REVIEW: The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson

 

The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, General fiction

Read: 26th September 2020

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Published: 30th September 2020

★★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

As they walked towards the railway station, their mother took an envelope from her handbag. ‘I want you to keep this somewhere safe.’

‘What’s in the letter?’

‘Listen carefully. You’re never to open it unless you or your sister are in real trouble. Promise me.’

England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob. Night after night wailing bombs and screeching planes skim the rooftops overhead. They cradle each other, shivering in terror, not knowing if they will live to see dawn. Their mother, Martha, has no choice but to evacuate them to the safety of the countryside.

At the train station, Martha bites back tears as she says goodbye to her precious children. Knowing she might never see them again, she gives Jacob a letter, pressing the envelope into his hands and telling him to only read it if they are in danger.

In the country, Molly and Jacob must adjust to life with strangers. Every night they dream of returning home to the arms of their beloved mother. But then the unimaginable happens. Martha is killed in an explosion, leaving the twins all alone in the world.

The war has robbed Molly and Jacob of everything – all they have left is one another. Motherless and destitute, they face the grim reality of life in an orphanage. The time has finally come for Jacob to open the letter. What secret does it hold, and could it change the course of their tragic fate? Because if they are together, they can survive anything – but what if they are torn apart?

From the bestselling author of The Orphan Sisters comes an utterly heartbreaking and unforgettable tale of two children who must lean on each other in a time of tragedy and learn the shocking truth of their past. Fans of Wives of War, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe will be swept away by this sublime World War Two novel.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Shirley Dickson's latest emotional historical tale THE LOST CHILDREN.

I have been a fan of Shirley Dickson since her debut "The Orphan Sisters". Since then I have followed her book trail of fabulous historical fiction, reading each one and loving them all. Though having the backdrop of the second world war, her books are not about the war but more about those affected during the war...generally orphans or evacuees. 

But what I especially love about Shirley's books, while none of them are part of a series, each one includes some characters from previous stories. For example, the orphanage that was much of the focus in her debut has been mentioned in each book since. As well the funeral director Mr Neville who has gained a mention briefly in this book who was so much a part of the first and second books. Now THE LOST CHILDREN features so many characters from her third book from earlier this year "The Outcast Girls" that they each play something of a different part now..and it was was lovely to revisit them once again.

South Shields, 1935: Working as a typist at a garage, Martha Moffat falls under the spell of Edward Fenwick and soon finds herself pregnant. When her condition is discovered, her boss sacks her with immediate effect and her mother is not best pleased either. Unmarried and pregnant, Martha is shipped off to a hospital for unwed mothers for the remainder of her pregnancy. Determined not to grow attached to her child her plan is to have the baby adopted, but then she is surprised when the nurse finds two heartbeats. Her mother, when she tells her, is livid. But when her babies are born, Martha is overwhelmed by a sense of pure love for them...and in that moment, she knows that she cannot give them up.

1943: The war is now into its fourth year with no sign of letting up and Martha works at a munitions factory while her mother looks after her twins Jacob and Molly She hasn't been home for some time to visit and when she manages to get 24 hours leave she is eager to see her now 8 year old twins. But upon arrival she finds South Shields in disarray. The wardens will not let her enter her street which had been decimated by a raid the night before. Her house was now a pile of rubble and her mother gone, who died protecting her children.

Determined her children must remain safe at all costs, Martha decides to evacuate them to the country where they will out of harms way. At the station she thrusts a letter into Jacob's hands, telling him not to open it but to give it to a grown up when they find themselves in trouble. How will I know, her young son asks. You'll know, she whispers to him.

Jacob is the older of the twins with a forthright manner, a stubborn streak and will protect his sister at all costs whereas Molly is the quieter of the two and much shyer. She had a difficult birth, leaving her with a weakness on her left side they called Cerebral Palsy resulting in her having to wear a calliper on her left leg. It often angered Jacob that people thought Molly wasn't bright because of her physical disability but she was much cleverer than him. Other kids often teased her and on such occasions Jacob was quick to jump to her defence. Their mam treated them as equals and that Molly was no different. It made him mad when no one else saw it that way.

The children arrive in Leadburn, a seemingly sleepy village with cows and horses and none of the smell of industry that they have been so used to back home. Not wanting to be separated, and no one wanting to take on a crippled child as soon as they see Molly, the children are billeted to Mrs Merryfield who they call Aunty Brigit. Though wary at first, the children adjust to life in the country and Aunty Brigit is a godsend. She is just like an older version of mam and the children grow to love her. But when Aunty Brigit fails to return from the coal merchant one day, they are shocked to discover she had fallen and broken her hip and is now recuperating in hospital.

So Doris Leadbetter, the postmistress, takes charge of the children and delivers them to somewhat grumpy farmer Bob Nichols, who had recently lost his son in the war and wife to illness. Reluctant to take them on at first, Mr Bob (as the children call him) takes them in until Doris is able to find something more suitable for them. But when the unthinkable happens and the children's mother Martha is killed in an explosion at the munitions factory, they are faced with the possibility of being sent to the orphanage. When Molly overhears a conversation stating as such, she and Jacob devise a plan to escape so they can remain together. 

But then Jacob remembers the letter their mam gave him for safekeeping until they were in trouble. Does this constitute "trouble"? And which grown up does he trust enough to give the letter to? And what will it mean when he does? Will he and Molly be separated? But nothing will prepare Jacob or Molly for what is to come when a secret in the letter is revealed.

THE LOST CHILDREN is a heartfelt story of love, loss and tragedy in the face of a turbulent time such as the war. The bond between the twins is so fierce no one could break it and Jacob wouldn't let them. The way he takes care of his sister and looks out for her is endearing and yet when Molly begins to find her inner strength standing up for herself and putting others needs before her own is exemplary. Jacob is the embodiment of the British 'stiff upper lip' that was so abundant of the time and yet he also showed a vulnerability which reminded us that he was just a child.

Alongside Jacob and Molly, I was delighted to return to Leadburn again and revisit Sandra, Frieda, Doris Leadbetter, Bob Nichols and Matthew Carlton, whom we all met in the previous book "The Outcast Girls". I love how Shirley blended their stories with the current one, bringing out a side not previously seen to one particular character that was simply endearing. It reminded me another favourite read of mine, "Goodnight Mr Tom".

A heartwarming story that is also heartbreaking, THE LOST CHILDREN will have you reaching for the tissues throughout but by the end you will be smiling. It's an emotional rollercoaster ride from beginning to end but one that will leave you satisfied.

A wonderful heartfelt tale that Shirley Dickson has delivered yet again! Recommended for fans of feelgood wartime historical fiction.

I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLostChildren in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shirley Dickson was born and grew up in the seaside town of South Shields. She left school at fifteen and can’t remember a time when she didn’t write. She entered her first short story competition in ‘School Friend’ when she was eleven. After Shirley retired from auxiliary nursing, she was able to devote her time to writing.

After living in various locations, she settled under the big skies of Northumberland and has lived with her husband in the same house for over forty years. Shirley has three daughters and four grandchildren and likes nothing better than family gatherings.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: The Happy Couple by Samantha Hayes

 

The Happy Couple by Samantha Hayes

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 27th September 2020

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Published: 6th May 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Me and Will. Will and Me. A perfect match. He said he would always be there for me, but it’s been a year since he drained his coffee, walked out the front door and vanished.

