T.M. Logan is one of my favourite authors of thrillers so I am delighted to participate in the blog tour for his latest book The Dream Home by sharing my review today. My enormous thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to participate in the blog tour.

You’ll find my reviews of T.M. Logan’s The Mother, The Curfew and 29 Seconds here.

The Dream Home was published by Zaffre on 29th February 2024 and is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

The Dream Home

Adam and Jess move into a new house with their three young children: a rambling Victorian villa in a nice neighbourhood right at the very top of their price range. Before long Adam discovers a door hidden behind a fitted wardrobe, concealing a secret room . . .

Inside Adam discovers a collection of forgotten items: a wallet, an expensive watch and an old mobile phone. Jess thinks they should simply throw them away. But Adam resists. He is fascinated by these items and how they came to be inside the hidden room.

But like the house, Adam has his secrets too. And soon he will find himself setting in motion a series of events that will place his family in terrible danger . . .

My Review of The Dream Home

Jess and Adam are moving into a new home.

Captivating from the very first sentence, The Dream Home is T.M. Logan at his very best. This is a story thrumming with menace and skilfully plotted so that it’s a really exciting and engrossing read that is impossible to predict. It’s also hugely entertaining. 

I loved the way the named, italicised passages are dropped into the narrative as extra hooks that compel the reader on. They are highly effective because they give the reader an insight that isn’t immediately obvious to Adam and this increases the tension. The pace is rapid and compelling and the closer to the end the reader gets, the faster their heart rate becomes. Throughout the story threatening occurrences feel only too plausible so that The Dream Home is taut and unsettling. Adding in the more prosaic, contrasting, aspects of Adam’s life in dealing with his young children, getting meals and doing the school run, for example, only adds to the sense of threat and peril when their life in their new home begins to unravel because they make the reader realise this level of danger and drama might be waiting for any one of us. 

Adam is an interesting character. He infuriated me because he withholds information from Jess, and because he sometimes behaves rashly, and yet I admired him too in his attempt to resolve the mysteries of the house, to find the links between the eclectic collection of items he discovers, and his desperation to protect his family. In fact, my conflicting feelings about Adam served to increase the impact of the book because I found my response to him somewhat conflicted and unbalanced – rather like the way he behaves at times.

Other characters are equally engaging and interesting. With T.M. Logan’s skilful writing, it’s impossible to know who can be trusted and who might be behind the threatening, terrifying events that occur when the Wylie family move into their dream home. I even wondered whether Jess herself might be the perpetrator, but you’ll need to read The Dream Home yourself to see how close to the truth I was! I also loved the sense of place. Having studied post-grad at Nottingham University I felt the way T.M. Logan described the city, and the area Jess and Adam are living in particularly, was so vivid it made the setting a character in its own right.

But The Dream Home is so much more than a cracking thriller. Themes within the story give it depth and layers. The overworked police, the sense of family and what a person might do to protect their loved ones, the role of employment in identity, our modern dependence on technology, the way in which those who are missing are often seen as unimportant or expendable, for example, all mean that the reader thinks about the story long after it is finished.

The Dream Home is an addictive, fast paced thriller that simply has to be consumed in as few sessions as possible because it’s impossible not to want to know what happens next. I absolutely loved it, but be warned. Your life won’t be your own if you choose to read The Dream Home. It’s too good to set aside for a moment! 

About T.M. Logan

TM Logan’s thrillers have sold more than a million copies in the UK and been translated into 22 other languages for publication around the world.

His thriller, Trust Me, begins when a woman is asked to look after a stranger’s baby on a train – only for the mother to vanish. When she looks in the baby’s things, she finds a note that says: ‘Please protect Mia. Don’t trust the police. Don’t trust anyone.’

The Curfew, coming March 2022, follows the events of a hot midsummer’s night, when five teenagers go up to the woods to celebrate the end of exams, and only four come out…

Tim’s thriller The Holiday was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten. It has since won a Nielsen Bestseller Award and been made into a four-part TV drama with Jill Halfpenny for Channel 5. The Catch recently aired on Channel 5 too.

A former national newspaper journalist, Tim has recently moved house!

For further information, exclusive writing, new releases and a FREE deleted scene from Tim, sign up to the Readers’ Club on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor, or find him on Facebook and on Instagram.

