Tizi’s Book Review

Today it’s time for a cover reveal!

Synopsis

The 1970s. Zany fashions brought the Decade That Taste Forgot. Change is in the air. Decimal currency; the Common Market; widespread strikes; the Winter of Discontent; IRA bombings; the sale of Council houses and quickie divorces make their mark on the whole country including the community of the Banjo. The eight households who live in Cromwell Close experience births, deaths, marriages, shocks and surprises but as the 70s become the 80s and beyond Dagenham undergoes great transformation. The once close-knit Community is changing.

About the Author

Elaine Spires is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter and actress. Extensive travelling and a background in education and tourism perfected Elaine’s keen eye for the quirky characteristics of people, captivating the humorous observations she now affectionately shares with the readers of her novels. Elaine has written two books of short stories, two novellas and seven novels, four of which form the Singles Series – Singles’ Holiday, Singles and Spice, Single All The Way and Singles At Sea.  Her latest book, Singles, Set and Match is the fifth and final book in the series.  Her play Stanley Grimshaw Has Left The Building is being staged at the Bridewell Theatre, London in May 2019.  Her short film Only the Lonely, co-written with Veronique Christie and featuring Anna Calder Marshall is currently being in shown in film festivals worldwide and she is currently working on a full length feature film script. Only the Lonely won the Groucho Club Short Film Festival 2019. Elaine recently returned to UK after living in Antigua W.I. She lives in East London.

THE COVER!!!

When coming home is not how you expected…

Synopsis

Weeks after boarding a train to Paris in pursuit of her writing dreams, aspiring novelist Maisie Clark is right back where she started: on the idyllic shores of Port Hewer in Cornwall, luggage in hand and heart filled with anticipation for what lies ahead. Except that nothing seems the same as Maisie left it, from her place among the staff at the hotel Penmarrow to her budding romance with groundskeeper Sidney Daniels, who isn’t quite ready to overlook the painful consequences of her sudden departure.

Losing Sidney would be unbearable, but Maisie can’t help fearing it might be true if the rift between them proves too deep to heal. She knows her feelings for him are unchanged, but whether he feels the same remains to be seen—particularly since she stopped him from expressing them in the first place. And to make matters worse, her position at the Penmarrow has been filled by another, there’s nowhere for her to live in the village, and her savings are finally dwindling to a pathetic number – with her book still unpublished after her startling discovery about the author helping guide her towards success.

But one thing which hasn’t changed is the drama and excitement at the hotel Penmarrow, where the staff is awaiting inspection from the dreaded owner Ms. Claypool. Stirring up trouble in the meantime is the owner’s special guest ‘Mad Ludwig’, an eccentric architect whose demands are definitely driving everyone on the staff a little crazy. And then there’s the hotel’s mysterious new desk manager, whose behavior ignites Maisie’s suspicions and causes her to become entangled in yet another form of intrigue—one that could unwittingly jeopardize the future of the Penmarrow and everyone who works there, unless Maisie can find a way to undo the harm.

With everything that matters to her most at stake this time, Maisie faces her biggest challenges yet…and her deepest question of the heart as she confronts the reason she returned to Cornwall and the Penmarrow in the first place.

My review

After her adventure, Maisie Clark is heading back to Cornwall. Yet a lot of things have changed while she was away…
She has no job at the Hotel Penmarrow anymore, and Sidney is even more distant even if her feelings for him are the same.

Meanwhile the staff of the hotel are anxious for the inspection of the owner. And how ill the staff manage to keep eccentric architect Ludwig satisfied? And what is going on with the new desk manager?
It’s not an easy coming home for Maisie, but is there still a chance for her?

I was so happy that Maisie was going back to the place that felt home for her. When her latest adventure wasn’t exactly what she expected, I wanted her to find her happiness again in Cornwall, with Sidney.

But when she finally got home, the welcoming back she received, made me sad. Instead of everybody being happy to see her again, it was like she was one of the guests in the hotel, and not someone they bonded with in time.

Also Sidney’s reaction was not what I expected… I just wanted Maisie to be happy again, yet it was not on the agenda for her.
Somehow I understood Sidney’s reaction, it’s not easy to see the woman you are having a connection with, going away.
But anyway, she opened her heart for him, and then being rather cold, well, it was harsh…

Maisie wouldn’t be the Maisie we all love if she would just give up. Slowly she finds a way to come closer again to Sidney by totally opening up. And she shows she truly loves him, by accepting not knowing everything about him yet.

This part of the series was not about writing a book, or a big adventure. But more about realizing where your true home is. And that even if sometimes it seems that things have changed for the worse, there is no reason for giving up. And you have to dare to be totally honest. Sometimes all love needs is an extra nudge in the right direction.

