To be found when you’re hiding

Synopsis

PR executive Anna Mortimer has clinched the deal of a lifetime for the hottest celebrity couple to have their wedding covered by a glossy magazine, but when things don’t go to plan and she loses her job, will a well-timed invitation to visit Reykjavik be the perfect distraction while she decides what to do next?

Ned Nokes has just left the safety of the biggest boy band in history to go it alone. With the eyes of the world on him, he escapes to Iceland in search of solitude. He makes friends with people who don’t know who he is but after a lifetime in the spotlight, can he trust anyone who isn’t on his payroll?

Visit Iceland at its most beautiful as autumn turns to winter and find out whether the magic that helped Anna’s friend Rachel find her happy ever after, is still there…

My review

Anna Mortimer never thought that a drone would turn her world upside down. Because a drone flying over the wedding of the hottest celebrity couple that Anna was hired as a PR executive, made sure that an exclusive deal was no longer exclusive. Despite her innocence, Anna finds herself without a job and sees that she has no life outside of work to fall back on.
When her best friend Rachel suggest to spend some time together, in Iceland, Anna sees this as the perfect distraction.
But what are the odds to meet Ned Nokes again? Ned, who was also a guest at the same wedding and also member of the most successful boyband. But who now has no clue of what to do next. Ned needs the solitude Reykjavik offers, and finds so much more. Because never having trusted anyone outside his band, he now finds genuine friendship and perhaps even love.  

Ever since reading the first book of the series, Iceland climbed higher on my bucket list. While waiting for the right opportunity to visit it in real life, I gladly used this book to take me away on another magnificent journey. 

Anna is a character that gave me mixed emotions. While it’s obvious what a great friend she is, supporting Rachel with her new life in Iceland, she also misses her best friend terribly. She is really the kind of friend who puts your own happiness before her own.
So in this case, I absolutely liked Anna from the start. 

Yet I also felt sad for her… because not only does she lose her job without a real good reason (only due a case of excluding other people), she also sees how lonely in fact she is.
While her life in London used to filled with many social events, without Rachel by her side, Anna realizes that in fact, she has no real friends.
It also made me sad to learn that Anna never had a real, meaningful relationship, that somehow she is scared to completely open up with a love interest. 

I know from previously the magical tricks Iceland can play, so I was very happy and eager to discover what Iceland had in store for Anna.
And I was happy to read that the one person who sparked something in Anna, would be playing a big part in her own quest for happiness. 

We all dreamed once in our lives to fall in love with a famous person, a member of a boyband, … but we are all also very realistic to know that those odds are almost non – existing.
But Ned is so much more than just a famous person. And I was eager to discover who Ned really was, together with Ned himself.
I could understand that Ned didn’t know who he is without the band. And also comprehended that he needed to get as far away as possible to discover who the Real Ned Nokes is. 

I can only try to understand how difficult the life of a famous person is, and how Ned finds is difficult to trust new people. But Iceland wouldn’t be Iceland if our old friends would just accept Ned between them, famous or not. 

Seeing Anna and Ned together was truly heart – warming, despite the cold in Iceland. These are characters that deserve to be happy no matter what. But for gaining that happiness, they have to learn themselves and learn to not only love but most important to trust.
And that is something that infuriated me a little bit in this book, as I know the background, but trust does not mean choosing sides or letting someone down. (this doesn’t make sense if you haven’t read the book, but it will…).

I found this a wonderful sequel, I enjoyed the time I spend with old friends, fell in love with new characters who are, even the famous ones, so recognizable and real.
This book shows us that falling in love is the easy bit, but building trust and let the high walls fall down is a slow process. People can make mistakes while thinking of doing the right thing, but we have to see behind those mistakes and allow ourselves to show forgiveness. Because being without that special person is harder than forgiving a mistake.
But most important is that we all have to take time to get to know not only each other, but also ourselves and see what will make us happy and where we feel the most at home.

Not everything always ends well…

Synopsis

On holiday in Egypt with Sidney and Dean, young writer Maisie is—in her mind—on top of the world. Her long-labored manuscript is finally going to be published, she and Sidney are deeply in love, and the future looks bright on every level.

In one moment, however, it all changes. Tragedy leads to overwhelming loss that Maisie can’t even begin to process. As the world itself turns upside down, there’s no solace for Maisie from the growing sense that her wonderful future is finished.