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I cannot thank Becky Hunter enough for sending me a copy of Clare Mackintosh’s latest book I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This in return for an honest review. I adore Clare’s fiction (and you’ll find my reviews of other Clare Mackintosh books here), so I was intrigued to discover I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This is non-fiction. I’m delighted to share my review of I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This today.

Published by Little Brown imprint Sphere on 7th March 2024, I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This is available for pre-order through the publisher links here.

As many of you know, I am part of the organising committee for the Deepings Literary Festival, and I’m beside myself with excitement as I’ll be interviewing Clare Mackintosh about her writing on Saturday 4th of May, so do head to the website and book a ticket to join us or to see other authors as they are selling fast!

I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This

Grief is universal, but it’s also as unique to each of us as the person we’ve lost. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, lonely, unreasonable, there when we least expect it and seemingly never-ending. Wherever you are with your grief and whoever you’re grieving for, I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This is here to support you. To tell you, until you believe it, that things will get easier.

When bestselling writer Clare Mackintosh lost her five-week-old son, she searched for help in books. All of them wanted to tell her what she should be feeling and when she should be feeling it, but the truth – as she soon found out – is that there are no neat, labelled stages for grief, or crash grief-diets to relieve us of our pain. What we need when we’re grieving is time and understanding. With 18 short assurances that are full of compassion – drawn from Clare’s experiences of losing her son and her father – I Promise it Won’t Always Hurt Like This is the book she needed then.

My Review of I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This

A book offering 18 assurances about dealing with grief.

If I say that I had tears in my eyes simply reading the introduction to I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This, you’ll understand what an important, impactful and inspirational book it is. I simply could not have adored, or needed, it more. 

I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This is divided into 18 chapters, or rather, promises that can be read as I did in the order they are presented, or dipped into. Even reading the chapter headings, presented as they are like a poem, is like finding a life raft when you’ve been adrift in a sea of grief. 

There’s enormous impact in Clare Mackintosh’s honest, raw and self aware writing. She does not spare herself her emotions of grief, rage and joy even when they feel at odds with how the world might view her. Because she addresses the reader directly using the pronoun ‘you’ and because she has lived the very depths of personal grief, I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This is utterly convincing, sensitively written and intimate. I can genuinely envisage it providing such strength and understanding to a grieving person that it might actually save their life.

Through sharing her grief about her son Alex, Clare Mackintosh gives the reader permission to claim their own grief in whatever way that manifests itself and for whatever length of time it takes. This might be a book about grief, but it is equally a magnificent book about humanity, hope and kindness and one that I feel privileged to have read. Again, I couldn’t have loved it more. 

I found I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This relatable, cathartic and terribly, terribly moving. I cried for Clare, for Alex, and not just for those I’ve lost, but for the state of the world, identifying a grief I hadn’t realised I was harbouring. Through Clare’s honesty and pain I have come to a greater understanding of myself as well as those around me – especially my niece and her husband whose daughter Emma Faith died just 90 minutes before birth at full term and who would have been celebrating her 8th birthday this month. I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This feels like a tribute to them all and I thank Clare Mackintosh for it. 

Don’t buy a copy of this book. Buy several and press them into the hands of those you love and into the hands of complete strangers. Leave copies in places they will be found by people you’ll never meet. They may not need its wisdom, its humanity and its kindness right now, but someday I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This WILL be the very thing they need at that very moment. Make sure it’s waiting for them when they are ready to read it. It’s a wonderful, wonderful book.

About Clare Mackintosh

Clare Mackintosh is a police officer turned crime writer, and the multi-award-winning author of six Sunday Times bestselling novels. Translated into forty languages, her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide and have spent a combined total of sixty-eight weeks in the Sunday Times bestseller chart. Clare lives in North Wales with her husband and their three children.

For further information visit Clare’s website, follow Clare on Twitter/X @ClareMackint0sh or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

I rarely read autobiography or memoir, but when the lovely folk at ed. Public Relations sent me a surprise copy of Lesley Pearse’s autobiography The Long and Winding Road it went straight to the top of my TBR. It’s my pleasure to share my review of The Long and Winding Road today.

