She is fourteen and grew up by the sea. Her Dad is a fisherman and her family home is perched on top of windswept cliffs, above one of the finest surfing coves for miles around. Maya, a talented surfer, spends most of her spare time at the beach with her friends. She can spot the perfect wave and knows how to make the best beach bonfires. But when her father loses his fishing boat in a terrible storm, Maya’s life capsizes too. With no money and no fishing boat, her parents decide to make a new life – in paradise. They choose a tropical island that looks just like ones Maya has seen in films. But when she arrives, the beaches aren’t what she imagined. Nor is her new friend. Maya doesn’t realise it, but she’s drifting into the heart of a storm that threatens to tear her family apart.

I loved the way the physical and metaphorical storms are interwoven in the story.

Storm Child is an adventure story with themes of family, friendship, resilience and globalisation – and plenty of toasted marshmallows and gale-force winds too!

Brilliant summing up of Storm Child Ele! What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought some of my favourite beach finds from the Devon and Cornish coast, items that reflect the oceans permanence, rhythms and abundance.

Firstly, a selection of sea glass. My favourites pieces are always turquoise or dark blue – which seem to be rarest.

Oh they do. It took me over 60 years to find my first piece – though I do live about as far from the sea as it is possible to be.

Next, is an ammonite. To me, fossils seem like an almost magical link to the past. I was so excited when I discovered this one. It sits on my windowsill so that I can look at it while I’m typing.

Again, I couldn’t agree more. We went fossil hunting last summer and my husband once bought me a fossilised trilobite for Christmas. 

Lastly, an old milk bottle covered in barnacles. I love that the ocean turned it into a home for sea creatures, then in time would have transformed it to sea glass, then sand. The transformative power of nature in three simple steps!

I am so jealous of that bottle Ele. What a find!

Thank you so much for chatting about Storm Child. I just loved the book and readers will find my review 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?

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

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.