Did he leave me? Or did something terrible happen? I’m scared someone finally found out about what happened on the drive home that night…

I lie awake at night trawling the internet for rental properties, desperate for an escape. Until I see my husband’s gorgeous face smiling back at me from a photograph on the fireplace in someone else’s home, and something inside of me snaps.

At the house, I find no trace of him and the woman who lives there has no idea who I am. But I’m certain she’s hiding something behind the locked door upstairs. I know that if I want answers, I have to stay.

You might think that what’s inside that room is the answer to all my questions and the end of all my pain. But it’s only the beginning…

Nail-biting and completely gripping, The Happy Couple will make you question how well you really know the ones you love. Perfect reading for anyone who adored by The Wife Between Us, The Girl on The Train or Gone Girl.

MY REVIEW:

I really wanted to like this book. I tried to. I really did. I didn't even give up on it like I do with most books that don't hold my interest past 20%...but it was just so slow from the outset. Too slow. And Jo...well, she just annoyed me. The fact that there were so many questions I wanted answers to that made me keep reading...and I guess I was rewarded to some extent, as it DID get better.

Jo's husband Will has been missing for a year. One day he just went to work...and didn't come home. And Jo has spent the past year searching for him. Trolling through missing person websites in the hope she will see Will's familiar face on there. But now it's been a year and there is still no sign of him. Her best friend Louise has tried setting her up with various friends but Jo isn't interested. She just wants Will.

Jo adored Will. She thought they were the perfect couple with the perfect marriage. They were happy...blissfully happy...but there was something Jo wanted more. A baby. And try as they might, they had failed to fall pregnant. Then three months after Will disappeared, Louise announces she's pregnant...and Jo is speechless. I mean, she is happy for her friend but she is also devastated that she and husband Archie had managed something she and Will never could.

Now it's approaching a year since Will's disappearance and Jo is no closer to finding him. After being roped into another matchmaking dinner at Louise and Archie's, Jo takes her friend's advice and decides to take a "house-sitting" holiday. But as she searches the "House Angels" house-sitting website Louise initially signed her up for, she comes across a house that has photos of her missing husband on display. Not one, but THREE photos of Will displayed along the mantle-piece. Three photos she recognised. Two which she had taken and the third that had included her but she had been cut out of to display just Will. 

So why were there photos of her missing husband at this random house? Near Hastings, of all places? Where she and Will had planned to spend a weekend break before he disappeared? Is this where he has been living for the past year? Shacked up with another woman?

The house is Hawthorn Lodge. The owner is Suzanne. She has one cat and one dog who require looking after in her absence, and her application is accepted.

Arriving at the house late on a Friday night, Jo is welcomed by the neighbour Simon who lets her in. All at once she is eager to see the photos on the mantle but as soon as she enters the living room, she sees that they have gone! Had she just imagined those photos of Will? Surely not. She screenshot the image that displayed those three photos prominently and she kept checking to see that they were still there. And they were. But now they are not.

And then there is the locked spare room for which she has no key. What is behind that locked door that the owner doesn't want her to see? Then when Jo discovers spare keys to Hawthorn Lodge between the cushions at Simon's place when he nips to the bathroom, she quickly pockets them after clocking there are an extra two keys to the set than she had been given. But when she unlocks the door to the room one night, nothing will prepare her for what lay behind the door.

Even more so, she is even less prepared for the early return of Suzanne who goes as white as a ghost and faints as soon as she sees Jo.

So who is Suzanne? Why does she have photos of Will? And why does Jo's presence send Suzanne into an almost catatonic state? And what has any of this got to do with Will's disappearance? Does Suzanne know something she's not saying?

A slow burner that was a little too slow, THE HAPPY COUPLE is anything but. Jo thought they were happy and she was obviously devastated by his disappearance but as the story progresses it left me scratching my head as to why she held on to such an image. They clearly were anything but happy. In the flashback snippets we saw of Will, I didn't like him at all. He appeared to use coercion to maintain an element of control - of situations and of Jo. How she could not see that is beyond me. And then there was Jo herself. I did not like her at all. Her constant whining and excessive dialogue with the apparition of her missing husband were somewhat irritating. As was she.

Told solely from Jo's perspective, THE HAPPY COUPLE sees the present day woven with flashbacks of the past from before Will disappeared as the bigger picture begins to slowly unfold and secrets start to unravel. There were several eye rolling moments and I quickly tired of Jo's whining and constantly seeing her missing husband everywhere she went to conversing with him! There were some twists which had me ruminating over as I puzzled out where everyone fit into this not entirely discombobulated story. The big reveals, when they came, were no great shock as I had managed to figure them out myself...but even so, I wasn't wowed by it at all.

The ending was a little disappointing as well when I know the author is capable of so much better. However, although I didn't love this one I didn't hate it either. It just took longer to get interesting and the main character was excessively irritating. And though I didn't love it, I look forward to her next book.

I would like to thank #SamanthaHayes, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheHappyCouple in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Samantha Hayes grew up in the West Midlands, left school at sixteen, avoided university and took jobs ranging from being a private detective to barmaid to fruit picker and factory worker. She lived on a kibbutz, and spent time in Australia and the USA, before finally becoming a crime-writer. 

Samantha has been a full-time author since 2006. Her novels are family-based psychological thrillers, with the emphasis being on ‘real life fiction’. She focuses on current issues, and when she writes, she sets out to maker her reader ask, ‘What if this happened to me or my family?’ 

With three children of her own, Samantha is well-versed to talk about how the aftershocks of crime impact upon families and communities.

Samantha lives in Warwickshire with her family.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Until the War is Over by Rosemary Goodacre

 

Until the War is Over (Derwent Chronicles #2) by Rosemary Goodacre

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1, General fiction

Read: 24th September 2020

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Published: 6th May 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

In a world destroyed by war, can hope survive?

Summer 1918: Young couple Amy and Edmond Derwent, after their experiences on the front line of battle – Edmond as an officer and Amy as a VAD in France - have now settled back in England and are starting to build a life as a family, with the arrival of baby Beth bringing them much-needed joy. But while she may have married into the wealthy Derwent family, now living with her in-laws in their grand home, Amy’s modest upbringing means that she is never truly accepted by Edmond’s family.

The Great War rages on, and while the men are off fighting, those left at home steel themselves for tragic news, praying that their loved ones return safely.

Edmond, still struggling with the effects of the injury he sustained at Ypres, feels the guilt of remaining at home while his friends are sent into battle. But life at Larchbury is not without its own problems – as food becomes scarce, and the Spanish Influenza causes deaths throughout England, tragedy strikes closer to home and it seems no one is safe from heartbreak.

Can Amy and Edmond keep their love strong, even in a world crumbling all around them?

A captivating family saga set in WW1 about the power of love amongst the heartbreak of war – if you like Rosie Goodwin, Katie Flynn and Val Wood, you’ll be swept away by this engrossing, emotional novel.

MY REVIEW:

Having enjoyed the first book in this exciting new series "Until We Meet Again", I jumped straight into UNTIL THE WAR IS OVER without even taking a breath or taking time to review book one first! I was just excited to continue Amy and Edmond's story with their baby daughter Beth...although I was hoping she would make her appearance on New Years Eve and share my birthday but that was not to be. And it was like I didn't miss a step! This book simply picks up directly where the first one ends, so it feels as if I have read one big book, having devoured them back to back in two days. The difficulty with that is how to separate both books when reviewing...since I have reviewed them both together.