I’ve been a fan of Lesley Pearse for a very long time – way before I started blogging – and have even had the privilege of asking questions of her in an online interview a few years ago. Lesley has featured on Linda’s Book Bag several times in posts you will find here.

Published in hardback by Penguin Michael Joseph yesterday, 29th February 2024, The Long and Winding Road is available for purchase through the links here.

The Long and Winding Road

One of the world’s bestselling storytellers, Lesley Pearse writes brilliantly about survivors. Why? Because she is one herself . . .

Born during the Second World War, Lesley’s innocence came to an abrupt end when a neighbour found her, aged 3, coatless in the snow. The mother she’d been unable to wake had been dead for days. Sent to an orphanage, Lesley soon learned adults couldn’t always be trusted.

As a teenager in the swinging sixties, she took herself to London. Here, the second great tragedy of her life occurred. Falling pregnant, she was sent to a mother and baby home, and watched helplessly as her newborn was taken from her.

But like so many of her generation, Lesley had to carry on. She was, after all, a true survivor. Marriage and children followed – and all the while she nurtured a dream: to be a writer. Yet it wasn’t until at the age of 48 that her stories – of women struggling in a difficult world – found a publisher, and the bestseller lists beckoned.

As heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, Lesley’s story really is A Long and Winding Road with surprises and uplifting hope around every corner . . .

My Review of The Long and Winding Road

Truth is stranger than fiction.

For someone who isn’t really interested in autobiography, I found The Long and Winding Road an absolute belter of a read! Lesley Pearse might be known for writing riveting domestic dramas, but her own life outstrips them all.

What works so well here is the conversational style Lesley Pearse uses. It is as if she is speaking directly and confidentially to the reader alone, making them feel special in the process. Her style is so engaging and The Long and Winding Road opens every bit as dramatically as any of the author’s fiction. It’s one of those books the reader consumes with wide eyes and jaw dropped because the events that befell Lesley were incredible. It seems fitting that her father was once in the navy as the structure of this memoir is very much like being on a stormy sea with great peaks and troughs to the waves of writing and experience.

In amongst the most revealing, honest and heartfelt prose are some fabulous throw away lines that simply stop the reader in their tracks and bring not only Lesley’s existence, but the eras she’s writing about, into sharp focus. Societal attitudes have played a huge part in Lesley Pearse’s life and reading The Long and Winding Road left me with huge admiration for her as a person as well as an author. Indeed, the passages relating to her pregnancy when she was nineteen and what has happened since reduced me to tears.

I loved the references to her fiction titles and how she has drawn on some of her own experiences to create character and plot. I’d like to say more about this aspect, but The Long and Winding Road is every bit as twisty, exciting and imbued with humanity and themes of feminism, poverty, self-resilience and grit as any of Lesley Pearse’s books and I really don’t want to spoil the read for others. What we have here is a person who presents herself with all her flaws and strengths and who makes her reader fall in love with her.

Reading The Long and Winding Road only served to confirm what I already knew – Lesley Pearse is a consummate story teller. However, it also proved that she is the most amazing woman too. As someone not a huge fan of autobiography I’d have to say that this is one simply not to be missed. It’s fabulous – even if it might put you off trifle!

About Lesley Pearse

International bestselling author Lesley Pearse has lived a life as rich with incidents, setbacks and joys as any found in her novels.

Resourceful, determined and willing to have a go at almost anything, Lesley left home at sixteen. By the mid sixties she was living in London, sharing flats, partying hard and married to a trumpet player in a jazz-rock band. She has also worked as a nanny and a Playboy bunny, and designed and made clothes to sell to boutiques.

It was only after having three daughters that Lesley began to write. The hardships, traumas, close friends and lovers from those early years were inspiration for her beloved novels. She published her first book at forty-nine and has not looked back since.

Lesley is still a party girl.

You can follow Lesley on Twitter/X @LesleyPearse, and find her on Facebook.

My huge thanks to Sophie Ransom and Poppy Delingpole for inviting me to participate in the launch celebrations for The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins.

I’m very excited to stay in with the fabulous Dani Atkins today to chat all about The Memory of Us because it’s already one of my books of the year! If you’re a regular visitor to Linda’s Book Bag you’ll be aware that I review online for My Weekly magazine and it was my privilege to review The Memory of Us a couple of weeks ago. You’ll find my review here.