Yet we are not there yet at all! I cannot wait to read how the story will end!

When the future you imagined just disappears in the blink of an eye.

Synopsis

Living on the streets is terrifying and exhausting. Grace’s only comforts are a steady stream of vodka, and a strange little boy who’s following her around.

At nineteen, Grace has already had a child and endured an abusive marriage. But she’s also had her baby abducted by her vengeful husband and been framed as a neglectful mother. Even her own parents doubted her version of the story. So she did the only thing that made sense to her—run away.

The streets are unforgiving. Winter is drawing in. And Grace isn’t prepared for the harsh realities of survival. At her very bleakest, a Good Samaritan swoops into her life and rescues her. With a roof over her head and food in her stomach, she longs to see her baby again.

But nothing ever comes for free.

My review

Grace is a young girl ready to start working on her future. After finishing high school, she wants to go to the university and make something of her life.
When she finds herself pregnant, all her dreams are put away and she finds herself married with the father of her baby girl.

But married life is not how she imagined… Her husband is abusing her, and when she finds the courage to go away, he abducts the child and accuses Grace of being a neglectful mother.
Having no one on her side, she sees no other option than running away…
But life on the streets isn’t an easy life… and she finds herself doing things she never imagined…

This story should come with a real warning… it’s not a happy story at all. And when you think it can’t be any worse, well think again…

I’ve read many sad stories, but I think Grace is one of the characters I pitied the most. Maybe she is a bit gullible, but can you blame her?
Grace is an example how one bad decision can turn your world upside down.  She does her utterly best, but when you have to fight against everyone, I understand how she got in a downward spiral and couldn’t find a way out.

Yet I also admired her. She finds the courage to fight her demons several times again. She knows who she is and will not stand being dragged through the mud anymore.

A story of how domestic abuse can not only lower your self – esteem, but can also put you in a lonely corner. Yet also about breaking the downward spiral and finding yourself again and fighting for your happiness and family.

What’s more in store for the Byrne sisters?

Synopsis

Sitting alongside the beach and just up from the gently lapping waves, sat a perfect cottage. She had found where she was going to live. Her own little cockleshell cove.

Ever since the Byrne sisters – Ariana, Aster, Clem, Paddy and Nic – discovered they were heiresses to the vast Hiverton fortune, their lives have never been the same. No longer living in poverty in London, they now own an estate in Norfolk, a castle in Scotland and a picturesque village in Cornwall.

When sensitive Paddy, the baby of the family despite her successful career as a model, swaps the catwalks of Paris Fashion Week for the cobbled lanes of Tregisky on the beautiful Cornish coast, it’s time for her to stand on her own two feet.

Soon, she’s settled in her new home of Cockleshell Cottage overlooking the wild surf, the seals her closest companions.

And when she meets ex-soldier Hal, she’s instantly smitten. Funny, considerate, and not to mention drop dead gorgeous, he’s perfect in every way apart from one – he’s engaged. But after a misunderstanding brings the two together in ways they couldn’t have imagined, it seems like they might just change each other’s lives.

Will Paddy fall in love with more than just the glorious blue skies of Cornwall? Or are there storm clouds gathering ahead?

Escape to the Cornish coast this summer with this completely uplifting romcom – perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Phillipa Ashley and Milly Johnson

My review

Paddy Byrne is tired of modelling around the world. She needs some time alone to figure out what she really wants from life. And what better way to do that than going to the Cornish Coast?
So she settles down in her new home of Cockleshell Cottage.

When she meets Hal, an ex – soldier, they instant like each other. They would be a perfect match, if only he wouldn’t be already engaged…

How much can I enjoy a book? The answer to that question is: if it’s a book like this one, A LOT!!!

In first instance I was happy to read about the Byrne – sisters all over again. And when Paddy her story starts, I started reading and I had to be forced to put the book away.

Paddy is a model, and now also heiress of the Hiverton fortune. Yet she remained her humble self. Even modelling did not make her forget who she truly is. She is so down-to-earth and trying to make every one of her family happy.
Yet the sad part is that she is so unsure… she didn’t finish her education, making her a bit otherworldly. She does not have the average knowledge and this makes her more receptive for people with les good intentions…

But her kindness, her readiness to help out wherever she can, makes up for her “shortcoming”. And even when the one time she thinks of herself, and she has to pay the consequences, she does not choose the easy way out. She makes a decision, and stick to it.

And Hal is also every woman’s dream, putting his engagement aside. He is a nice guy, and despite his personal troubles, he makes the best of everything. He is having his own struggles yet he is there to help the community and Paddy.