No dream about to come true. No certainties of new chances in life.

No Sidney.

Even if the first two did not break her, the last one is determined to. It’s up to Maisie to find her strength and determination to find a new future, even if—unthinkably—it may be nothing like the one she dreamed of.

My review

Maisie finally has it all, her book is ready for being published, she is living happily in Cornwall and is deeply in love with Sidney.
But after a wonderful holiday in Egypt with Sidney and their friend Dean, Maisie soon realizes that tragedy can quickly take everything away…
And while Maisie is sure that she can cope with several tragedies, as long as she has Sidney by her side. But what if one of those tragedies takes the Sidney she knows and loves away from her? Can Maisie find her strength and courage to imagine a whole different future? 

This book started with a warning. And while I was mentally prepared for seeing Maisie losing her happily ever after like she imagined it, it still crushed me to read this book… Yet I found it impossible not to read it. Because I know the journey Maisie went through, and not reading this book would be like being a hypocritical friend, who only stands by your side when things are looking up… 

With that same warning, my imagination ran wild, thinking the absolute worse. So while I was glad that wasn’t exactly the case, it also worried me because things would never be same again for Maisie, even if things weren’t that final. 

Maisie in this book has to mature extremely, and we see her struggling with the twists life throws her.
But Maisie wouldn’t be the Maisie we all know and love, as no matter how difficult things are getting for her, she doesn’t lose her hope and tries on keep finding her strength setback after setback. 

In this book, the author shows us, that just like in real life, even the most amazing love stories aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. And here we see it in the most heart wrenching,  awful way. But it’s up to us if we let that crush us or make us stronger.
We see that terrible things can happen to amazing people. And that one event can change people and become only a shadow of the person we used to know.
And the author managed perfectly to show us this involuntary change. Because the Sidney we love so much has changed… 

While this story broke my heart, and I kept hoping, just like Dean for a miraculous ending, somehow I felt it in my heart, just like Maisie does, that life has to follow its own course. And Maisie’s courageous decision in the end put tears in my eyes but I fully comprehended her reasoning… 

This isn’t a happy story, but it just shows how life goes. Yet it’s up to us if we allow tragedies to drag us down, or if we find the courage to remain strong and hopeful for an unsure future…

When one decision seems to be the catalyst of everything

Synopsis

Everyone has secrets but some are bigger than others.

Wendy Walker can count on two fingers the number of birthdays until she’s fifty.  She can also count on six hands the number of years she’s been married to controlling Derek.  Whatever happened to the boy she used to lark around with in the back of a Ford Escort? Just like Derek’s hairline, that lad has gone.

Wendy yearns for freedom but is resigned to her lot.  After all, there are others to think about.  Like daughter Ruby who – as a teenage single mum still at home – needs supporting, especially since abandoning her hopes of being on Love Island and achieving fame as a reality star.

But secrets dare to spill at the most inopportune moments.

Ruby is nurturing a mystery romance that she dreads her mother discovering, while Derek finds himself under the spotlight in the most disastrous of circumstances.

But just when Wendy thinks her world is falling apart, she discovers that sometimes unexpected joy is just around life’s corner…

My review

Wendy Walker cannot remember the last time she was happy in her marriage. The man she once truly loved and had so much fun, has turned into a controlling, commanding, obnoxious man. But no matter how often Wendy dreams of getting away from Derek, she still has too many responsibilities, even if she is nearing her fiftieth birthday. Like their daughter Ruby, a teenage, single mother still living at home.
However, when Freedom calls, it’s too hard to ignore the call. And when Wendy finally finds the courage to listen to her own desires and is taking the necessary steps, she for sure didn’t expect that the secrets Derek is keeping would be revealed in the most disastrous ways.
But no matter how Wendy’s world is falling apart, Wendy will realize that her desired freedom brings also joy, much closer than she realized. 

In the past I have always enjoyed reading Debbie Viggiano’s books, so I knew what to expect. Or at least I thought so… 

From the start, I felt truly sorry for the life Wendy was living. She is a kind woman, absolutely loving her family and being a rock for her daughter (after the initial shock of discovering that Ruby was pregnant).
Even the smallest kind of deception (you’ll understand when you are reading the loaf of bread part) will make her feel guilty.
But it’s also her kindness and sense of loyalty that is preventing her to live a happy life… 

And reading about her miserable marriage, the way Derek treats and belittles her, made me angry. Because no one should be feeling the way Wendy does…
So when she decides she finally had enough, I was happy for her, as she deserve to be happy! 