Let’s see what Dani has to say about The Memory of Us:

Staying in with Dani Atkins

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Dani. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thank you so much for inviting me. It’s quite nice to have an evening out away from our young puppy, Bo, who is quite a handful.

I imagine so. Bo must be distracting when you’re trying to write!

Tell me, (although I rather think I know) which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

 

I have brought along my latest book The Memory of Us which came out on 15^thFebruary and would make a perfect gift if you forgot to buy your other half a card, flowers, or chocolates on Valentine’s Day.

Actually, Dani, I would say it would make a perfect gift for anyone at any time. I adored it.

For those who haven’t yet read it, what can we expect from an evening in with The Memory Of Us?

The Memory of Us is my tenth book, and like the ones that have come before it, you can expect to find a story where love, friendship, family, drama and perhaps even tragedy all feature. It’s strange, because I never set out with the intention of making readers cry. But looking back through my reviews – not just from early readers of this book, but also from my other titles – that seems to be something I hear quite a lot. I take it as an enormous compliment when someone tells me they’ve been in floods of tears when reading my book and that the story has affected them deeply. I also love hearing that people were reading into the early hours of the morning because they couldn’t bear to put the book down.

I think you might have just summed up my own reaction to The Memory of Us. Does your writing affect you too?

Lexi and Amelia – the two sisters who are the main characters in The Memory Of Us frequently kept me company in the small hours of the night while I was plotting their story and they also made me cry – a lot. So I feel very connected to readers who tell me Lexi and Amelia weren’t just characters on a page, but actually felt like people they knew as friends– because that is exactly how I feel about them.

I think anyone reading The Memory of Us can appreciate the heart and soul you poured into the writing Dani.

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

I would normally bring a bottle of Prosecco (my favourite tipple), but I know wine doesn’t agree with you, so I’ve gone a little rogue and have subbed it out with a bottle of Baileys. This drink is Christmas in a bottle as far as I am concerned. I absolutely adore it, but for some reason I never drink it once the holiday season is over. Which is crazy when it tastes so good. So I thought tonight we could make it a February drink and not just a December one.

Ha! It’s ordinary wine that doesn’t agree with me, so Prosecco (or champagne next time if you feel so inclined) would be fine, but Bailey’s is my favourite of all so I’m rather glad you brought it along!

I’ve also brought along some family photo albums (which will make sense to anyone who reads The Memory Of Us). My albums are from my family’s favourite holiday destination – Disneyworld. We have been there more times than I care to admit. And for a woman who is too scared to go on roller coasters, that tells you just how much I love it. It’s the one holiday destination that our entire family enjoy and while I might have thought it was one we’d only visit when our children were little, we are talking about going again – and my kids are now both in their thirties!

I look forward to seeing those, as Disneyworld is one place I’ve never been. Shall I put on some music too?

If we’re playing a little background music while we sip on our Baileys and look at photos of Mickey Mouse, then can it please be country music? It is all I currently listen to – we even have a country music station playing through the night for the dog! I think the reason why I love this genre so much is that virtually every song tells a story. Some of my books have even been inspired by the words from country songs – so it’s almost like research that you can sing along to.

How fascinating! I quite like country music but I’d prefer Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music myself. However, as you brought the Baileys and The Memory of Us is already on my list of favourite reads of 2024 I think we should go with the country. You never know, there might be a new Dani Atkins book coming as a result of this evening.

Thanks so much for chatting with me about The Memory of Us Dani. I adore it and will give readers a few more details whilst you pour the Baileys!

The Memory of Us

If you can’t trust your head, can you trust your heart?

If she had been found moments later, Amelia’s heart would have stopped and never recovered. Instead she was taken from the desolate beach to the nearest hospital just in time to save her life. When her sister Lexi arrives from New York, Amelia’s heart is beating, but the accident has implanted a series of false memories. These memories revolve around a man named Sam, and a perfect love story that never existed.

Determined to help her sister, Lexi enlists the help of Nick, a local vet who bears a striking resemblance to Sam. Together, Lexi and Nick recreate and photograph Amelia’s dream dates in the hopes of triggering her true memories.