Despite many misunderstandings, there is a real spark between Paddy and Hal.

It may seem like an easy book, and somehow it is. Yet somehow the author managed to write a real captivating story. The location, each character and every event elevate this story even to a higher level.

I truly enjoyed it, reading about Paddy and also getting to know the sisters a little bit better. Can’t wait to see what adventures the other sisters are awaiting!

Finding yourself at the other side of the world.

Synopsis

Rachel Watson has it all worked out. By 30, she’s ticked off most of the goals on her Life List. She’s a homeowner, a partner at her law firm, she has a gorgeous boyfriend, lots of hobbies and loads of good friends. The only thing that’s missing is a ring on her finger.

According to her Life List, Rachel should be getting hitched around now, so when her boyfriend, Paul, plans a romantic date, Rachel’s pretty confident he’s going to propose. Except Paul has other ideas. He’s jetting off to India to find himself.

Distraught, Rachel doesn’t know what to do. Not one to easily admit defeat, she embarks on a mission to win him back.

Flying solo to India is definitely not on Rachel’s Life List, but could her trip teach her some unexpected lessons about love, life and herself? Could she realise that perhaps her Life List wasn’t exactly what she wanted, after all?

My review

Rachel Watson is ready to thick off the next goal on her Life List: getting married. Especially when her boyfriend Paul has planned a romantic date. All the signs are there: the restaurant of their first date, she saw him at a jewellery store.

Yet at the actual date, it becomes rather quickly that Paul is not at the same level with Rachel. Instead of proposing, he just announces that he needs to find himself again and that he is going to a retreat in India.

After the initial shock, Rachel decides to fly also to India and win Paul back. But is it really all that easy?

Again a book from this author I just devoured!

Somehow I could relate with Rachel, with her Life List. Did we not have all a plan in our head, and wanting to follow it? Yet life has other plans and we have no other choice than dealing with what is happening at that moment.

When Rachel has all her hopes of getting engaged and the date becomes a total disaster, yes I had to laugh a little bit because of the absurdity of it all. And yet I felt so sorry for her… all her hopes and dreams just poof, gone!

But if there is one thing we can say about Rachel, is that she is determined! She does not just give up, but flies all over the world. Speaking about dedication!
Flying to India is not that obvious. Of course India is a totally different world compared to ours. So the culture shock is big!

And seeing Rachel struggling with adapting a modest life, well it’s not easy. Modest because going to a retreat is all about going back to basics. So how can a woman like Rachel, and ok, like all of us, manage in a place where make – up and expensive clothes are not very welcome. Also sleeping in a three house with no actual bed, well, I didn’t envy Rachel at all!

When she finds Paul, the reunion is not how she planned at all. Suddenly she finds herself alone in a different country… luckily she makes quickly new friends, including Seb and Meera.
Being there she makes the best of her vacation, and slowly we see this woman making a change.

Rachel starts to see the importance of being just you, and thinking about material things. Even if Rachel does not understand the joy of meditating (I hear you girl!) she somehow finds herself again and starts to make the right priorities in life again. No worries, she doesn’t become suddenly a hippie, but she understands what’s important and what not. And she even finds a new purpose!

I had so many laughs while reading, especially during the workshops! Yet the message arrived loud and clearly…
Life cannot be planned, and sticking to your plan even if it’s not with the right man, is not the answer to everything.
You always have to stay true to yourself and the right people will accept you as you are.

If you’re looking for a laugh, with romance but also about self – discovery, you should read this amazing book! And I cannot wait for the next part!

How 1 man on his death bed is the start of everything.

Synopsis

How long can you get away with murder?

In an idyllic Sussex town, Mr Quinn whispers a secret on his death bed. Hours later the person who cared for Quinn is killed.

Mr Quinn’s secret sets off events unlike anything Detective Grant and Psychologist Ruby Silver have ever seen.

A series of deaths follow as a killer tries to cover their twenty-year trail of murder by drowning.

Grant, Silver and the team must track a killer who has been getting away with murder for years. But when treachery, corruption and secrets from the past are used against Sergeant Tom Delaney, the killer turns their attention to one of Grant’s own…

Detective David Grant and Psychologist Ruby Silver are back in this unmissable new crime thriller. It can be read as the sequel to Deadly Motives or as a brilliant stand-alone. It’s the perfect read for fans of authors like Angela Marsons, Robert Bryndza and Helen H. Durrant.

My review

Mr. Quinn finds himself in the hospital, feeling his end is near. He tries to tell his secret to the only person looking out for him at that moment, nurse Michelle Dixon.

