Tizi’s Book Review

When a marriage is made for alliances, what can come from it?

Synopsis

Could the wrong bride…

Be right for him after all!

For the sake of his family name, Lord Robert must marry to seal an alliance with an Irish clan. Only, the woman at the altar isn’t who he was promised! Instead, it’s her sister, Lady Mairenn! The sharp-tongued Irish beauty is as reluctant to wed as Robert, but as friction turns to fire between them, she’s further derailing Robert’s plans for this purely pragmatic arrangement…

My review

Irish Lady Mairenn is ready to sacrifice her own happiness for her sister’s sake. Even if that means to help her sister run away to marry the man she loves, and even if that means that Mairenn has to take her place in marrying Englishman Lord Robert de Brunville.
Robert isn’t happy learning that he won’ be marrying the woman he was promised, but for the alliance made with Mairenn’s dying father, he has no choice.
Neither one of them is happy with the prospect of living together with someone ‘outside their clans’, but needs must and it’s crystal – clear from the start that their marriage will be purely a pragmatic one.
Yet somehow Mairenn gets under Robert’s skin and despite their dislike of each other, there seems to be something else lingering between them… 

It took me a while to recall the first book of the series, especially as I am a fan of this author, I couldn’t remember any of her books being part of a series that I have started but not yet finished. After a small research, my questions were answered as the first part was written by another, yet also just as amazing author that I also happen to be following! 😊
But if you pick up this book and haven’t read the first book, there is no need to panic, as you can perfectly read it as a standalone. 

There are characters that immediately show how kind, loving and unselfish they are. And Mairenn is one of them. She is ready to give up her own happiness, as that means that her sister Cliodhna can marry the man she truly loves.
But there is more to Mairenn than just kindness. She is also sassy, in a good way, and knows how to get things her way. She knows how to handle her father, who as a clan – leader has always been very strict, rigorous and put the clan’s need above everything.
Yet there is also the great tragedy that struck this family, and that pain is still palpable. And there are Mairenn’s own issues, making her believe she is less worthy, and even a weakness for the family. 

Nevertheless, I loved reading how outspoken she is, even towards strangers. She won’t let anyone dictate her, and she stands her ground. That for sure put a smile on my face, not only when she first meets Robert, but throughout the whole book.
Even if she is ‘just’ a Lady, she knows more about the clan and what to do in which situation than any other man around her. And that was never heard of before in those times, but so refreshing to read about! 

Robert wasn’t perhaps the easiest person to like at first. I found him a bit pompous, not ready to listen and I found it even a bit annoying that he wanted to do everything his way. it felt to me he had no respect of the Irish ways.
He also appears to be very rigid, showing no attempts to build bridges with his long – lost brother, and is set in his own way of thinking. 

But slowly we learn that also in his case there has been a great loss, something that bonds him with Mairenn.
Yet that doesn’t take away that he often clashes with his sharp – tongued wife, making us readers have the best of times!
And seeing him adapt to the Irish ways, to see him perhaps even unintentional listening to Mairenn and taking her advice, was good to read. Because the saying ‘behind every great man stands a strong woman’, isn’t just bollocks, isn’t it? 😊 

Great part of the story is about Robert and Mairenn finding not only each other, but also themselves. They learn to trust each other, they learn to rely on each other, they learn to share their physical and emotional pains.
But there is also room for betrayal of a terrible kind, a great fight and fear. And still, we also see loyalty in those darkest moments… 

This was once again a great story to read. Mostly it’s at a calm pace, but gives you more time to fully understand both characters, where they come from and what they have been through and how they mature as they have found unexpectedly an ally with each other.
We see that no matter over how many things they think differently and clash more than anything else, they also see that love can bring many good things, and that love opens their heart in a way they didn’t think it could. 

And even if yes, the ending is predictable, does it truly matter when we can see that even in time of Knights and Maidens, love is a powerful thing that can turn the fiercest warrior into a gentle man and the most outspoken maiden into a woman ready to fight for her man.

Check this out!

