Book Review & International Giveaway - A Lifetime Burning by Linda Gillard

Title - A Lifetime Burning

Author - Linda Gillard

Publisher - Transita

Available from Amazon UK or Amazon US
both in Kindle and Paperback form.

THE BLURB
Greedy for experience but determined to be good, Flora Dunbar spends a lifetime seeking love, trying to build a future out of the wreckage of her past - an eccentric childhood spent in the shadow of her musical twin, Rory; early marriage to Hugh, a clergyman twice her age; motherhood, which brings her Theo, the son she cannot love; middle-age, when she finds brief happiness in a scandalous affair with her nephew, Colin.

"If you asked my sister-in-law why she hated me, she’d say it was because I seduced her precious firstborn then tossed him onto the sizeable scrap-heap marked Flora’s ex-lovers. But she’d be lying. That isn’t why Grace hated me. Ask my brother Rory..."

MY REVIEW

This is a complex family drama with lots of twists and turns.

The main character in the book is Flora Dunbar. She is a twin and has an incredibly close relationship with her twin brother Rory. They grow up in what appears a warm household.  Rory becomes a famous pianist, whilst Flora becomes the wife of a clergyman who was a lot older than her. Flora is a complex character and never seems really happy with her lot.  She creates scandal in her family in more ways than one, as lots of family secrets are unearthed and some taboo relationships are formed.

I loved this story and all of the characters involved. It was a complex story, full of love and passion, warm relationships but also hate. It was beautifully written and full of happy times, sad times and tragedies. So much all rolled into one book.

The only thing I didn't like about the book (but then this is often one of my gripes with many books not just this one) is the fact that it kept going backwards and forwards in time. This is okay for me if you read the book over a couple of days, which you could easily do if you had the time. However I read it over a span of about 10 days and kept forgetting where I was and in which decade and I had to keep going backwards and forwards to work out what was going on. It wouldn't deter me from reading more though. 

I did however love how the author managed to make you warm to some characters and feel sorry for others. The way the characters are intertwined in a complex way, made the story very fulfilling.

I thoroughly recommend it as it has a lot of content and makes you want to keep reading it. I love the style of writing that Linda Gillard produces and have read many of her books, and recommend you do the same.

Learn more about the author by going to her author page. Click here

Also take a look at Linda's other books which are on her author page. .

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY TO WIN A FREE KINDLE EDITION OF THIS BOOK - INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY! STARTS AT MIDNIGHT GMT 4TH JANUARY! ENDS MIDNIGHT 12TH JAN.

AS AN EXTRA BONUS, THE AUTHOR HERSELF HAS OFFERED A SIGNED PAPERBACK TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE UK READER!!! THANK YOU LINDA. 

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