But as love starts to stir between Lexi and Nick, they must navigate a complex web of emotions. How can Lexi fall for Amelia’s dream man without hurting her sister?

Filled with breathtaking romance, heart-wrenching emotion, the magic of destiny and the power of sisterhood, The Memory of Us is a must-read for fans of Holly Miller and Colleen Hoover.

Published by Head of Zeus (Aria) on 15th February 2024, The Memory of Us is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

About Dani Atkins

Dani Atkins is an award-winning novelist. Her 2013 debut Fractured (published as Then and Always in North America) has been translated into over twenty languages and has sold more than half a million copies since first publication in the UK.

Dani is the author of eight other bestselling novels (The Story of Us, Our Song, This Love, While I Was Sleeping, A Million Dreams, A Sky Full of Stars, The Wedding Dress, Six Days) and Perfect Strangers, a standalone eBook novella. In 2018 This Love won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award at the RNA awards in London and in 2022 A Sky Full of Stars won the Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year at the RNA awards.

Dani lives in a small village in Hertfordshire with her husband, a Siamese cat and a very soppy Border Collie.

For further information, you can find Dani on Instagram and Facebook and follow her on Twitter/X @AtkinsDani.

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My enormous thanks to the lovely folk at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of Out of the Woods by Betsy Griffin in return for an honest review all those months ago. With the paperback release imminent I am delighted to share my review today.

Out of the Woods is released in paperback tomorrow, 29th February 2024, by HQ and is available for purchase through the links here.

Out of the Woods

As she finds her way home out of the woods, Betsy Griffin takes us on a journey through the darkest of forests to find the light.

With wise advice from woodland creatures along the way, Betsy takes it upon herself to change her outlook on the world.

In this deeply moving and inspirational fable, she teaches us how to face our struggles with courage and determination, and shares powerful lessons about positivity, kindness and hope.

Despite her young age, Betsy’s wisdom will inspire readers of all ages.

Above all, she shows us that anything is possible.

My Review of Out of the Woods

Betsy gets lost.

What an utterly charming book. Out of the Woods may have been written by a child, Betsy Griffin, for children, but her adventures have such resonance for all regardless of age that this is a very special book indeed. Once the reader appreciates that this young author is blind and lives with a brain tumour, the incredible positivity in the story becomes even more fully appreciated. 

Assisted by Sue Belfrage and with charming and attractive illustrations by Emanuel Santos, Betsy Griffin tells a story that will entrance young readers. Betsy’s adventures as she gets lost in the woods, discovering the puppy Clementine and meeting various birds and animals on the way are an encouraging metaphor for life. Through her adventures she enables the reader to experience a wide range of emotions from fear and sadness to love and joy in a safe and sensitive way. 

The chapter titles become a brilliant set of guidelines to live by and once you’ve read Out of the Woods, you’re going to want to inject as much ‘spandandall’ into your life as you possibly can. Read the book to find out what that is! 

Alongside a story just perfect for young readers are messages in Out of the Woods that the world really needs. Knowing that you have to be afraid before you can be brave and face your fears, realising that a hug and a little kindness can transform another person’s feelings, understanding that if you meet a new creature different to you or a situation you haven’t previously encountered, that it doesn’t automatically mean they are a threat, is so relevant to all. When Betsy realises that she can choose how to respond to what life throws at her, she learns a very special lesson indeed. 

I thought Out of the Woods was not only entertaining, but hugely important. I’d urge older readers to read the introduction by Fearne Cotton and the acknowledgements from Betsy in order to appreciate fully the true inspiration of the courageous Betsy Griffin and the beauty of her book Out of the Woods. Don’t miss it.

About Betsy Griffin

Betsy Griffin was diagnosed with a rare and inoperable brain tumour at two years old that left her blind. Undeterred, Betsy wanted to inspire others to be more positive in their lives.

For further information, find Betsy on Instagram or visit her YouTube channel.

I’m trying so hard not to take on new blog tours at the moment as life is so busy, but given how much I love children’s books, I simply couldn’t resist Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster by Michael Foreman. My grateful thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate in the blog tour. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

Published by Thames & Hudson children’s books on 11th January 2024 Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster

Home Alone meets Jurassic Park in this endearing story about a brave little mammal.