I am not going to give away too much about the plot, because it would take away several shock for you, but I can assure you that there were several twists that left me both flabbergasted as having tears in my eyes from laughing at loud.
Not only some encounters Wendy has are so cringe – worthy as hilarious, even when Derek’s secret is out, more detailed revelations were not something I saw coming! 

I also enjoyed discovering the depth of the mother – daughter relationship between Wendy and Ruby too. like I said before, Wendy truly is Ruby’s rock, having her back all the time, supporting her in every decision Ruby makes.
But it also warmed my heart to see how those roles were switched at moments. Where Ruby supports Wendy in her own decisions.
The love between mother and daughter is so obvious, and anyone who has an equal amazing parent/ child, will completely understand that precious bond, where you would to anything for each other. 

But this story also shows us it’s never too late to start all over again, no matter what your situation is. And that people in your life, old friend and new ones, will stand by your side every step of the way.  

While this is truly a hilarious book to read, it also shows us that just living your life and not having any joy in it, isn’t a good life. We only have one life, so why should we spend it being miserable? So it’s okay for every one of us to figure out what will make us happy and chase that.

Never fall in love at work…

Synopsis

From award-winning author Kathryn Barrett: 

Some days it was hell being leader of the free world. 

The Washington press calls him the “accidental president.” As a Medal of Honor recipient and national hero, Adam Dybikagreed to run for president during the country’s deepest crisis. 

Now that things have stabilized, he’s got problems at home: his 14-year-old daughter Katie keeps ditching her Secret Service protection and reminding him he’s the world’s worst father. And on top of that, he’s begun hearing the voices of dead presidents. Either he’s going mad, or the White House is haunted. 

As the new head of Katie’s Secret Service detail, Ellie Brody is trying to live up to the high expectations of her father, former agent Frank Brody. But her new job puts her in direct danger of succumbing to the president’s charm. 

Can these two find love in the White House, under the most intense media scrutiny—and the watchful eye of Lyndon Johnson?

My review

Adam Dybik never thought that him running for president would end up him actually becoming the new POTUS. The press doesn’t go easy on him, calling him ‘the accidental president’, running the country proves to be a mission impossible and his 14 – year – old daughter Katie is causing him even more headaches. Katie wants nothing more to return home, and keeps ditching too easily her Secret Service protection.
Being a single dad is never easy, but being a single dad while being also the President, is putting a strain on his relationship with Katie.
So Ellie Brody is hired as head of Katie’s Secret Service detail. Ellie, who has to live with the fact that her own father actually took a bullet as a former agent.
Ellie also is seeing behind Katie’s façade and tries to show Adam the struggles Katie is facing without breaking Katie’s trust while trying to resists the president’s charm… 

Falling in love at work has always been a trope of mine. But what if the characters have one of the most important jobs in the whole world and one character is somehow the boss of the boss?
Obviously I cannot imagine such a story taking place at the White House with the current president, but I was glad with the imaginary president this author made up. 

Adam is not only a president, but also a war hero and a single dad. Each and every one of these aspects would have been a great start for a main character, but having them all combined in one person made it even better.
Add also the fact that he is having real and recognizable struggles, made it even easier to just like him with all his (in vain?) efforts. 

Despite him being the president, he is just a normal man. He wants to help those in need, he wants to be a great father to Katie, raising her on his own and he is feeling lonely, making him even hear the voices of former presidents.
As he is being seen as a hero, he is struggling with that heroism and he doesn’t see that what he did made him earn his medals. 

This book also shows us somehow how difficult it can be to be a president. You can have all the visions and ideas and plans that you want, but if you don’t have the people to support you, it is all useless. And seeing how Adam struggling with this fact, he wants to do so many good things, but he just can’t, even pushing him to his limits, made me feel sorry for him. 