Synopsis

Embark on a gripping journey of sacrifice and self-discovery in The Asymmetric Man, a thrilling tale set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Vietnam War. Follow Blake, a young recruit turned undercover agent, as he navigates the treacherous world of espionage, survival and forbidden love. From war-ravaged Saigon to seemingly impenetrable jungle and the tranquillity of a Buddhist monastery, this riveting novel explores the power of recognising and embracing one’s true calling, no matter the cost.

Extract

In this extract Blake Carter, a Cambridge University undergraduate fluent in several Oriental languages, is offered the opportunity to work for MI6 after graduation, with the prospect of working overseas in the Far East.

CHAPTER 1

Cambridge

March 1966.  

Blake stood for a moment, and looking up at the word HUMILITATIS carved in stone above the archway leading into Caius College. He walked through the gate and across Tree Court towards the south west corner of the quad and an ancient solid oak door. He pushed it open and its hinges creaked. In the gloomy hallway that stretched before him, there was a dark wooden staircase whose intricately carved balustrade gave off a faint smell of furniture polish. As he walked upstairs the steps groaned beneath his feet and he reflected that students like himself had been using the University, and this college, for more than seven hundred years. He wondered how many others had found the conventions stifling, although it had not taken him long to learn to get around them and turn them to his own advantage. 

Blake made his way to Professor Dodds’ rooms on the second floor. This was only the second time he’d been invited; the first was after they’d been introduced, two years ago. They usually met in The Rose and Crown, a quiet back street pub. He knocked on the dark oak door and a few moments later it creaked open.

‘Good evening, Professor.’

‘Ah, Blake, do come in,’ said Dodds, with a hint of awkwardness. ‘You’re on time, I see. That’s good, shows good manners.’ 

The front of his shirt had slipped out of his trousers and his tie was stained with remnants of food and gravy still wet from dinner. Blake recognised the same smell of roast beef he’d noticed last time. Dodds often appeared to be scatterbrained, rambling from one subject to another, but Blake had learnt that his appearance and distracted manner hid a sharp mind. He followed Dodds into the living room, a dark space with heavy wooden panelling; it was just as he remembered. There was a medium-sized dining table with four upright chairs ranged round it, a two-seater sofa and two leather armchairs. Against the far wall were two sets of tall bookcases stuffed full of books, with layers of books arranged horizontally on top of the upright ones. Two photographs of the Professor in his colourful gowns were displayed in silver frames on top of one bookcase. Document folders and sheets of paper were piled high on almost every surface. Removing his Cantonese/English dictionary from the pocket of his canvas jacket, Blake was ready for another evening of their usual academic conversations, but as he stepped further into the room, he saw a stranger in a grey suit sitting on the sofa, drink in hand.

‘This is the young man I was telling you about, Gerry. Blake Carter. Blake, this is Mr Benson,’ said Dodds. The stranger rose to his feet, and held out his hand.

‘Good evening, sir,’ said Blake, shaking hands.

‘A pleasure to meet you.’ Benson’s voice was rich and clear. He was tall and lean, his sharp blue eyes shining like beacons. 

‘Make yourselves comfortable. Gin and tonic, Blake?’ said Dodds, turning away towards a small cupboard used as a drinks cabinet.

‘Yes, please.’ 

Dodds poured Blake’s drink and handed it to him.

‘Just a minute, let me move some of those out of the way.’ He lifted a pile of documents from the seat of an armchair and made space for Blake to sit down. Benson returned to his seat on the sofa while Dodds sat on the other leather armchair, both of which had seen better days. ‘I’ve made some comments on the Chinese article about hydroelectric dams. Now where did I put it?’ Abruptly Dodds got up and put his drink on a small table beside his chair. He then did a tour of the room, rifling through different piles of documents and ending up at a pile on a footstool. Picking up a buff-coloured folder, he studied its contents. ‘Ah, here it is,’ he said, handed it to Blake and sat down again. 

‘Thanks.’

‘Well, Blake, how are you getting on with the Thai translation?’ asked Dodds.

‘Almost halfway through,’ said Blake.

‘Good, good.’

‘Ah,’ said Benson, ‘Doddsy here has been telling me he’s employed you to do translations for him.’