I will mention that although this is part of a series, UNTIL THE WAR IS OVER can be read as a standalone as there is enough background given to the overall story. But to fully appreciate the characters and their story, I think it is best to read the first book before this one. In that book we are introduced to Amy and Edmond, their romance, their difficulties and their time in France. This book continues their story...

Larchbury Sussex, 1918: Having hidden her pregnancy from her superiors until she could tell Edmond, Amy has returned to Larchbury, with Edmond following a short while later after being critically injured in battle, before giving birth to a baby girl in the early hours of New Years Day. Now settling back to life at The Beeches with Edmond's family, the couple try to adjust to their first taste of married life after being separated for the first two years of their marriage. But it's not all smooth sailing as each have seen and experienced things the rest of their family could never imagine. 

Beatrice continues to remain an ornament, whimpering about the absence of social events, while Mrs Derwent still finds their lack of servants inadequate...not to mention distressing. However, Beatrice has drawn the eye of Edmond's friend Charles Shenwood and they soon announce their engagement at the Christmas dance. Whilst Charles returns to the Front, Beatrice begins to plan her lavish wedding all the while remaining oblivious to her intended's experiences on the battlefield. But when Charles is critically injured and is brought back to Larchbury after some months in hospital in France, how will Beatrice react to her fiance's new limitations?

Amy's dear friend Florence is still in the barrage of grief over her fiance Bertie's death at the Somme firmly believing she will never love again. So when she catches the eye of Amy's cousin James, a medical orderly in France, she dismisses him somewhat harshly believing him to have shirked his responsibilities by choosing not to fight. She refuses his kindness to the point of rudeness that even Amy is angered by it. Will Florence ever move on from Bertie and find happiness again? Will that be with James?

Now that baby Beth has arrived, Amy has decided that she wants to raise her herself without the aid of a nanny. However, with her ankle never having been set right after breaking it during an uninvited assault in Ypres the year before, she realises that once Beth starts toddling she may have to rethink Mr Westholme's offer to reset it correctly. Edmond is also finding life a challenge with his reduced lung capacity, but is adamant about returning to Cambridge in the autumn to continue his studies. The couple plan to rent a house near the university and be a family the three of them together. But plans go awry when the Spanish flu hits and Amy's medical expertise is needed once again.

As with the first book, UNTIL THE WAR IS OVER is a wonderfully gentle paced read that is easily devoured in a day...or a night, in my case. Rosemary Goodacre has a way of drawing readers into the story as if we were there living alongside the characters and experiencing the journey firsthand. The only thing I was disappointed about was reaching the end so quickly! And I cannot wait to join Amy and Edmond once again in the next book "Until We Can Forgive", due for publication 28th October 2020.

I especially love the line spoken by Edmond's uncle to his cousin Vicky: "Really Victoria! You mustn't damage your chances of marriage by aspiring to appear intellectual." It really made me laugh!

What more can I say about this book without spoiling it? You need to experience it for yourself. If you love historical fiction, I can assure you that you won't be disappointed with UNTIL THE WAR IS OVER...or the entire series!

I look forward to rejoining Amy and Edmond in "Until We Can Forgive" soon.

I would like to thank #RosemaryGoodacre, #NetGalley and #HeraBooks for an ARC of #UntilTheWarIsOver in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosemary Goodacre is thrilled to have a three book deal with Hera Books. Her World War I romance 'Until We Meet Again' was published 31st October 2019 with the second book 'Until the War is Over' was published 6th May 2020. The third book in the series 'Until We Can Forgive' will be released 28th October 2020. Her heroine, Amy, faces many challenges as she works as a nurse and struggles to spend time with Edmond, her sweetheart.

Previously Rosemary has had a novella published, entitled 'A Fortnight is not Enough', and a science fiction story in the anthology 'Telescoping Time'.

Rosemary has always loved languages and travel, mainly in Europe. In her spare time she enjoys country walking, bridge and classical music. She lives in Kent, England.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook

REVIEW: Until We Meet Again by Rosemary Goodacre

 

Until We Meet Again (Derwent Chronicles #1) by Rosemary Goodacre

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Read: 23rd September 2020

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Published: 31st October 2019

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The Great War drove them apart – but love kept them together

Summer 1914: Shy young woman, Amy Fletcher, lives a quiet life in Sussex. An office worker, she lives at home, along with her parents and spirited younger brother, Bertie. But her life is transformed when she meets handsome young man, Edmond Derwent, son of one of the wealthiest families in the small town of Larchbury, and student at Cambridge University.

The couple are falling deeply in love when war breaks out and, eager to do his duty for England, Edmond signs up as an officer. The couple plan to be wed, eager to start a new life together - but their happiness is short-lived when Edmond is sent to Flanders to lead his men into battle. Amy trains as a VAD nurse and is soon sent to France, where she sees the true horror of war inflicted on the brave young men sent to fight.

Separated by war, Edmond and Amy share their feelings through emotional letters sent from the front line. But when Edmond is critically wounded at Ypres, their love faces the biggest test of all – can their love stay strong while the world around them is crumbling?

A romantic, emotional saga set in WW1 – readers of Rosie Goodwin, Katie Flynn and Val Wood will be captivated by this story of love.

MY REVIEW:

A debut historical romance novel, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN by Rosemary Goodacre is a wonderful lighthearted read that will have you turning the pages and yearning for more. Beginning just before the outbreak of the First World War, its simple enough premise promises an emotional story that will tug at your heartstrings.

Larchbury Sussex, 1914: Nineteen year old Amy Fletcher is a strong and capable young woman. The daughter of a school teacher, she works in an accountant's office as a typist and is a member of the Suffragette movement, campaigning for a woman's right to vote. When we meet Amy, she is lead by her older friend Lavinia as they break into the town's cricket pavilion and paint slogans "Votes for Women" throughout, a spontaneous and foolish act that will come back to haunt her. But she is resolute in her beliefs and stands behind them strongly.

Edmond Derwent is the second son of Larchbury's wealthiest family, studying science at Cambridge. He and his brother Peter were tutored by Amy's father as children so he is no stranger to her family. When their paths cross over a bathing box in Hove one afternoon, the couple are instantly drawn to one another and it isn't long before they start "walking out" together, despite his family's reservations. Edmond's mother and sister Beatrice are especially displeased, pointing out that Amy does not move in the same social circles as they. However, the couple are not deterred and soon become engaged.

When war breaks out, Edmond joins up as an officer and is sent to the Front. Although the two write constantly, Amy finds herself worrying for him before deciding to train as a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) nurse. However, planning a wedding around a war is no easy feat but the Derwents organise a feast at their home, The Beeches, and Amy's mother makes her wedding dress. They set the date in June and Edmond is granted leave, though it is shortened and they bring the nuptials forward by a couple of days. But Amy and Edmond's day is thwarted by the arrival of the local police constable...and Amy is arrested for criminal damage to the cricket pavilion the year before. She refuses to give up the names of the other women and is sentenced to a week's jail...in her wedding dress...and Edmond returns to the Front.

Edmond's mother and sister are mortified by what took place and refuse to forgive Amy for disgracing and embarrassing the Derwent's good name. His father is more sympathetic, assuring Amy that he will bring them round in time. Despite their troubles and his family's reservations, the couple endeavour to marry the next time Edmond has leave gaining a special licence to do so at short notice. In the meantime, Amy continues her training as a VAD nurse and before long finds herself stationed in France near the Front line treating the injured. Her work is hard and the conditions harsh but Amy finds it rewarding and the fact that she is doing something for the war effort. As an added bonus, she finds that Edmond is able to gain short leave for them to spend a little time together.