And then Ellie enters the scene…
Maybe it’s because we are so used in seeing male Secret Service Agents all the time, but I truly liked Ellie being that tough, strong, no – nonsense woman. She may seem a bit fragile but her actions show that you cannot just mess with her.
And reading how she also majored in psychology and how she seems to understand Katie, made her only rise in my esteem for her. Ellie sees how difficult Katie finds everything and tries her best to  

But she also is facing her own demons. Not only because she is feeling more and more attracted to Adam, but also because she has to fill her father’s shoes. Everyone still speaks highly of her father and she hopes she is up to her job. But she is also worried about her brother and how her father is acting out. 

I loved each interaction between Ellie and Adam. Very quickly they start to feel a spark, yet their jobs won’t allow to take it any further. And I liked it how they restrained from crossing a line, even if at moments it was infuriating as sparks truly were flying around!
Yet the flirting between the both of them was so obvious and funny, I don’t think I can have a normal conversation about cake again! 

This story shows us a wonderful love story, but also shows us many issues of the world. Single – parenthood, struggling teenagers, too high expectations, too low expectations, passion (also for your job), the desire of wanting to do the right thing but not being able to, discrimination, fear, even low self – esteem and some form of PTSD. 

But I totally fell in love with this story, I loved each character, as even the most improbable one shows us that redemption is possible.
All the characters felt so real and the kind of person I wanted to have myself surrounded with, as their personalities were just every inch of right (even though it’s rather improbable to have e great president as a friend or even as an acquaintance!). 

This book is slow – paced but while reading it, it doesn’t feel like it. I devoured page after page and only realized how much I was invested in this story when I reached the ending too quickly!

Will it ever be the right time, not only for them but for joy?

Synopsis

Marie Kondo for the soul.

Anna and Will have been passing in and out of each other’s lives since they were just kids.

Now 20 years later, Anna is married – she has a lovely house, a step daughter in university and a husband with a good job.

What she doesn’t have is joy. When she runs into Will it sparks something in her, a longing for the Anna she used to be.

Together they embark on a journey to find what brings them joy, to discard what doesn’t and to become the people they always wanted to be.

But in finding themselves, can they also find each other?

My review

As teenagers, Anna and Will fell in love. But after losing his mother, Will took his distance. Over twenty years, Anna and Will kept passing in and out each other’s lives, never feeling that it was finally their moment.
Now Anna is married and she adores her step – daughter. But when she bumps into Will again, this time she realizes that her life isn’t a bad one, but it isn’t a joyful one.
Will is coping with being the only surviving member of his family, a marriage torn apart and fighting over his daughter with his soon – to – be -ex – wife.
Walking with Anna, having long talks, Will also sees that perhaps now is the time to figure out what makes him happy.
But what exactly will make Anna and Will happy? Will they find it out? And is that happiness to be found with each other? 

I don’t know how this author manages to do it, but it is so easy to relate to her characters, and for my poor heart, to feel their emotions too, the good ones and the bad ones.
What she describes in this book, is also so recognizable in so many aspects… 

Anna fell in love with Will as a teenager. But we all know that no matter how amazing things appear to be when we’re that young, we know as an adult that somehow as a teenager we were ignorant and did not realize how the world turns and how life works.
When the relationships ends, it’s heart-breaking, but I also understood how hurt Will was after losing his beloved mother. 

Through flashbacks we get to read how both Anna and Will move on with their lives, and how sometime Fate brings them back together, how short that period may be.
And I found it sweet to sweet how they think fondly of the times they met again, how no grudges were being held, but understanding that those are just those things of life… 

When Anna and Will meet again in the present, every bone in my body was screaming that this would be it, this would finally be their moment. Even if Anna was still married, and Will is struggling with his soon – to – be -ex – wife, the both of them know that this is the moment to be some kind of selfish, and wit their talks they know they have to chase their happiness, as life is too short to just settle down and be content with what you have.
If only it would be that easy, once you made the decision… 

This is a slow book, hopping from past to present and back to the past. But it allows us to get to know Anna and Will so much better, as we can see the journey they made to become the persons they are now.
Because, especially in Anna’s case, it was a long and difficult journey. And yet with their last encounter, they learn the most vital lesson, that you only have one life and it should be a happy one. 

I think I was approximately half way through the book when I thought every piece of the puzzle would fall perfectly. But then the author wrote some twists (even terrible ones!) jeopardizing everything all over again.
How angry it made me at that point, it was also part of that journey that our characters had to endure. Because finding happiness does not mean necessarily that you have to have a person by your side. Because you can find happiness also by just being on your own. 