When later that day Michelle is found dead, DCI David Grant and his team are called to the scene. What seems initially a random killing, soon becomes the work of a killer who got away with it years ago.

How deep does the police have to dig to find out the truth? And what secret did Mr. Quinn try to tell, what happened in the past? And what to do when the killer is targeting the team too?

Sometimes you read a book about people being murdered, and ok, you feel kind of sad of that death, but it doesn’t disturb you that much.
Yet with this book, every killing was for me just terrible! The people murdered weren’t evil, ‘deserving’ a cruel death.
When Michelle was brutally murdered, I was hoping all the time someone would come for her rescue. And even with the other murders, it was devastating me…

When we got glimpses of the thoughts of the killer, it showed just how evil the killer was. Describing saving was possible but just enjoying the final moments, gave me chills all over.

Throughout the whole story, I had no certainty of who the killer was. Yes, I had my suspicions, but I wasn’t ever 100% sure. Each time I thought I had it all figured out, something happens crushing all my ideas.
Only at the very end I had a suspicion that appeared to be correct! And I apologise for my family when they heard me scream: “I KNEW IT!!!”.

When the truth came out, about the past and the present, I could finally put all the characters in the right list: good people/ victims, bad people/ culprits.
Without giving anything away, it’s not all just black and white for most of them. That’s why I had to read the whole story in 1 length, because I needed to understand everyone.

The team of DCI David Grant are truly committed to their job. And even when it becomes personal for some, the need to find out the truth and find the assailant remains the main task.
Even if sometimes not the whole team was happy with each other, the respect remained, and eventually each and every one of the police department proofed their value in the search.

This thriller gave me the chills, yet I found myself unable to put it away. The development of the story, the fact that the characters were so real, made this not just a good thriller, but a great thriller. If I wouldn’t be a nail biter for ages, this story would have me started with it!

There is more than sees the eye…

Synopsis

Bologna: city of secrets, suspicion . . . and murder

A dark and atmospheric crime thriller set in the beautiful Italian city of Bologna, perfect for fans of Donna Leon, Michael Dibdin and Philip Gwynne Jones.

When the body of a radical protestor is found floating in one of Bologna’s underground canals, it seems that most of the city is ready to blame the usual suspects: the police.

But when private investigator Daniel Leicester, son-in-law to a former chief of police, receives a call from the dead man’s lover, he follows a trail that begins in the 1970s and leads all the way to the rotten heart of the present-day political establishment.

Beneath the beauty of the city, Bologna has a dark underside, and English detective Daniel must unravel a web of secrets, deceit and corruption – before he is caught in it himself.

Tom Benjamin’s gripping debut transports you to the ancient and mysterious Italian city less travelled: Bologna.

My review

Private investigator Daniel Leicester lives with his daughter in Bologna.
One day he receives a call to investigate the death of a leading anarchist. Everybody assumes the police is involved, but the dead man’s lover thinks there is more going on.

Not often Bologna is a setting for a book. But for this book, the location was perfect.
Bologna is a city with a long history. Good history but also a bad one. This of course is for Italy in totally… good things happened, but also nasty ones.

Daniel is a private investigator trying to figure out what truly happened to the victim. Was it truly the police?
As the story evolves, it’s clear that the dark past of the anarchist and his accomplices are part of this murder.
It’s fascinating how Daniel and those around him are finding conspiracies all around.
During the reading, I had no idea who was being truly honest or who was the bad guy.

What I liked was how the author took Italy’s history and took that as inspiration for this story. That history was an ugly one, but through the whole story, you have no judgement from the author himself. The real facts are stated, and the story and characters are very dark and even if it’s fiction, you see the consequences of being part of an ugly history.

The story is about a murder, yet it was clear that in the end, nobody can be trusted to be 100% honest. And that corruption is something that can be found everywhere, anytime.
Yet the star of this book was Bologna itself… the way the city is described made me love the city even more, despite the past.

A good thriller in a beautiful setting!

Forced into marriage by the King!

Synopsis

She must marry the knight

By order of the king!

Widow Eleanor of Tallany Castle knows her people are broken by the taxes demanded by King John. So when she’s ordered to marry Hugh de Villiers, a knight loyal to the king, she’s furious—even if he is handsome! As gallant Hugh begins to heal the scars of Eleanor’s abusive first marriage, she’s even more determined to keep her secret: she is the outlaw the king wants to send to the gallows!

My review

Widow Eleanor of Tallany Castle is rather happy with her life. She is not attached to a man, and does her best to help her people who are paying taxes demanded by King John.
But when that same King forces her to marry Hugh de Villiers, a knight loyal to the King, she makes it clear she will not just kneel for her husband.
She got away from a first abusive husband and will not allow a second one to do the same!
Hugh is also on a mission: to find the outlaw the King wants to send to the gallows.
This means that Eleanor must keep her secret at any cost, as she is that outlaw!