Meanwhile back in Blighty, Edmond's sister Beatrice is growing tired of the lack of men for social functions such as dances while their mother is distressed over the servants leaving their employ to either join up or acquire new positions that have been vacated by the men who have gone off to fight. Beatrice, it seems, has been brought up to be merely an ornament and loathes to imagine herself gaining intellect or even working for a living.

But life for Amy and Edmond is wrought with troubles but nothing the couple cannot overcome. They are both resolute in their feelings for one another and their place in this world. Despite this, they are still confronted with heartbreak and difficulties inflicted by the war as well as society.

There really isn't a lot more I can say without spoiling the story. However, there are many emotional scenes which bring the story to life making each of the characters real and relatable, despite the era. Most of the characters are likable with the odd few that are not. Even Edmond's mother and sister display some endearing qualities at times, though there is one character who is particularly loathsome.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN is a wonderful lighthearted read that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The simplicity of the story made it easy to read and devour in one night. I picked up this book to read simply because I had the second one in my Netgalley list and decided to start the story from the beginning. And I am glad I did for I loved every minute of it. It is such an easy read I can see myself re-reading it again.

If you love historical fiction then you will love UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN and I thoroughly recommend it!

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosemary Goodacre is thrilled to have a three book deal with Hera Books. Her World War I romance 'Until We Meet Again' was published 31st October 2019 with the second book 'Until the War is Over' was published 6th May 2020. The third book in the series 'Until We Can Forgive' will be released 28th October 2020. Her heroine, Amy, faces many challenges as she works as a nurse and struggles to spend time with Edmond, her sweetheart.

Previously Rosemary has had a novella published, entitled 'A Fortnight is not Enough', and a science fiction story in the anthology 'Telescoping Time'.

Rosemary has always loved languages and travel, mainly in Europe. In her spare time she enjoys country walking, bridge and classical music. She lives in Kent, England.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook

REVIEW: One Mistake by Rona Halsall

One Mistake by Rona Halsall

Genre: Domestic drama

Read: 21st September 2020

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Amazon

Published: 5th May 2020

★★★ 3 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

My family. Her heart swelled with love. They were all that mattered. And she knew she’d do anything, anything at all for them.

Sara made one promise to herself when she was growing up in foster care: that if she was lucky enough to have a family, she’d always do whatever it took to protect them. Looking around her home with its cosy kitchen and living room, where her energetic teenage daughters and gorgeous four-year-old son all eat, play and live together, she knows she’d do anything to keep them safe.

So when Sara’s husband Matt loses his job and every shred of his confidence with it, she knows it’s up to her to bring the family back from the brink. Though she doesn’t know where she can possibly find the money they need to keep afloat.

Until her boss at work offers her a deal. He’ll help out. She just has to do him one little favour. But could trusting him save Sara’s family, or will it be a mistake that costs her absolutely everything?

This year’s most gripping psychological thriller – perfect for fans of My Lovely Wife, The Girl on the Train, and Something in the Water.

MY REVIEW:

How far would you go to protect your family and your happy home? Well...I know I wouldn't go as far as Sara did! 

ONE MISTAKE by Rona Halsall is a domestic drama full of unlikable characters who make really stupid decisions and fail to communicate, resulting in endless secrets, lies and a wealth of misunderstandings. Which is only complicated by a plot where everyone acted in a way I can only describe as stupidly bordering on insanity. And though the book is called ONE MISTAKE, in my opinion it is riddled with the stupid mistakes Sara makes!

Sara and Matt have a happy marriage, a perfect life. Matt works in specialist IT and Sara works part time at the community centre. They have a beautiful house, three wonderful children and life could not be better. After spending most of her childhood between foster homes, Sara vowed she would not put her family at risk and would do anything for them. But when Matt loses his job and is left without a redundancy package, life starts to look bleak for them. That is, until Matt comes up with a plan to start his own business and this is where he begins to irk me. He becomes all alpha male and demands his needs are met without a thought for his wife, using emotional blackmail to bend her to his way of thinking. 

Some time ago, Sara inherited some money from an aunt and she decided to put it into an investment account where it would attract high interest and make money for her to be able to update her business studies degree at a later date. But Matt had insisted she keep it in a deposit account for when they might need it. When Sara opens what she thinks is the latest statement detailing how well her money is growing, she is shocked to discover that it has all gone. The investment company has gone into liquidation and, though she could appeal, it is doubtful she will ever see her money again. £10,000 - gone. What will she tell Matt? But that's not the least of her worries, for Matt has decided that with her inheritance he will be able to set himself up in business nicely - for as low as £9,000. But how can she tell him she no longer has that money? She went against him and moved it from the account and she knows he will be livid.

So what does Sara decide to do? Not tell him. First mistake. Instead whilst working on the community centre accounts, she stupidly comes up with an idea to "save" her family. £9,000 - the centre won't miss it. And she will have it paid back before they do. Or will she? 

When her boss James uncovers her "mistake" he offers to help her out by paying back the money in return for some favours. Uh-oh! Alarm bells ringing! But no, it's not what you may think but it still leads to some unsavoury happenings. And further mistakes. Lunches out on the moors, dinner at events where Sara begins to feel uncomfortable around some of the men. It all seems a bit duplicitous...but in what way? And then James invites Sara away for a spa weekend because he's "lonely" and "doesn't want to go alone". Seriously? She bought that? But if Matt were to get wind of her going away with another man, it would be the end of their marriage...even though it is all quite innocent. And so her world begins to implode.

By this time Sara is quite obviously a bundle of nerves and comsumed by guilt. She endeavours to tell James that their deal is off but she only seems to dig herself deeper and deeper. And then a video emerges of Sara...and all her dreams are shattered. Matt throws her out of the house with just the clothes on her back. She turns up at her sister Hailey's house and, after confessing to all her stupid mistakes, the sisters devise a plan to plot a way out of the mess Sara has created and uncover the truth. But will they live happily ever after?

ONE MISTAKE is slow to begin with the pace does pick up, particularly near the end. But everyone was far too unlikable and making stupid decisions for me to have any sympathy for them at all. In fact they did nothing but annoy me from start to finish with their behaviour. Sara did not elicit any sympathy from me - she made her bed with her stupid decisions and lying to her husband - and Matt was a selfish manipulative bully. I seriously could not relate to any of them. From the first moment of learning of Sara's mistake you just know this isn't going to end well. I will say that for once I did not see twist coming...but even so, it wasn't enough to endear me to this story. It just felt sleazy and I wanted to immerse myself in the shower to wash away its filthy grime afterwards.

A quick read, I read ONE MISTAKE in one night really because I wanted to escape it and move on. I couldn't bring myself to DNF as Rona Halsall is a favourite author and I owed it to her to see it through. And while I did manage to finish it around 2.30am this morning, I was worried about how to review it without coming across harsh. The fact is, even our favourite authors are going to write a book that we don't enjoy as much as the others. This book was that for me.

While ONE MISTAKE was not the book for me, I'm sure there are plenty of those who will love it. I can't say that I wouldn't recommend it because like I say, there are those who have loved it and do recommend it. Reading is subjective and what one loves another doesn't. I don't discount Rona Halsall as an author because I have loved her previous books and I'm sure I will love many of her future ones. Just not this one.