With this author, I knew there would be heart – breaking moments, moments that I would cry very ugly. And the further along I got in the book, nearly reaching the end, I was hoping that no tears would be shed. Only to realize that those last chapters were the worst for my dear heart…  

And without giving away too much, that is just how life goes, good things happen but also bad things, and we are not in control of what happens when…
While it can seem like a dark thought, it also makes you think about what *you* want from life, and it lets to make the choices to follow your heart. 

This was a slow – paced story, showing us a whole lifetime and makes us reflect about our own lives and realize how precious our lives are. And we just never settle for just living our lives, but we just live it to the fullest.
And that may be with a long lost love by our side, but it may not be. Most important is to feel that joy again.

A knight, a thief, a kiss and a mystery

Synopsis

Captured by a knight…

Rescued by his kiss!

When orphan Eva loses the father-figure who’d protected her on the streets of London, she suspects the Knights of Fortitude. But when she steals information from them, she’s caught by brooding knight Nicholas. Learning he might not be the villain after all, she puts her distrust aside to work with him, yet Eva must stay focussed – and not get distracted when they share a stolen kiss!

My review

When Eva loses the only father figure she had in her life, who thought her everything on surviving on the streets of London, she blames the Knights Fortitude of his death.
So when she accepts an offer to steal something from knight Nicholas, she doesn’t only do it for the silver, but also for some kind of revenge.
But she didn’t expect that Nicholas would chase her for her theft, and even more, that he would need her for the important work he and his fellow knights are doing.
While working together, Eva slowly learns that the Knights may not be as guilty as she thought, and that with one stolen kiss, Eva finds herself more and more distracted In the presence of Nicholas. 

Ooooh I loved returning to my good old Knights! I have read the first book of this series and I couldn’t wait to read this next chapter with new main characters. 

Eva is a strong character that I immediately liked. She lives on the streets, and has learned how to survive thanks the unexpected help from a man who was almost like a father to her.
It saddened me to read the way she lost him, and I understood why she held a grudge towards the Knights, even if she initially didn’t have all the information of what happened to him. 

I found it also hilarious how she manages to trick everyone around her, and her ‘skills’ for sure helped her un surviving.
And it was very sweet to see how she took a young woman under her wings, as she saw that this woman was in the same situation as herself many years ago.
This shows that not only Eva is a resourceful woman, a survivalist, but also a caring woman, who looks after her beloved ones. 

We all also know the reputation of Knights, how they serve and protect. And seeing how Nicholas acts very chivalrous, not because of being a Knight, but because it’s the right thing to do, made me like him even more.
Learning about his past, how his father behaved and how Nicholas deeply loved his mother, made me understand his behaviour better, and while my heart broke over his past, seeing the man he has become, made me swoon more over him!  

Eva and Nicholas are obviously from different worlds. But nevertheless, they have the most important things in common, as the need to protect their loved ones.
But obviously the play of pushing and pulling is going to start… And I had so much fun reading the bits where they clashed but also made me ‘aaaw’ over the sweeter moments, showing that it doesn’t matter what your background is. 

Of course, there is also the mysterious part a little bit, and it shocked me also to read how close to Nicholas it all got. And with so many questions left unanswered, I am looking forward to the next part of this series. 

I truly enjoyed reading this story, as it was about a woman who learnt the hard way a way to survive, by also pretending to be someone she is not, about a woman who is loyal but also about a woman who doesn’t see her strengths, but learns to.
But it was also about a man, protecting not only his Country and his King, but also the woman he found while he was on his quest.
But most important it was about love, and its unconventional ways to pair up two strong characters and show them that loving someone is finding someone you trust unconditionally, you find yourself safe with them and that you would do anything to protect them from any harm…

Even in wonderful places murders happen…

Synopsis

A remote retreat…

Nestled high in the Tuscan hills lies Villa Volpone, home to renowned crime writer Jonah Moore and his creative writing course. It’s also the last place retired DCI Dan Armstrong expected to spend his retirement! Dan’s no writer, but maybe this break will help him to think about the next chapter in his own life story?

A gruesome murder…

But only days into the course, Jonah Moore is found stabbed to death with his award-winning silver dagger! And Dan finds himself pulled out of retirement with a killer to catch.

Eleven possible suspects.