Internationally renowned children’s book illustrator Michael Foreman lends his compelling storytelling style to the tale of the world’s first mammal: Little Mo.

Little Mo lives with his father and mother in a cave during prehistoric times. Everything is new to him ― snow, ice, and most frightening of all, dinosaurs! When a pack of triceratops decide to make Little Mo’s cave their home, Mo has to muster all his courage to scare them away.

With an endearing central character whose gumption saves the day and stunning original watercolour illustrations throughout, Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster is the perfect prehistoric adventure for young readers.

My Review of Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster

Little Mo meets monsters!

Before my review proper of Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster I have to comment on the physical properties of the hardback book. It’s quite wonderful. It’s the perfect size for sharing at bedtime in the home or in story-time in places where there are groups of young children. It has high quality, robust covers with lovely endpapers relating to the snow of the story. Indeed, the illustrations are fantastic. There’s an ethereal wateriness to them that is just right for a story featuring snow, a frozen lake and water.

The story in Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster is smashing. Little Mo discovers snow for the first time and deals with a scary situation when the great snow monsters take over the family cave whilst his parents are out getting food. There’s excitement, peril and adventure, as well as a happy resolution that will appeal to all young readers. I loved the balance of text to image too as it allows more confident young readers to enjoy the story independently, but is not daunting to less advanced readers. The vocabulary is accessible, and for emergent writers there are super examples of the use of properly punctuated speech, ellipsis and upper case letters for effect and emphasis, with a wonderful resume at the end of the book about how we came to be in existence today that will capture the imagination.

That might all sound rather ‘educational’ but the real strength in Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster is the sheer delight of the story. Little Mo has adventures, is faced with scary monsters and yet is able to overcome his fears and scare away those monsters. This is a lovely element for children to understand. When Mo becomes encased in the giant snowball so that he scares off the monsters, it allows young children to realise that not everything is quite what it seems and our fears might be what we think is happening rather than what is actually there.

I thought Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster was absolutely glorious. It’s beautifully written and illustrated so that it would make a wonderful gift for any child. Just lovely!

About Michael Foreman

Michael Foreman is an internationally renowned, multi-award-winning children’s book illustrator and author. He has twice won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for British children’s book illustration and in 2022 was awarded an OBE for services to literature in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours. Long-time collaborator Michael Morpurgo has described him as ‘the greatest illustrator-storyteller of
his time’. His previous books include the Kate Greenaway Medal winning War Boy (1989).

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Although Eva Glyn has appeared here on Linda’s Book Bag under her other writing persona of Jane Cable, The Dubrovnik Book Club is the first time I’ve featured her as Eva Glyn. I’m delighted to share my review of Eva’s latest book today.

Published by Harper Collins imprint One More Chapter on 14th March 2024, The Dubrovnik Book Club is available for purchase through the links here.

The Dubrovnik Book Club

In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins…

Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.

But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine…

My Review of The Dubrovnik Book Club

Claire has a new job.

The Dubrovnik Book Club was a total surprise. I’d anticipated a light, entertaining story about developing friendships through a love of reading – and certainly that is one of the aspects of the narrative – but there is so much more besides, making this a book perfect for any reader. 

With a book club as a pivot, Eva Glyn creates a story that moves around this central feature like a literary orrery. Her themes are deep and universal, from Vedran’s trial by media when Didi goes missing and his relationship with her, through Luna’s sexuality, to Claire’s psychological state following severe illness caused by Covid. These aspects add considerably to the reader’s engagement with the story, giving much to ponder. There are other motifs that add further interest to The Dubrovnik Book Club too, from family and friendship through the impact of societal and religious expectations, to feminism and the patriarchy. 

I think what works so well is the fact that, although Eva Glyn encompasses so many threads in her narrative from PTSD to addiction, none of them feels forced. Rather, the characters dealing with the themes of the story are flawed and believable and their experiences seem to arise naturally even in the most dramatic aspects. These are real people whose struggles are identifiable and realistic. The author displays considerable humanity and sensitivity in her excellent storytelling. All of that said, there’s a real sense of hope and optimism that leaves the reader totally satisfied at the end of the story as both characters and reader alike learn that life is for living and it’s up to us to grasp opportunities in both hands rather than dwell too much in the past. And of course – there are books too!