2 stars for the book and an extra star because it's Rona.

I would like to thank #RonaHalsall, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #OneMistake in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rona is the author of Best Selling psychological thrillers published by Bookouture. Her challenge in writing is to find domestic storylines with twists that her readers will never guess.

She was born in Nottingham, grew up near Blackpool and went to college in Leeds. She then moved to Snowdonia, North Wales where she brought up her family while working as a business mentor. She now lives on the Isle of Man with her husband, two dogs and two guinea pigs.

She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful glens and beaches on the Island while she's plotting her next book. She has three children and two step-children who are all grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of ideas for new stories. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan

 

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan

Genre: Contemporary fiction, Domestic drama

Read: 21st September 2020

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Amazon

Published: 2nd April 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

You think you know her…

But look a little closer

 

She is a stay-at-home mother of three with boundless reserves of patience, energy and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess. 

 

Then one moment changes everything. 

  

Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface – and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself.

From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal – a new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us. 

MY REVIEW:

Never before has a book opened my eyes into the world of motherhood - its trials, its hardships and its bone weary exhausting challenges of pure chaos - than LITTLE DISASTERS by Sarah Vaughan. It's not really a mystery or a thriller...but rather a thought-provoking and compelling analysis of predominantly two women's lives, and that of their children. It falls more into contemporary fiction and maybe a little domestic suspense, questioning a woman's natural maternal instinct, her endurance through sleep deprivation whilst providing love and care for her child despite being plagued with feelings of not being good enough.

The story opens with a confronting prologue. A mother trying to soothe her 11 week old baby who refuses to settle. The pleading with the child to stop, the crying that intensifies, the overwhelming feeling of being so incredibly alone day after day and night after night of non-stop crying. Why won't she stop? Why won't she stop? WHY WON't SHE JUST STOP? It is hard hitting and confronting as the reader is left to wonder just what the mother does.

January 2018: Late one evening just as her shift is about to end, hospital paediatrician Liz Trenchard is called to A&E to take a look at a child that has presented with some puzzling symptoms. Walking into the cubicle, Liz is surprised to find her close friend Jess Curtis with her ten month old daughter Betsey sitting there. It seems Betsey has not been too well this evening and after her husband found her in her cot covered in vomit, he urged Jess to bring her in as a matter of caution. Liz examines Betsey and is shocked to discover a soft depressed area of her skull that is tender to the touch, prompting the child to scream. And so after the necessary scans, Liz diagnoses Betsey with a skull fracture. Jess is horrified.

Questions begin to rise immediately as to how Betsey was injured and as Liz questions her, Jess closes herself off and her answers become vague. Liz has no alternative but to report the incident to social services who then alert the police.

But Liz knows Jess, surely. She would never hurt her own child...or any child for that matter. She has always been a cautious mother, even over protective at times, alert to anything and everything that could harm her child. Liz knows Jess is a good mother. But, due to the demanding nature of her profession, Liz hasn't been as present in the past several months since Betsey's birth - who knows how Jess is coping? 

The women met in ante-natal classes ten years ago when they were pregnant with their oldest children and along with two other mothers, Mel and Charlotte, have remained friends throughout. They have regular get togethers talking about their children and their milestones as well as socialising together with their respective husbands. But Jess went on to have a third child, where the other women had just two...except Charlotte, who only had the one, and even that was with great difficulty. The women saw each other at the school gates but didn't seem to find the time to check in with each other as much as they used to.

And now, with Betsey in paediatrics ICU and Jess' story about Bets pulling herself up on the fridge and then falling...just doesn't add up. Liz is sure that Jess is hiding something. So what isn't she telling them? She wants to be there for her friend but she also knows that she can't discuss Betsey's case with her...making it especially difficult.

To make matters worse, Jess' private battle is exacerbated by her husband's previous friendship with Charlotte, whom he knew at university. She doesn't believe Ed would be unfaithful to her but Charlotte does have an air about her that speaks volumes...insinuating that their friendship was something more. Should she be worried? But she doesn't have time to worry. Not with the police investigating her for child neglect and possibly injuring her baby girl. Not with all these thoughts racing through her head and her incessant need to ensure her children's safety with the aligning of her rings. One. Two. Three.

Despite her desire to help her friend, Liz knows she must also maintain a professional distance...which isn't helped by her worries for her mother who appears mentally unbalanced as well as drinking herself into oblivion each day. When her mother is rushed to hospital and diagnosed as terminally ill, Liz is confronted with the horrors of her past and old memories begin to resurface. And then on her deathbed, her mother confesses to something so horrific...

How can Liz correlate what her mother has told her with the current circumstances her closest friend now finds herself in? How can she find compassion for a mother that was habitually cruel and abusive towards her and her brother throughout their lives? And how can what has happened to Jess and baby Betsey ever be mended? 

But the truth is far closer than anyone thinks. And when Liz uncovers what really happened, there is a collective sigh of relief all round. But is that truly the end of it?

A compelling and emotional story, LITTLE DISASTERS is slow burning but in encapsulates you from very early on that you are invested in what happens from the very beginning. The multiple narratives are cleverly woven together between the past and the present - mainly between Liz, Jess and Ed with the addition of a couple of others throughout that provide their own version of events.

A complex tale about one of the most difficult jobs in the world, LITTLE DISASTERS also highlights the realities of post natal depression and anxiety. A woman's body goes through a multitude of changes throughout pregnancy, giving birth and then thrust into motherhood without an instruction manual, despite having done it twice before. Every pregnancy is different, every birth is different and every baby is different. A woman's mental health is tested to the limits throughout all these changes and sometimes it just becomes too much. It doesn't make them weak or inferior or a bad mother. Hormonal imbalances create a wealth of problems for one's mental health and pregnancy and motherhood is probably one of the biggest challenges of them all. So with my own experience with mental health, I am sure this book provides an accurate and realistic depiction of post natal depression an anxiety.

I am not a mother and yet this book makes me, in some ways, grateful that I am not. I'm not even maternal...unless it has four legs, a tail and goes woof. I was told by my specialist many years ago that I would find motherhood incredibly difficult due to my underlying medical conditions, one of which is my mental health. And in reading Jess' plight in this book I could really identify with her despite not being a mother myself. Those frightening thoughts, that incessant feeling of exhaustion, the never ending cries, the uncontrollable tears, the isolation and the overwhelming feeling of not being good enough...all entwined with her feeling of being out of control. I've no doubt that motherhood is hard...and this book really highlights its difficulties whilst trying to balance everything and find some normality again.

The twist, when it comes, is fairly expected. I'd long since figured out the several twists purely because this isn't a mystery or thriller and if you look hard enough you will see them too. While they are foreseeable, they are still shocking and ultimately still a satisfying end.

Overall, LITTLE DISASTERS is a thought-provoking read that is realistic and heartwrenching at times. Anyone who is a mother will surely recognise the emotions in all its overwhelming glory and quickly identify with Jess and her story. 

I do thoroughly recommend this book. It is an eye opening look into the world of post natal depression and anxiety in the form of a thrilling page turning contemporary domestic drama.

I would like to thank #SarahVaughan, #NetGalley and #SimonAndSchusterUK for an ARC of #LittleDisasters in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah Vaughan read English at Oxford and went on to become a journalist. She spent eleven years at the Guardian as a news reporter, health correspondent, and political correspondent. She left to freelance and began writing fiction the week she turned forty. 