The other guests all seem shocked by Jonah’s death, but Dan knows that one of them must be lying. And as he and Italian Commissario Virgilio Pisano begin to investigate it quickly becomes clear that everyone at Villa Volpone has secrets to hide…

But can Dan discover who the murderer is before they strike again?

My review

DCI Dan Armstrong has received a retreat for creative writing as a retirement gift. Not that Dan is a writer, but spending time in the Tuscan hills in Villa Volpone may perhaps inspire him and give him time about his own next chapters.
Dan meets the owners and the other guests and quickly discovers that the retreat is not what he expected. While he is just going with the flow and feeling more at peace in Tuscany, the owner Jonah Moore is found stabbed to death.
But who did it? Dan is glad to help the local forces to find the killer, but with the only witness being Oscar the dog, eleven suspects and too many hidden secrets, can they catch the killer? 

I have read several books from this amazing author, and even if they were more into the romance – section, I knew  just had to read the start of this new series too.
And I wasn’t left disappointed! 

It was easy to like the main character Dan. He has just retired, has a great bond with his daughter, but unfortunately his marriage has just ended. Just like in real life, sometimes it’s difficult to find the perfect balance between work and home. And it was bittersweet to see how Dan still thinks fondly of his soon – to – be – ex – wife but knows that he has to move on. 

Now, I know this author has a great imagination, but I wasn’t expecting the retreat would turn out to be for writer of a special kind of books. So I was as shocked as Dan when he realized where he ended up to be! Yet it was also hilarious to read all about it, how Dan, despite everything he has already been through and has seen, can be left flabbergasted! 

As a reader we know that a murder will take place, and with what we see from Jonah, well, I cannot say I was saddened by it. But like the characters say in the book, that is still not a reason to murder someone…
Just like Dan, initially I didn’t have a clue of who the culprit could be. But slowly, together with Dan and the Commissario (who somehow in my mind looked like Commissario Montalbano from another author and tv show), I realized that not everything was as it seems. 

I was amazed (in a bad way) how each character could have a reason for being the killer. Some reasons were paper – thin, you never know what will drive some people to get their revenge. 

Being a cosy mystery, it wasn’t a dark story, as Dan realizes how at home he feels in Tuscany, how he makes new friends and even becomes attached to Oscar. While he is investigating, he also has some nice moments spending with the other retreaters, and has the chance to do some inner investigations about his own future. 

With this author, I knew beforehand I would be able to feel like I was walking around Villa Volpone myself, and almost taste all the deliciousness Dan would eat and drink.
While at moments I felt I was in an Agatha Christie book, at other moments I felt I was wandering around Tuscany with  the calming voice David Attenborough explaining everything I saw. 

This was a very promising start of a new series, and I cannot wait to read more about Dan and his loyal, not to be underestimated, new friend Oscar!

Can an intervention help a reclusive introvert?

Synopsis

Is true love just a few dates away … or even closer than you think?

Tom has always been a hopeless romantic: but now he’s just hopeless. After lockdown in particular made the millennial a reclusive introvert, it was finally time to get back ‘out there’ – at least according to his best friends Adam, Allison and sister Sarah.

As the group sets up ten miracle dates to rejuvenate Tom’s love life, he soon realises how difficult the dating scene has become, along with juggling his Shakespearean-themed café on the side and a hobby of romantic mixtape making.

As the dates continue to turn into disasters, an old flame keeps reappearing in Tom’s sight – along with bittersweet memories. Fearing it may be too little too late, Tom must decide whether he can date his way to happiness, or find his true match was under his nose the whole time…

My review

Right before the pandemic lockdown, Tom messed up big time with the woman he loves. And the lockdown didn’t help at all, as it turned Tom into a complete reclusive introvert.
His best friends Adam and Alisson, together with his sister Sarah, decide it’s time for an intervention. They set up 10 dates, to make Tom get out there again. Tom has no other choice than go along with their plans. But dating has changed a lot, and where some dates go rather well, some end in total disaster…
Will Tom find through these dates his happiness again?  

In real life, a lot has changed due the pandemic. And now that everything is somehow back to normal, we all realize that the pandemic somehow changed us, even for those who were spared from it.
I see this also with myself… hugging and kissing people are things I still somehow avoid (thank God no more kissing for Christmas or New Year!). And I never was someone who went out each weekend and the lockdown made me enjoy the staying at home part even more. 