I love stories where women are not just ‘weak’, jumping at every word said by a man.
So I enjoyed reading this story!

Eleanor is a strong woman, not letting anyone dictate her life. Even when she is forced to marry Hugh, she complies, but that’s how far she will go. Having already had an abusive husband, she will not just allow another stranger to do the same thing all over again.
She keeps Hugh at a distance, letting him clearly know how she feels about this arrangement. And she will not give up her life for him!
She is also a rebel, being the outlaw the King is looking for. Even if it’s against the law, this shows how deeply Eleanor cares about the wellbeing of her people.
She will go very far to do the right thing.

And Hugh.. he truly surprised me. Being a knight, I imagined he would be a real Alpha. His word is law and his wife will listen to him, and as often, the wife will embrace the life of a kind of submissive. Well, that were my expectations, but Hugh was totally the opposite!

Through the story we get to know him as a caring man. He respects Eleanor and her boundaries. Yet he makes it clear that he will woo her, even if they are already married.
A man willing to seduce his wife, even if it wouldn’t be necessary, as they are already married, well, it’s truly swoon – material!
Also the fact that he won’t push her to “consummate” their wedding, shows what an amazing man he is!

While they are getting closer, I was curious to see what the reaction would be once the secret was out. And here Hugh again showed what a man he is.

This story is about doing the right thing, opening your heart, and also admitting that you were wrong. But also about protecting the ones you care about, being the people of your village, your servants and even the person you married!

How 1 random encounter can change your whole world.

Synopsis

Can love really be found when you stop looking for it…?

As Samantha Wishaw watches the love of her life marry another woman, she’s ready to give up hope of finding her happy ever after.

But when a chance encounter leads Sam to find friendship in Thomas – a lonely, grumpy elderly widower living at derelict Hedgehog Hollow – her life is about to change forever.

Glad to have a distraction from family feuds and match-making, Sam vows to fulfill Thomas and his wife, Gwendoline’s, dreams of restoring Hedgehog Hollow to its former glory, and to open a hedgehog rescue centre.

Throwing herself into the task at hand, little does Sam realise that the keys to love and happiness may also be found at Hedgehog Hollow, when she least expects it…

Escape to Hedgehog Hollow this summer with top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland for the perfect uplifting, feel-good read.

My review

Samantha Wishaw is heartbroken. The man she loves with all her heart, is marrying her niece. She gives up hope of finding her happily after.
When on the day of the wedding she gets lost and meets Thomas, it means her whole life will change.
Thomas is an elderly widower, living at Hedgehog Hollow. He doesn’t want to have Samantha around, but he needs helps and if Sam is ready to help around, he gives her permission to stick around.

When Sam gets to know more about Thomas, his late wife Gwendoline and their dreams, she finds a purpose in life again.

Talking about a story that broke my heart! And not because Sam is seeing the love of her life getting married with someone else, but because of awful she is being treated!
The way her whole family treats her, with the exception of her father, it left me flabbergasted! I couldn’t believe that people could be so horrendous towards a member of your own family. And if it was right, I could somehow understand it. But Sam is a real victim… she does whatever she can to please people but it’s just never good enough.
I admired her stubbornness to find a way to make everything right, but whatever she does, gets twisted around making her feel bad all over again.

So when she meets Thomas, and I saw how she was treated again, I almost wanted to tell her to get as far as possible away from Thomas too, because she deserves so much better in life.
Yet when she is resolute to help Thomas, and when Thomas is letting her in his life, I truly understood Sam.
She is a real good person, always putting someone else before her, trying to make everyone happy even if it costs her a lot.

I was so happy for her when little by little she is becoming happy again, together with Thomas and having a purpose again.
The length she goes for fulfilling Thomas’ and Gwendoline’s dreams is amazing. Here she shows how determined she can be, and even if the future of Hedgehog Hollow is at risk, she is not giving up, but fighting for the dream.

There is so much happening in this story, and even when I said “OK, this is the last chapter of today”, something happened and it was several chapters later that I found the courage to put the book away.

A special remark for the hedgehogs, even if their participation is not a huge one… I didn’t know that much about hedgehogs and what they would need. But thanks to this book, I started to love them just a little more!

A lovely book, about finding a purpose in life and never giving up. It’s also mainly about love. But not only love between a man and a woman, also about love of a family (or the lack of it…), love for a dear friend, love for animals and ok yes, also love between a man and a woman 😂