Her third novel, Anatomy of a Scandal, was an instant international bestseller, a Sunday Times top five bestseller, a kindle number 1 bestseller, a Richard & Judy pick, and was longlisted for the Theakson's Old Peculier Crime Novel and shortlisted for awards in France, Sweden and the UK. It has been translated into 22 languages and is being adapted for TV. Her fourth novel, Little Disasters, will be published in France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the UK on 2nd April and the US on 18th August.

Sarah lives just outside Cambridge with my husband, two children, geriatric cat and puppy. When not writing, she loves to walk, run, read. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Flowers for the Dead by Barbara Copperthwaite

 

Flowers for the Dead by Barbara Copperthwaite

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 17th September 2020

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Published: 16th September 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

He sees her. The one. The sunglasses don’t fool anyone, she is clearly upset, her nose and lips swollen from crying. They are two lost souls and he knows his love can help her. After all, she is not the first girl he has followed home…

Adam is the perfect boyfriend. He pays attention, he buys flowers. He knows everything about Laura and looks after her every need. He cooks, he cleans – he even does the dishes without being asked.

But Laura has never met Adam. Still grieving after a devastating car crash that killed her family, she’s forgetful and struggling to pull her life together. She’d be horrified to know the depth of this unsettling fantasy in which she is the star. But there’s no denying the chill she feels every time she finds another elaborate bouquet on her doorstep, or wakes in the night sensing she is not alone.

Adam has been watching her every move, and now it’s time to act. Except, there’s one little detail he’s missed: Laura has been watching him too.

After everything she’s been through, Laura’s ready to fight back and stop being the victim in her own life story. But in Adam’s world, there are no happy endings…

An unputdownable thriller guaranteed to have you sleeping with the light on and questioning everything you think you know about serial-killer thrillers! Perfect for fans of You by Caroline Kepnes, My Lovely Wife by Samantha Dowling and The One by John Marrs.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Barbara Copperthwaite's chilling thriller FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD.

I first read FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD two years ago and I loved it then. When the new and re-edited edition came up I knew I just had to rad it again. It is the first book I've read by this author (I still haven't read any others yet) and it won't be my last. It's different, it's dark, very twisted, and in some ways quite sad. 

Very early on in the book we are introduced to a very young Adam Bourne, beginning in his early childhood some 27 years prior and - in alternating chapters - slowly working up to the present tense where he has become a serial killer. We learn of his horrific childhood at the hands of his mother who sexually abused him, his absent father - both emotionally and often physically - and the constant putdowns from his mother that he is nothing, "a dirty boy". The only person who loved and cared for him was his grandmother Ada, who lived 3 hours away in Birmingham. Ada taught Adam about Floriography - the language of flowers - and together they formed a secret language between them as Adam shared how he was feeling and Ada returned by sending him encouragement - in the form of pressed flowers. He learnt to appreciate every flower and its meaning. It was where he bloomed (sorry, pun intended).

So Adam becomes a hunter, choosing his victims so carefully in the search for true love. He stalks them, watches them, breaking into their homes to watch them as they sleep - comparing the act to that of the more romantic notion of Edward Cullen watching over the sleeping Bella in "Twilight". He sends them flowers, with each one sending a special message that ironically only he can understand - and yet he fails to see that. In his mind, they know he is sending them, that he is watching them, looking after them and protecting them.  He even breaks in to make them a freshly cooked meal for when they return from work. He is scarily perverse and somewhat disturbing.

When Adam sees Laura at Covent Garden, he knows she is is the one. In her he believes he has found his soul mate, his one true love - and he sets about the task of "taking care" of her. 

Laura is a vulnerable young woman after losing her entire family - mother, father and brother - in a tragic car accident on Guy Fawkes night four years before. Blaming herself entirely as they would not have been there had it not been for her wish to see the fireworks, she is the perfect "victim" for Adam, who sees her as a kindred spirit needing rescuing from her obvious despair. Through Laura's eyes we can feel her terror as she notices things beginning to happen - dishes being done, fridge being restocked, food being bought, money left in her purse, flowers being left - and while at first dismissing them as her unconsciously doing them, she soon realises that there is something more creepy going on. She tries to take her concerns to the local police who simply dismiss her as a bit of a "head case". The stalking makes for an uncomfortable read at times, particularly the things Laura isn't even aware of - like the cameras in her house, spyware on her phone - it is seriously creepy. It is easy to see how such behaviour can escalate, terrifying their victims until they feel completely helpless with nowhere to go and no one to believe them.

Ironically though, Adam doesn't want to scare Laura - or any of his victims. It's the last thing he wants. In his twisted mind, he is trying to look after them, care for them and do all the things a loving boyfriend would do. After all, his gran always told him a woman likes a gentleman who can take care of her and is the strong one to protect her. It is so sad to see that Adam's only reference for love he can call upon is those conversations with his gran and the things she taught him. But sadly, her world was a different one to the one Adam is now an adult in, and times have changed. But even so, Adam's view of love is entwined with aspects of the abuse he received from his mother, resulting in a twisted perspective he genuinely feels is right.

Adam is such a complicated character that I felt such sadness for him and at other times I loathed what he had become. However, having formed no proper attachment in his early years and his only experience with sex was both disgusting and frightening, is it any wonder he grew up into a sick and twisted sociopath? In his mind, his love for these women was such that he was showering them with gifts and love and was looking after them as any man should. He believes he is a saviour.

We also meet Mike Bishop, a detective sergeant with the Colchester Constabulary in Essex, dealing with his own grief of losing his wife to an aneurysm and now having to raise his 7 year old daughter on his own. His friend DCI Simon Phillips has been trying to tempt him to transfer to Reading for a fresh start and whilst visiting, he is drawn into the murder of Julie Clayton found with her lips cut off and surrounded by flowers. Back home in Essex he can't get the image out of his mind and searches for other unsolved murders with the same signature.

When I first read this book two years ago I gave it 5 stars then. And if I could give it more, I would. It is compelling, it is chilling and it is creepy. Told in such a different vein to any other thriller I have come across, FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD gives you a perspective you would never think to consider. The killer's. His backstory, his sad childhood, his pain, his loneliness, his desperation to be loved, his warped sense of love are all on display for the reader to devour. And it gives you pause to consider his role in the bigger picture. I don't know about you, but quite often I found myself silently rooting for Adam that he would evade capture...that is, until Laura. Because we are privy to her world and her pain also. But FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD is a book that is so complex it has you conflicted about how you want it to end. 

Told in three separate 'points of view' - Adam's, Laura's and DS Mike Bishop - FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD is an utterly compelling read that will keep you up long into the night. 

Perfectly horrific and twisted, if you are a fan of tense, creepy psychological thrillers then this book is a must!

Another solid 5 stars - and counting the first 5 I gave it two years ago, does that now make it 10 stars??

I would like to thank #BarbaraCopperthwaite, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #FlowersForTheDead in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Barbara is the Amazon and USA Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers INVISIBLE, FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD, THE DARKEST LIES, and HER LAST SECRET. 

More importantly, she loves cakes, wildlife photography and, last but definitely not least, her two dogs, Scamp and Buddy (who force her to throw tennis balls for them for hours).

Having spent over twenty years as a national newspaper and magazine journalist, Barbara has interviewed the real victims of crime - and also those who have carried those crimes out. She is fascinated by creating realistic, complex characters, and taking them apart before the readers' eyes in order to discover just how much it takes to push a person over a line.