That made me understand Tom so well as I felt the same things he felt and is still feeling. But I also felt a bit sad for him, because right before lockdown he screwed up big time and hasn’t been able to come clean about his real feelings, losing one of his best friends because of it.
So reading how his other best friends come up with this intervention, made me glad, because they do have Tom’s best interest at heart, and they want to see him happy again. 

Of course, if all the dates would go without a hiccup, this book would lose a lot of its charm. But thanks to these hiccups, disasters and even dates that go rather well, Tom starts to see and understand that he has to move on.
And seeing Tom getting out of his shell, initially still screwing up a bit yet slowly gaining back his self-confidence, was heart – warming and also somehow eye – opening as it’s easy to wallow yourself in self-pity and loneliness, but by putting yourself on the line, you understand yourself better and you see things you didn’t before. 

I have to also add that seeing Tom on these dates, made me laugh out loud at moments. There were many sweet moments between Tom and his friends and sister, and even the most terrible dates put a sadistic smile on my face.  

Now… while I found it sweet how Tom’s friends intervene and plan these dates, I was absolutely shocked and a bit disgusted when the truth came out. I got so angry, felt betrayed and heart – broken at the same time when I realized that one character didn’t act out on the kindness of their heart, but pure for a selfish reason.
Just like Tom, I just couldn’t forgive that person, as it put their friends also in an awkward situation for keeping it a secret for so long. And getting to know how long the ‘thing’ was going on, even getting to the next step, made my blood boil, making me put the book away for a moment. 

I liked how the author again managed to add the importance of music in this book too, with the help of the old – fashioned mixed tapes. And even a small cameo of characters from his previous book was a nice addition, but it’s not a great deal if you wouldn’t recognize them. 

This book shows us that even the most introvert person can manage to get out of his shell. And that it’s never to late to make up for made mistakes. It’s never too late or wrong to tell someone what your feelings are.
While that big twist almost let me like this book a bit lesser, in the end, after digesting everything I had read, I just couldn’t.
Because even after everything Tom has been through, losing not only a few friends, but also himself, he still found the courage and strength to take his shot at happiness.
And that hopeful message, that anyone can get that shot, makes up of the bit I truly didn’t like and made me see that one ugly event doesn’t take away the beauty a whole story contains. And the author already got forgiven for it with his ending!

Taking care of a garden can bring many surprises…

Synopsis

When Clara Bowes transforms a wilderness of a garden, she isn’t expecting to reconnect with someone special from her past at the same time. Having Rory Angel in her life again is a dream come true. But life is never straight forward – especially in matters of the heart – and soon, a devastating revelation looks set to bring Clara’s hopes for the future crashing down around her. Will she find the strength to reach for her dreams?

My review

Clara Bowes is determined to take care of her grandmother’s beloved garden while her grandmother is in the hospital.
What Clara didn’t expect, is that while working in that same garden, she would reconnect with the man who she had a crush on like forever, Rory Angel.
For Clara, it’s a dream coming true, as Rory finally sees her. But while Clara is getting high hopes, a revelation quickly crashes all her hopes…

Before I started to read this book (interpret as: devour), I made sure I was comfortable, had everything I would need nearby, made sure my tablet was fully charged and I had a big smile on my face as I was happy to return to a place I love. 

Obviously, I immediately liked Clara. And there are so many reasons for me liking her. I see so much of myself in her, as I don’t like to be in the centre of attention, or even standing in a big group of people make me feel uncomfortable.
But just because she is so kind, loving and caring.
Even if she isn’t known for taking good care of plants, she knows how much the garden means to her grandmother. And that is enough for Clara to start cleaning up that garden.
But also how she looks after her little brother Bertie, as Bertie’s mother won’t go winning any award for best mother.
Clara has given up her own dreams, for the people she loves, so how can you not like someone like that? 

And seeing how Clara and Rory meet each other again, well, I was rooting for them straight away! These two characters go way back, and I found it sweet to see how a younger Clara started to develop a crush on Rory. And I could for sure understand her! 