Consequently, there’s a little bit of everything in The Dubrovnik Book club to appeal to everyone. I loved the mystery as Luna and Claire try to clear Vedran’s name. I loved the developing romances between several of the characters, and I loved the sense of place and history.

Indeed, Dubrovnik is incredibly well depicted. Eva Glyn creates beautifully described settings with a real eye for detail so that it is as if the reader is standing in Dubrovnik’s streets. There’s meticulously researched history that adds colour and authenticity, and the smatterings of indigenous language (supported by a glossary at the end of the book) give a vivid sense of place. It really does feel as if you’re there in the old town. Dubrovnik is every bit as much a character as any of the people.

The Dubrovnik Book Club is a multi-faceted story that is thoroughly entertaining and completely engaging. It’s also far more layered and interesting than might be expected from the title alone and I really, really enjoyed it. 

About Eva Glyn

Eva Glyn fell in love with Croatia during her first holiday there in 2019; the incredible scenery, the delicious food, the country’s dramatic twentieth century history all played their part, but most of all it was the friendliness of the people.

One of these was tour director Darko Barisic, who told an incredible story about growing up in underground shelters during the war in the 1990s, and she knew she had to write a book around his experiences. This became her first Croatian novel, The Olive Grove, and she and Darko have become good friends and he continues to advise her on all aspects of Croatia.

Eva delves into Croatian history and everyday life for her inspiration, and visits the country as often as she can, having uncovered so many stories by talking to local people. Travel in general is her passion, followed closely by food and wine, which also find their way between her pages.

Although Welsh by birth she now lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with almost thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.

You can follow Eva on Twitter/X @JaneCable, visit her website and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Here we go again! Today I’m sharing my thoughts on a book I read well over a year ago. Once again, it took me a while to realise where I had put the review… I know I’m an idiot but at least I have finally found my review of Dolly’s Dream by Dilly Court and I’m delighted to share it today.

Published by Harper Collins on 2nd February 2023, Dolly’s Dream is available for purchase through the links here.

Dolly’s Dream

Dolly’s dreams could lead her astray . . .

Dolly Blanchard dreams of a bigger life. She wants to make a mark on the world, not simply wait for a husband to come along. So when an impoverished actress offers her a lifeline, Dolly flees to London, determined to make it on the stage and prove to her family – and herself – that she can strike out alone.

But the dark city streets are full of danger. With her dreams fading to dust, Dolly soon finds herself in peril. And with the family’s future under threat at Rockwood Castle, and secrets tumbling out of the shadows, she faces a difficult choice.

Will her heart call her home?

My Review of Dolly’s Dream

Dolly wants a better life.

Dolly’s Dream is a sumptuous example of being careful what you wish for, wrapped in a thoroughly enjoyable historical tale. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t read other books in the Rockwood Chronicles, because within a very few pages Dilly Court made me feel as if I knew the characters and background completely. Initially my heart sank when I saw the family tree at the beginning of the book, because I thought I might struggle to remember everyone, but in fact I found it easy to distinguish characters as a result of Dilly Court’s well-crafted prose.

Dilly Court’s style is simply wonderful. Her descriptions plunge the reader into both setting and era, and there’s a wickedly dry sense of humour that runs through in places, so that not only is Dolly’s Dream entertaining, it’s amusing and uplifting too. Each of the senses is catered for with such quality that Dolly’s Dream is effortless to read, but frequently made me ravenously hungry! There’s such a clear sense of place that, although the story is set in the 1870s, it feels vivid and fresh, because just the right amount of transporting detail is provided.

The themes in Dolly’s Dream are woven into the story with considerable realism and absolute skill. Social hierarchy, convention, ambition, love, family and so much more mean there’s interest and engagement. I loved the theatrical motif because it extends beyond Nick’s theatre productions into the roles and personas that people present in everyday life. I had no idea, for example, whether Gus was genuine or a complete charlatan until the very end of the book.

There’s drama, romance, scandal and intrigue aplenty in Dolly’s Dream. The book can be described as a proper story by a skilled storyteller who ensnares her readers. The  lively plot is brilliant, being totally absorbing and great fun. I loved the sense of history and especially Dolly’s unwillingness to conform to convention as it made her a heroine for any reader.