When not writing feverishly, she is often found hiding behind a camera, taking wildlife photographs. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Runaway Sisters by Ann Bennett

 

The Runaway Sisters by Ann Bennett

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Dual timeline

Read: 15th September 2020

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Amazon

Published: 15th September 2020

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

The story of two sisters fighting to survive in the darkest days of World War Two. A heartbreaking tale of resilience and bravery, about having the courage to sacrifice yourself in order to save the ones you love…

Devon, 1940: When fifteen-year-old Daisy is evacuated from her home in London, she knows she must look after her younger sister Peggy. She is the only one who can reassure Peggy that life will go back to normal, holding her close and reading to her from their one battered children’s book.

But when the sisters are taken into the countryside, Daisy quickly realises that not everyone at home is on the right side of the war. Forced to work in fields alongside orphan children, she finds herself drawn to a young boy called John, who has tried and failed to escape many times before. He protects the other children, and his bravery inspires Daisy.

Then Peggy gets sick and Daisy knows that, to save her life, they must run away. But now Peggy is not the only one Daisy is desperate to protect. As the sounds of German engines grow louder above her, Daisy is faced with an impossible choice: escape with just her sister, or risk her life to save others?

Perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate, Diney Costeloe and Shirley Dickson, The Runaway Sisters is a tale of heartwrenching loss and uplifting courage. It’s a story about family, and the light that can be found in the dark clouds of war.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Ann Bennett's heartbreaking historical novel THE RUNAWAY SISTERS.

I love dual timeline stories and having read and enjoyed "The Orphan House" by Ann Bennett earlier this year I was excited to devour THE RUNAWAY SISTERS. I was not disappointed.

A warning:

There is a lot of violence and abuse throughout Daisy's narrative and it does make for uncomfortable reading at times.

The story begins in the present day with Helen and Laura clearing out their former home at Black Moor Hall after their mother Daisy had a stroke and is now residing in a care home. The two sisters have been somewhat estranged throughout their lives, what with ten years between them and the pressures they felt they endured by their mother's hand. But now they have reunited to clear out the house and get it ready for sale, reigniting many memories of their years growing up there. When the day comes to begin clearing their mother's room, the sisters come across a hidden door behind the wardrobe and are intrigued by what they find there that will change their lives forever. 

Two letters addressed to a Daisy Banks in Plymouth dated 1940 have the women pondering as to who the mystery addressee was. After all, their mother's maiden name was not Banks...plus the letters also spoke of a younger sister Peggy and to their knowledge their mother was an only child. So who was Daisy Banks and why did their mother have letters addressed to her? Along with the letters were a couple of photos - one of a young man in a Navy uniform and the other of what looked to be the same young man with a young woman who bore the striking resemblance to their mother. It couldn't be...could it? What did this all mean? Was their mother Daisy Banks? If so, then why did she change her name before marrying their father?

Devon 1940: Fifteen year old Daisy Banks and her ten year old sister Peggy have been evacuated from their home in London to Plymouth, where they were billeted to a Mr and Mrs Brown. They were thought to be safe there but one night the German bombers raided the town leaving much of it damaged. Daisy sat huddled with Peggy on the bed till the explosions ceased before opening the door to their room. When she did she was astonished to discover that while their room and the landing remained in tact, Mr and Mrs Brown's room other the other side was decimated. The girls hastily packed a few things and ran into the street searching for a way back home to London.

They were soon stopped by a man bearing the insignia of a billeting officer who told them that as they were evacuees they were under the responsibility of the government to take care of them. He told them of a lovely place out on the moors on the edge of Dartmoor with animals and other children who were also being taken care of. Peggy's eyes lit up at the mention of animals but Daisy remained wary. However, she knew that London was far away and they had no money to get there so resigned herself to this stranger taking them under his wing.

Believing he was taking them somewhere safe, the sisters climb into his car and the man drives them out onto the moors to a derelict farm where the conditions were nothing like he had described. As soon as they arrived, they were introduced to Farmer Reeves then shoved into a barn and informed that this is where they would sleep before being forced to work with the other four other children - two boys and two girls - who also lived there. Daisy dreamt of escaping but anyone that tries to is dealt with severely. If they spoke out to either Farmer Reeves or Red, the man who brought them there, they were beaten or whipped. As the government had sanctioned the use of children for farm work, it was therefore legal despite the harsh conditions. There was nowhere else to go.

But Daisy had a plan. With John, one of the orphan boys, they endeavoured to make their escape and report Farmer Reeves and Red for the conditions to which they subjected them to. But they had to make their move soon. Peggy was growing weaker in the almost arctic conditions of the barn, her cough getting worse by the day. If they didn't make their escape soon, who knew what future held for them at their cruel hands.

Back in the present day, Helen and Laura search the Land Registry for information on the derelict farm that backs onto Black Moor Hall, the sisters are shocked to discover that it belongs to their mother. They were always forbidden to venture onto the farm grounds and intrigued by the mystery before them, Helen decides to follow the path she remembers seeing her mother taking at times. Through old derelict buildings that had been left to rot for near on a century, Helen follows the path which leads her to something she never expected to find. What brought her mother here so often in secret? Guilt? Or something else?

Then when Helen finds a key that doesn't seem to fit any door in the house, the sisters are taken back to London to unlock the secrets their mother has kept hidden for over 70 years. And nothing will prepare them for the journey that it will take them on and the secrets that they will uncover...

The two stories merge together seamlessly as Daisy's narrative from the past is woven with Helen's in the present and is beautifully told. Daisy and Peggy's story is heartbreaking as is so often the tale of orphans during the war with the physical and emotional abuse they received at the hands of Farmer Reeves and his henchman Red. It was at times difficult to read. And then the romance between John and Daisy was simply heartwarming. I cannot say much more without giving anything away.

An incredibly emotional tale, THE RUNAWAY SISTERS captured my attention from the start and held it until the end, as I finished with tears in my eyes. It is truly a great read that I certainly won't forget in a hurry.

Filled with love, loss, heartbreak, secrets, lies and hope, THE RUNAWAY SISTERS is a heartwrenching historical novel that will stay with long after you have finished reading. 

My only critique I have was the rather abrupt ending. All the hope and promise that had been building up, and then I turned the page and...the end. I felt a little cheated in that respect. I felt it needed to end with Daisy, since it was ultimately her story and her secrets that was being uncovered. 

But aside from that, THE RUNAWAY SISTERS is a thoroughly enjoyable read that I have no hesitation in recommending to fans of historical fiction, dual timelines and stories about the plights of orphaned children.

I would like to thank #AnnBennett, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheRunawaySisters in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ann Bennett was born in a small village in Northamptonshire and now lives in Surrey. Her first book, A Daughter's Quest, originally published as Bamboo Heart, was inspired by her father's experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway. The Planter's Wife (originally published as Bamboo Island) a Daughter's Promise and The Homecoming, (formerly Bamboo Road) are also about the war in South East Asia.

Ann is married with three grown up sons and works as a lawyer. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Secrets of Ironbridge by Mollie Walton

The Secrets of Ironbridge (Ironbridge Saga #2)

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, General fiction

Read: 14th September 2020

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Amazon

Published: 30th April 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A dramatic and heartwarming Victorian saga, perfect for fans of Maggie Hope and Anne Bennett.

1850s Shropshire.