‘Yes.’

‘Translations? You’re reading Natural Sciences, aren’t you? Not much to do with Oriental languages I would have thought.’

Blake wondered where the line of questioning was leading and who Benson was; it seemed unlikely this was just a chance meeting. He shuffled in his seat. 

‘I was raised in the Far East,’ he said.

‘Ah, I see. So how did you come across Doddsy?’

Blake felt as if he was being quizzed, but Benson’s manner was friendly. 

‘I asked the Department of Asian Studies to recommend someone who could help me practise, so I wouldn’t forget it all. They put me in touch with Professor Dodds.’

‘Glad to be of assistance,’ said Dodds piously.

I am for sure intrigued!

Synopsis

A deadly feast, a mobster restaurant and a family get-together with fatal results.

Savour the spicy tang of dark and twisted tales in Pass the Cyanide, a follow-up to the award-winning collection of culinary mysteries, Add Cyanide to Taste.

From an old friend hiding a deadly secret to a ravenous house with an appetite for friends, Špiljak masterfully blends the allure of food and the thrill of mystery. Each story is a rich and satisfying serving of crime, with a twist that will leave you wanting more.

A must-read for fans of culinary noir and foodies who love a pinch of danger with their suspense. All recipes included are cyanide-free.

GuestPost

Hooked on culinary noir

When I wrote ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’ two years ago, I did it for my own pleasure, without worrying about the genre. Publishing, however, requires labels, only, which one to pick? Although my short stories were culinary mysteries, they weren’t exactly cosy, neither were they detective fiction. Some were classic hard-boiled mysteries, but there was also dark speculative fiction and horror.

So, how to label them and make sure that my ghosts and haunted houses don’t horrify unsuspecting readers? I didn’t want to promise a cosy read, only to sneak up behind the reader’s back and shout ‘booo’ when they put their feet up.

So I came up with culinary noir, feeling rather smug about having invented a new genre.

Noir, after all, allows for a certain mischief and darkness, while the culinary is the binding element of my stories. It means there’ll be some blood, some spooky stuff, ghosts and creepy dolls and a bit of magic, too.

Then, some months later, while preparing for the book launch, I discovered that culinary noir existed before I’d ‘invented’ it. One or two articles referenced it, but there were not so many books that carried the label. 

So I hadn’t made it up after all?

Rather than being disappointed, I was relieved. If the genre already existed, then it came with at least a few readers, who liked stories like mine. 

Once ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’ came out, it was clear there were more than just a few readers. People liked the stories and were happy to add culinary noir to their bookshelves. The book won an award and kept finding new readers. Some of them were book bloggers, and some of them tagged me in their review and asked for a sequel.

Until then, I hadn’t seriously considered writing another culinary noir collection, but I paused all the same and considered the request. 

Could I write another bunch of dark culinary mysteries? Yes, I certainly could, because I had quite a few story ideas already.

Did I want to? 

Well, yes. Writing those stories was fun and easy. The only problem was that I was kind of already in the middle of writing something else, having promised my time and attention to a bunch of entirely different stories.
What to do?

The only thing that made sense: I followed my gut feeling, abandoned the plans and started working on a new collectionof culinary noir.

‘Pass the Cyanide’ has kept the spirit of ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’, but brought fresh stories and characters. There are two speculative fiction stories with my own spin on vampires, a few whodunnits and a classic noir story set in Belgrade, my current hometown. There’s a holiday-themed story inspired by TikTok and there’s a story featuring artificial intelligence. Theidea for the latter came after a brief consultation with ChatGPT3. I’ve asked the tool to generate a few culinary mystery plot ideas which involved artificial intelligence, curious to see whether it would cast itself as a hero or as a villain. It did neither, and cast itself as a sidekick, a smart move on ChatGPT’s side. Though I didn’t like any of its suggested plots, I started contemplating my own plots featuring artificial intelligence. The result is ‘Ernest’s Choice’, the opening story of the collection.

I wanted to include the recipes, too, picking a few dishes from the stories, including cocktails, which might have had something to do with the blistering summer heat while writing the stories.