Dolly, or, more formally Adela, is a triumph. She’s reckless and brave, intelligent and foolhardy, morally upright and conventionally unfettered so that her antics in the story have pleasing light and shade. Dolly is the kind of young woman who feels far more convincing than a character on the page. It’s as if she might walk through the door at any moment.

Dolly’s Dream is my first Dilly Court read. It is smashing and I am delighted to have an entire back catalogue to discover.

About Dilly Court

Dilly Court is a Sunday Times bestselling author of over thirty novels. She grew up in North East London and began her career in television, writing scripts for commercials. She is married with two grown-up children and four grandchildren, and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast with her husband.

To find out more about Dilly, please visit her on Facebook.

My enormous thanks to the lovely publicists at Harper Collins who sent me a copy of The Lifeline by Tom Ellen in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

The Lifeline will be published by Harper Collins imprint HQ on 29th February and is available for pre-order here.

The Lifeline

Will is sleepwalking through life. He works a dead-end job and volunteers at an anonymous crisis line to avoid facing his own problems.

Annie is sure she has her five-year plan all worked out. But when things start falling apart, she just needs someone who will listen. . .

They’re practically strangers but soon Will and Annie rely on their regular phone calls, challenging each other to be brave and rebuild their lives.

They’ve found connection in the most unlikely of places but is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met?

My Review of The Lifeline

Will and Annie meet on the phone.

The Lifeline is glorious. Tom Ellen writes with such humanity and understanding of the fragility of our flawed human natures that it is impossible not to be drawn straight into the story and to want there to be a happy ending for Will and Annie. 

Both main characters have aspects to them that ought to be unappealing but that actually serve to make them feel real and warm. Initially Will is a brash, slightly out of control wannabe band member and Annie is an angry, unforgiving slightly self-righteous daughter and sister. And yet neither is really any of those things and their development over the story is a delight to read about. I was totally invested in them as people. 

The plot of The Lifeline is relatively simple as Annie and Will’s lives become more involved when Annie rings the Green Shoots helpline Max is volunteering at. But that belies the cleverness of the narrative. It is actually multi layered because the reader has greater knowledge about Pia and Jack than do Annie and Will so that there’s a real engagement. The structure of dates and the interspersing of the day in Paris with the dual chapters featuring the two perfectly balanced protagonists give a natural and compelling rhythm that I found captivating. The reader guesses the reason why Will has stood up Annie in Paris, but the thread of mystery for Annie and the impact of that day for Will, all add up to an emotional and captivating story.

Alongside two vividly drawn main characters and a mesmerising narrative there are profound and affecting themes. Mental health features strongly, the mundanity of work, and the friendships within and challenges of our daily situations all weave into a convincing exploration of what it can be like to navigate today’s world successfully. Add in what we learn about Joe and Eric and The Lifeline is more than just a story. It’s a book that makes us consider our own lives, how we make assumptions about others and how the ability to listen to others is crucial. Tom Ellen also gives the reader the permission to ‘be brave’ and creative. 

The Lifeline does have romance as one of its themes, but more importantly, love of all kinds is at its heart – the love between friends, siblings, parents and children, for example. Crucially, however, and what makes The Lifeline such a wonderful, wonderful story is that Tom Ellen writes it WITH love. And what could be better than that? The Lifeline is an absolute must read novel and I adored it. 

About Tom Ellen

Tom is an author and journalist from London. He is the co-writer of three critically acclaimed Young Adult novels: Lobsters (which was shortlisted for The Bookseller’s inaugural YA Book Prize in 2015), Never Evers and Freshers (nominated for the 2018 Carnegie Medal). His solo adult debut novel was the romantic comedy All About Us (HQ/HarperCollins, published October 2020). His books have been widely translated and are published in 20 countries.

Tom is a regular contributor to Viz comic, and has also written for publications such as Cosmopolitan, Empire, Evening Standard Magazine, The Daily Mash, Glamour, NME, ESPN, ShortList, Time Out London, Vice, Stylist and many more.

You can follow Tom on Twitter/X @TomEllen7.