Returning to her mother's birthplace at the age of eighteen, Beatrice Ashford encounters a complex family she barely knows. Her great-grandmother Queenie adores her, but the privileged social position of Beatrice's family as masters of the local brickworks begins to make her uncomfortable.

And then she meets Owen Malone: handsome, different, refreshing - and from a class beneath her own. They fall for each other fast, but an old family feud and growing industrial unrest threatens to drive them apart.

Can they overcome their different backgrounds? And can Beatrice make amends for her family's past?

MY REVIEW:

The second book in the Ironbridge Saga, THE SECRETS OF IRONBRIDGE is even better than the first. Following on from "The Daughters of Ironbridge", we are introduced to the next generation of the same families set in the 1850s. Wonderfully told, this classic tale unfolds chapter after chapter with the breathtaking beauty of the setting as its backdrop.

1850: Twenty years after fleeing Ironbridge to elope with artist Jake Ashford, Margaret returns with her 18 year old daughter Beatrice after living in France. Queenie, the matriarch of the King family, has summoned her home with Margaret's father on his deathbed but alas, Ralph King passes two days before they arrive. Having always had a soft spot for Margaret, Queenie is thrilled to see her granddaughter again and is excited to meet her great-granddaughter Beatrice. It isn't long before the matriarch and the heir are getting along famously, playing endless hands of Old Maid and chatting together. Beatrice has never quite met anyone like her great-grandmother but the two adore each other, despite being so much alike.

Ironbridge is her mother's hometown but after growing up in France, Beatrice finds the little town a fascinating change from the cosmopolitan Montmarte to which she is accustomed. She is not used to English customs and sees no difference between the classes, except the money that separates them. It is clear that her mother came from money but their life in France was a far cry to that that awaited her here. After the death of her father, Beatrice and her mother were left penniless, and her mother took in students to teach English and the pianoforte to keep them clothed with food on the table. But upon returning to Ironbridge, her mother is determined to give Beatrice a better future. And as the heir to the King estate, Beatrice is expected to find a suitable husband of one of the local brickmasters and take over running the business Queenie has ruled with an iron fist for nigh on three decades.

But Beatrice has other ideas. Though she struggles to adjust to her new life in accordance with what is expected of her, she is also fascinated with the people of Ironbridge and its surrounds. She was appalled at the sight of children as young as six being forced to work in such dirty and harsh conditions, picking and carrying clay to be moulded into bricks. She is further astonished at the treatment of these children and of the workers under her family's hand. After seeing such conditions, Beatrice is determined that changes must be made and resolves to speak to Queenie about it. But she is not prepared for the staunch stance her great-grandmother takes when confronted with the running of the family business. Beatrice is not accustomed to the idea of "the haves and the have nots". Where she comes from, people from all classes and all walks of life mingle together. But here the distinction is clear...and the divide must not be crossed.

And then after another boring dance lesson, listening to "Madame" (who insists on the title despite not being French) drone on and on, Beatrice meets Owen Malone who works at her family's Brick and Tile Works. She does not care about his job, or class, only that he is the most charming and handsome man she has ever met. They fall into an easy friendship talking and laughing together, continuing to meet weekly in secret and inevitable fall in love. But the relationship is doomed...in more ways than one. For Owen's mother is Anny Woodwine who was Beatrice's mother's best friend from her childhood who Anny had felt betrayed her when leaving her languishing in prison and running off with Jake Ashford. 

But neither Beatrice and Owen are privy to their mothers' pasts nor how deep the hate runs but it is clear that this is but one secret that will soon come to the surface. But how will it affect Beatrice and Owen? Will it change things between them? Or will it make them more determined to bridge the gap between the two classes?

Despite all Beatrice has tried to do for the workers, there has been a growing discord amongst some of them and plans are set in motion that could only spell disaster, as a group descend upon Southover in the dead of night when everyone was to be at a ball. The ghostly apparition of former maid Betsy Blaize that has been visiting Queenie for two decades promised that this house will fall...but is that just Queenie's guilt or is it a premonition of what's to come? However, nothing will prepare them for the tragedy that is about to befall the King family...changing everything forever.

THE SECRETS OF IRONBRIDGE is the second book in this series but it can easily be read as a standalone as enough backstory is given to suffice on its own. But I do thoroughly recommend reading the first book "The Daughters of Ironbridge" before delving into this one, simply for more of the story and to get a real feel for the two women - Anny and Margaret - prior to this generation. As well as the fact that it is a thoroughly enjoyable read, there is also the addition of the ghostly apparition that comes to Queenie on a regular basis that is born at the beginning of the first book.

Beautifully written, THE SECRETS OF IRONBRIDGE is a real character driven story that is both touching and poignant. Mollie Walton does a wonderful job bringing the industrial age to life and the bustling town of Ironbridge amidst the appalling working conditions, low wages and the back breaking work.

It was great to meet up with the characters again some twenty years later and meeting new ones. I found both Anny and Margaret very different from the young girls they had been in the first book, understandably with what both had been through. And I adored both Beatrice and Owen. Her idealism and forthrightness with his gentleness made them such a likable pair that you just wanted things to work out for them. But my favourite remains Queenie, the stoic matriarch of the King family who has an other worldliness about her at times you wonder if she is going mad. She often wonders if she is going mad! But she is such a tough yet likable old bird. I was thrilled to see Cyril take more of a backseat in this book though he still lingers on the fringes and throws his weight around at times, it is clear that Queenie rules the roost. I hope he doesn't return in the next book.

I was disappointed with the tragedy that befell the King family and the route it then took Beatrice. Without giving anything away, I had secretly hoped that things would turn out differently. Thus, the Epilogue was a nice touch but I was still left a little unsatisfied at the outcome.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE SECRETS OF IRONBRIDGE in which I was absorbed from beginning to end and completed in two sittings. If it weren't for real life getting in the way (as it so often does) I would have probably read it in one!

Despite my disappointment in the direction the story took, it is still by far a well earned 5 star read. I cannot wait for the third book "The Orphan of Ironbridge" to continue this captivating saga.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical sagas. For fans of Dilly Court, Catherine Cookson and Lindsey Hutchinson.

I would like to thank #MollieWalton, #NetGalley and #ZaffreBooks for an ARC of #TheSecretsOfIronbridge in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mollie Walton is the saga pen-name for historical novelist Rebecca Mascull.

Rebecca Mascull is the author of three historical novels. She is currently hard at work on her next trilogy of historical fiction, with the first novel out in April 2019, published by Bonnier Zaffre as The Ironbridge Saga. These are published under the pen-name of Mollie Walton and the first book in the series is set in the dangerous world of the iron industry: THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE.

Her first novel THE VISITORS (2014) tells the story of Adeliza Golding, a deaf-blind child living on her father’s hop farm in Victorian Kent. Her second novel SONG OF THE SEA MAID (2015) is set in the C18th and concerns an orphan girl who becomes a scientist and makes a remarkable discovery. Her third novel, THE WILD AIR (2017) is about a shy Edwardian girl who learns to fly and becomes a celebrated aviatrix but the shadow of war is looming. All are published by Hodder & Stoughton.

She also completed the finishing chapters of her friend and fellow novelist Vanessa Lafaye’s final work, a novella called MISS MARLEY, a prequel to Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This novella was published in November 2018 by HarperCollins.

Rebecca has previously worked in education, has a Masters in Writing and lives by the sea in the east of England.

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