Even after finishing the book, I’m far from being done with writing in the genre. If anything, I am hooked on culinary noir and already planning the next book in the series.  

I’m calling the series ‘Cooking with Cyanide’, which is guaranteed to freak out the online bots, return some interesting personalised ads, and frighten my dinner guests, especially when asking about allergies.

But hey, that’s a small price to pay for the joy of writing new stories filled with delicious mayhem.

Willing to give them a try?

Check out this wonderful cover!

Synopsis

She’s writing her story one recipe at a time…

‘A delicious story that wraps itself around your heart’ Evie Woods, bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop

It’s been three years, two weeks and one day since Kate Shaw’s life changed forever. Three years, two weeks and one day that Kate has been angry – with herself and life.

But today is different. Different because Kate has finally taken the step she’s been avoiding…back into the kitchen. Now, what begins as a (disastrous) attempt to make pancakes becomes a culinary journey that is not only a love letter to someone so important to her, but also an unexpected means of connection to a community she never knew she had…

Pre-order Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Ingredient-Zara-Stoneley-ebook/dp/B0BF96B49J/

https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-secret-ingredient-sue-heath?variant=40275147096142

Publication Date: 15th February 2024

About the author

Sue Heath lives in Cheshire, England. When she isn’t working, she can often be found running around agility courses with her spaniel, and in the evenings, she loves to cook and spend time with family and friends.

‘The Secret Ingredient’ is an uplifting story that explores how a sense of community, sharing, friendship, love, and a feeling of belonging can help us make sense of life, find comfort, and heal. How we can find our happiness in ordinary things.

Sue has also written fourteen USA Today bestselling romcoms under the pseudonym Zara Stoneley and has sold over half a million copies of her stories worldwide.

You can find out more about Sue on her website – http://www.sueheath.co.uk

The cover

Never let age stop you!

Synopsis

Recently retired, Denny Lambert is finding life just a little bit…well, dull. So when her stepsister Juliette announces she’s getting married – again! – and invites Denny on a hen do with the Old Ducks, Denny really can’t say no.

Denny knows something about the Old Ducks and their wild exploits, but she’s just glad to be somewhere hot and sunny and away from her grey life back in the UK. She’s definitely not going to be pulled into any Old Duck mayhem….

But when they arrive at their beautiful Mallorcan villa, Denny is in for a shock. Because right next door is the man who once broke her heart – Bruno Browning. Now with the Old Ducks and an old flame to contend with, Denny’s life suddenly feels anything but dull!

But if she’s learnt one thing from her time with the Old Ducks it’s that life is for living…and that’s exactly what Denny is finally going to do!

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/oldduckshensocial

About the author

Maddie Please is the author of bestselling joyous tales of older women. She had a career as a dentist and now lives in rural Herefordshire where she enjoys box sets, red wine and Christmas.

When you dream of something nonexistent… could it turn into reality anyway?

Synopsis

Ellie Browne, landlady of the Dog & Duck, is looking forward to a relaxing Christmas Day before the arrival of her and Max’s baby in the new year.

But with a snowstorm brewing outside, it seems that things might not go quite to plan. After the dramatic events of the holiday season, Ellie settles into her new life at Max’s huge country mansion, Braithwaite Manor, juggling work and family as best she can.

When she’s asked to help organise a summer wedding for one of her best friends it’s only natural that her mind turns to her own non-existent wedding plans! But with Max decidedly lukewarm on the subject and other family complications threatening to disrupt life further, Ellie fears there’ll never be wedding bells at the Dog & Duck after all.

The perfect feel-good love story for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/weddingdogducksocial

About the author

Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles – most recently the Dog and Duck series – all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages. She lives in Bedfordshire.

Lees Meer

A great story about strong characters!

Synopsis

They didn’t forecast this!

When charismatic and handsome weather presenter Marcus Bowman walks back into Willow Roxburgh’s life three weeks before Christmas, her quiet job as an admin worker at the Old Schoolhouse residential care centre in Glenbriar is shattered. He’s not only the man she used to crush on, he’s also the one who thwarted her TV forecasting dreams.

