Sunday 30 October 2016

Book Review - Wonder Cruise by Ursula Bloom


TITLE - Wonder Cruise

AUTHOR - Ursula Bloom


GENRE - Romantic Fiction 


Get a copy - Amazon UK


Synopsis from Goodreads.


Ann Clements is thirty-five and single, and believes nothing exciting will ever happen to her. Then, she wins a large sum of money in a sweepstake and suddenly can dare to dream of a more adventurous life. She buys a ticket for a Mediterranean cruise, against the wishes of her stern brother, the Rev. Cuthbert, who has other ideas about how she should spend her windfall. Ann steps out of the shadows of her mundane life into the heat of the Mediterranean sun. Travelling to Gibraltar, Marseilles, Naples, Malta and Venice, Ann’s eyes are opened to people and experiences far removed from her sheltered existence in the offices at Henrietta Street, and Mrs. Puddock’s lodging house. As Ann blossoms, discovering love and passion for the very first time, the biggest question is, can there be any going back?


MY REVIEW 


Ann comes across a lot older than her years and a bit prim and proper. It doesn't help that her Brother Cuthbert wants her to remain a singleton; a spinster, so his Daughter will inherit everything she owns. He and his wife are so old fashioned. Ann's life was very structured and routine. She goes to work as a typist, goes home to her rented room and then repeats it all over again. 

Ann just had one dream; to travel; see the world; see the churches, cathedrals and cities that were featured in Mr Thomas Cooks holiday brochures. Imagine her delight when this became a possibility.

I initially found the book a bit slow and just couldn't see where it was heading. Too much of it focused on her mundane life. There seemed to be some naivety to the writing. However not to be one to give up, I continued reading. I enjoyed how the author had made Ann a naive 30 something, unsure of the ways of the world, and then allowed her to bloom and become the young woman she still was, in the prime of her life.

There was a comedic element to the book too, especially within the description of her fellow travellers. the pictures you form in your mind make you smile. Some of the story-line I found a bit unbelievable for the time period it was written in, however it was a fairly fun read.

The book was building up to the climax and the much anticipated ending, and then........ it was all over. I feel it needed to have a more structured and lengthy ending and some parts of the story needed to be elaborated on more. I was left disappointed. It did make me smile in parts but it just needed more substance.

Thank you to the author for the chance to read and review her book.




Saturday 29 October 2016

Book Review - Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas


TITLE - Local Girl Missing

AUTHOR - Claire Douglas


PUBLISHER - Penguin UK


Synopsis from Amazon


Twenty years ago
21-year-old Sophie Collier vanishes one night.
She leaves nothing behind but a trainer on the old pier -
and a hole in the heart of her best friend Francesca.

Now
A body's been found.
And Francesca's drawn back to the seaside town she's tried to forget.
Perhaps the truth of what happened to Sophie will finally come out. Yet Francesca is beginning to wish she hadn't returned.

Everywhere she turns are ghosts from her past.
The same old faces and familiar haunts of her youth.
But if someone knows what really happened to Sophie that night then now's the time to find out - isn't it? 

Except sometimes discovering the truth can cost you everything you hold dear - your family, your sanity and even your life . . .


MY REVIEW

Oh I loved this one!

Frankie and Sophie were Childhood Friends. Friends that appear to have secrets. When Sophie was 21 yrs old, she suddenly disappeared on a night out. Her trainer was found on the pier so there was the assumption that she had an unfortunate accident. But was it? Rumours abound in this seaside town.

Many years later, Sophies Brother Daniel, who carried a torch for Frankie, made contact with Frankie to say that remains have turned up, and they are possibly Sophie's. He needs Frankie's help as he believes his Sister was murdered.

The book then becomes a completely compelling read and I couldn't put it down. Suspects kept turning up in the form of ex-boyfriends; friends and even their siblings. It is a real modern day whodunnit!

There are so many twists and turns in the book. You think you've worked out who did it, if it was indeed a murder, only to realise you're wrong, again, questioning if it was indeed an accident. The book is engrossing and unpredictable. I just don't understand the 1 and 2 star reviews as to me this was one of the best crime novels I've read this year. Intriguing storyline and numerous interesting characters. I shall certainly be adding this author to my list of favourites if all her books are as good as this.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this.




Book Review - The Fire Child by SK Tremayne


Title - The Fire Child

Author - S.K. Tremayne

Publisher - Harper Collins

Purchase link - click here


Synopsis from Goodreads -

When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie.

But then Jamie’s behaviour changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the spectre of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?

As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband. Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words:

‘You will be dead by Christmas.’

My Review
 
I was so keen to read this book as I'd heard so much about the Authors other book "The Ice Twins".

The main characters in the book are Rachel, her new Husband and her young Stepson Jamie. Rachel, who comes from a dysfunctional and fairly poor background, marries rich widower David and moves into this family mansion in Cornwall. It's by the coast and on the edge of the mines, which have been in David's family for years. These mines hold many bad memories.
 
The house is enormous and David's Widowed Mother lives in one wing of the house. The description the author gave of the house was very vivid and I could picture it in my mind as the author took you through it. This was a great strength of the author; the descriptions not just of the house but of the area, the mines and the coastline.
 
There were some very strange "going's on" in the house and the book does have a slight dark side to it. Who is Jamie talking to? Sometimes the threads to the story were left hanging.
 
The relationship between Jamie and Rachel was well written; sometimes trying; sometimes moving. I didn't feel any connection with any of the other characters in the book though and sometimes felt them lacking a little substance.
 
The plot to me, was a little slow going and I found it hard to get into sometimes as it didn't grip me liked I hoped it would. There was a twist at the end of the book as you would expect but I felt a little let down with where the book went after that, right at the end. I was left wanting more and was disappointed. It's just that this book to me, seemed to be missing something but I can't quite put my finger on what. Sadly just not gripping enough a read.
 
It doesn't put me off though, and as several people have recommended it to me, I will still read the Ice Twins.