But then the author adds a twist in the story, which I didn’t like at all. And I hope Rosie will forgive me, but I got actual angry for a moment because that was not how the story was supposed to go!
The more I was reading after that twist, the more I saw my opinion change for some characters.
I am not going to say too much over here, but one character I didn’t complete dislike, and even liked a little bit, turned into someone I completely disliked.
And because of that twist, I realized that that one person wasn’t so likeable at all. I started to see more selfish actions, and how Clara to keep the peace just went along with it.
Although it breaks my heart to admit this, also Rory wasn’t my favourite person anymore…  

Now, I know this is the first part of a series, and I have all the faith in this amazing author that things will turn for the better for Clara, as there were already several glimpses of it. I am sure that in the bigger picture Clara will find her happiness and even her courage.
But Rosie will have a lot to answer for if Clara doesn’t!  

Being part of a series also means that I was utterly disappointed when I reached the end of the first book, as it left me with so many questions. Disappointed because now I have to wait (and I am not know for my patience) for the second part! 

But don’t get me wrong, I got angry, disappointed and frustrated. But I also loved getting to know Clara, see myself in her, and admire her for the lengths she goes for those who matter to her. And also how she understands what goes around in the mind of a shy girl and uses her own experience to help.
And while in first instance I didn’t get the link with the Little Duck Pond Café, I can assure you that our beloved played a part in this book too, and I am sure they will also in the next ones.

The ins and outs of The Empire Theatre in the roaring twenties…

Synopsis

Welcome to The Empire theatre

1922. When Jack Treadwell arrives at The Empire, in the middle of a rehearsal, he is instantly mesmerised. But amid the glitz and glamour, he soon learns that the true magic of the theatre lies in its cast of characters – both on stage and behind the scenes.

There’s stunning starlet Stella Stanmore and Hollywood heartthrob Lancelot Drake; and Ruby Rowntree, who keeps the music playing, while Lady Lillian Lassiter, theatre owner and former showgirl, is determined to take on a bigger role. And then there’s cool, competent Grace Hawkins, without whom the show would never go on . . . could she be the leading lady Jack is looking for?

When long-held rivalries threaten The Empire’s future, tensions rise along with the curtain. There is treachery at the heart of the company and a shocking secret waiting in the wings. Can Jack discover the truth before it’s too late, and the theatre he loves goes dark?

Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this, his debut novel.

Enjoy the show!

My review

When Jack Treadwell arrives at the Empire Theatre in 1922, he didn’t expect how this place would affect his life.
After stumbling into a rehearsal, Jack is quickly mesmerised by the glitter and glamour of The Empire, but also by its magic on and off stage. And then we’re not talking about all the people he is meeting, like Stella Stanmore and Hollywood heartthrob Lancelot Drake. And Grace Hawkins, who appears to have a lot more on the ball than people may think.
But running a theatre isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as finding successful plays aren’t that easy, and adding more drama in real life than any tragedy written by Shakespeare himself… 

The world of theatre always intrigued me, although I can honestly say the world isn’t really missing out on my acting talents…
And also the roaring twenties peeked my interest, even a century later.
So it’s safe to say that I was eager to start reading this book! 

As this story is set not so long after the war, it’s easy to understand how people want to enjoy their lives, after all the hardship they had to endure. Even for those who were lucky enough to return, had to learn to forget about everything they had seen. 

Jack was by far the easiest character to like in the whole story. He is so easy – going, very helpful, not afraid to roll up his sleeves.
No task is too big for him, and he always has a kind word for everyone, yet he also knows when and where to stand his ground.
It was a bit funny to read how his career at the theatre somehow just happened by sheer accident, yet it shows again how Jack is easily liked for him just being him. 

Now, it would take too long for me to mention every character individually, as just like in a real play, there are many players, all equally important in the tale.
But be certain of the fact that you’ll know in an instant which character you’ll turn out to love and which you won’t. Because let me tell you, you will or love or despise the characters! 

After an initial struggle, trying to keep up with all the new entries of characters, I found myself completely compelled to just keep on reading.
It was nearly impossible to drag myself away from this captivating story, where you’ll never know what happens next.
There is romance, friendship, laughter and happiness, but also intrigues, betrayal, secrets and tension.
Even when I thought that nothing else could go wrong, the author made another twist, making me almost grasp for some air. 

This was a great book to read, and Michael Ball manages perfectly to put the vivid scenes into words, allowing me to actually see where all the action was taking place. And with great characters like Jack, Grace and all the theatrical company, I cannot see how this book about theatre couldn’t be turned into a play about a book about a theatre!