But she’s no longer the anonymous studio assistant; she’s secretly Scotland’s new favourite weather forecaster, Rocky Rainman.

With the Schoolhouse facing closure, Marcus is on an assignment to drum up festive support. However, he’s discovered the internet sensation Rocky Rainman lives somewhere nearby and is determined to expose him after Rocky’s recent damaging comments on social media. Seeing Willow, the girl he used to obsess over, shakes his priorities.

When a blizzard hits, Willow and Marcus are snowed in, and she discovers her perception of him wasn’t as accurate as her forecasts. Marcus isn’t convinced it’ll be a white Christmas, but he’s determined to win Willow’s heart. Can their new love weather storm if he discovers her secret? Because how can there be a future for Marcus Bowman and Rocky Rainman?

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/snowdown

About the author

Margaret is a Scottish author and chocolate lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel A Winter Haven in 2021. This is the first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull. Margaret has also written six books in The Glenbriar Series with more planned for 2024.

The stories are unashamedly romantic but with lots of drama and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a standalone but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters.

This was a wonderful next chapter in a wonderful series

Synopsis

Sandy Elliot is devastated when a fire destroys her new business and doesn’t know how she can go on. When she receives a call from her grandmother’s old friend seeking her help, a trip to Bellbird Bay seems like the answer to a prayer.

Rob Andrews is proud of what he has achieved with Bay Bikes, the business he set up when he returned from Afghanistan. But the memory of his time there still plagues him and has always prevented him from forming any close relationships, afraid his deep-seated guilt and recurrent nightmares would scare off any woman foolish enough to become involved with him.

Upon meeting, it’s certainly not love at first sight. Sandy hates his beard and tattoos while Rob, though attracted to Sandy, doesn’t believe he deserves to find happiness.

But Bellbird Bay is a small town, and their paths continue to cross, making it impossible for them to ignore each other or to deny the attraction between them.

With the festive season approaching, can Sandy and Rob overcome their pasts and enjoy a celebration of their own?

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/CelebrationsinBB

About the author

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!

Another tour, another adventure

Synopsis

Travel Together Tour Manager Eve Mitchell is planning a quiet Christmas at home to rest and relax before a special New Year. But she soon, very unexpectedly, finds herself in the depths of the Essex countryside looking after a singles’ group which contains some old, familiar faces and some pleasant – and not so pleasant – new ones. With its country walks, quizzes, disco and black-tie ball, the Christmas and Twixmas Break passes quickly, but just as they think it’s all over the plot takes a twist and we learn some dark secrets…

My review

Tour manager Eve Mitchell is truly looking forward her calm Christmas celebration. She needs the calm before the special New Year, as her son will be getting married. But her calm and quiet – time is being ruined when a travel group needs her rescue in the Essex countryside.
Once again Eve is seeing familiar faces between the new ones. And once again this holidays will be filled with twists and turns amongst country walks and quizzes.

Once again we can enjoy the work of this author, and enjoying Eve Mitchell’s talent as a tour manager.
This time her adventure is closer to home, but nevertheless it’s still an adventurous one! 😀

When the story starts, I wanted Eve to be more stubborn in a way. Because she made it very clear she needed this time off, yet she finds herself packing up and helping out, once again. Although it was a good thing of her, of standing her ground and demanding all the extras she also got.
But of course Eve wouldn’t be Eve if she would let a group stand in the cold without an extra thought.

The story taking place in Essex made it perhaps easier for me to imagine the setting, as it’s also for me a bit closer to home, even if my home is in Belgium. But it’s easier to imagine Essex, which has many similarities to places in Belgium, than for example India or Antigua.

And it was of course great to see some old friends again. Although I have to admit, I wasn’t that happy to see *everybody – everybody* back… 🤣
I was glad to see how some characters haven’t change a bit, but also to see the change made in the past books was still present.

Obviously it was also good to make some new acquaintances, even if also in this case, there were some nice new meetings and some not so… We see once again a diversity of people, of characters that can make your life easy or difficult.

Eve obviously is the main protagonist, and where in the first book of the series she was a rather lonely character, now her life has expanded with not only her son in the picture, but also the man she in fact never stopped loving.
But in this chapter of Eve’s life we also see glimpses of her former life, and the family she left behind. And while initially I was wondering if it were truly all that bad as she would make us believe, I was shocked to see how the reappearances behaved. I would have thought that some things would have been water under the bridge, to only realize the opposite.
Yet it was great to see Eve putting her priorities straight and doing the right thing for her and her real loved ones.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, seeing Eve doing her thing closer to home, but being still an amazing tour manager. And it was lovely to see how also in her personal life were finally falling into place. And now it’s up to the next chapter! ☺️

To keep on believing

Synopsis

People say that it’s hard not to fall in love living on the sunny island of Jersey, but for Bea Philips, still reeling from a divorce and the loss of her beloved godmother, she’s not sure she can find the time. While her soon-to-be-ex-husband is trying to take away the home she grew up in, surly but attractive builder Luke is doing it up. Her old flame Tom has just turned up as her new manager at the office, and she has no idea what the mysterious Jersey Kiss is that her godmother has bequeathed to her…

Is life going to give Bea a break, so she can keep her dream home, and maybe fall in love?

New Beginnings by the Sunflower Cliffs is the first in a gorgeous, romantic series set on the breathtaking island of Jersey. Perfect for fans of Jessica Redland and Phillipa Ashley.

My review

While on the island of Jersey it’s always sunny, Bea’s life for sure doesn’t feel light a ray of sunlight… Not only is she still grieving over the loss of her beloved godmother, also her marriage ended on bad terms. And her soon – to – be – ex – husband is making sure that he gets a piece of Bea’s home too, even if he in fact he doesn’t really need to.
Bea’s home is in dire need of renovations, making Bea meet attractive builder Luke. But with her old flame, and new manager at her office, Tom warning her for Luke, she doesn’t know what to do… And what about the mystery of the Jersey Kiss that her godmother left to Bea in her will? Will Bea ever find out what the Jersey Kiss in fact is? And will there perhaps be a real kiss in store for Bea too?

Having read several books of this author, with the setting of the island of Jersey, I was very much looking forward to return to this wonderful place, even if it’s the start of a complete new series.

At the start of this book, and to be honest, a great part of the book too, I truly felt sorry for Bea. The loss of her godmother affected her great time, and it was easy to understand why, as after losing her mother, her godmother was there for her in so many different ways, from when Bea was a young girl, to the adult she has become now.
But it was also sweet to see how that love and help was being reciprocated, as when needed, Bea didn’t hesitate to look after her godmother just like her godmother looked after her all those years ago.
So can you truly be shocked by how deep the love was between the both of them? And can you be really surprised that losing that one fixture is Bea’s life was so devastating for her?

And feeling sorry for Bea concerning her failed marriage is perhaps not the right feeling, as her ex for sure is a piece of art…

But while Bea raised many feelings of sadness over me, she also gave me hopeful and happy feelings. Because she is surrounded by the best kind of friends, and even a great (half)sister – if the sister doesn’t keep listening to her mother that is…
And while at moments Bea is acting a bit meek, we see also how she stands her ground and the lengths she takes to protects what or who she cares about.

This story was a romantic one, yes. But it was mainly about picking yourself up after a bad time. It was also about (mis)trust and (dis)honesty, and in a way also gut feelings.
Because we see some new and old people arriving in Bea’s life and we see her seeing the reality: that some people misuse our trust and that there are others that we trust for some inexplicable reason and signs of warnings against it.

I have to admit, I had my own gut feeling telling me who to trust and who not. And I was glad to proven right! J
But somehow it also saddened me, as it showed that people can go far to save themselves, not caring who they hurt meanwhile…

There are several sad and also infuriating things happening in this book. But that doesn’t take away how much I enjoyed reading this book, and how inspiring I found this book. Because no matter what happens to Bea, she never gives up hope, or just gives up period. She is determined to find a solution that will solve her problems.
Also, no matter how afraid she is of getting burned again by love, with the right person she is ready to take the plunge.

And that is what matters, do not give up, in life or love. Because it may take a while, but all’s well that ends well. Just don’t give up!