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Murder in the Library by Anita Davison
Published: 19th February 2024

Tuesday 29 November 2022

REVIEW: Driven by Kerena Swan




Driven (DI Paton Investigates #2) by Kerena Swan
Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Police procedural, Suspense
Read: 26th November 2022
Amazon
Published: 29th November 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Every mother’s worst nightmare
It was only for a couple of minutes, while dropping Noah off at nursery. Little did Melanie realise that leaving her sleeping son in the car would end up being the biggest regret of her life.

A teenage challenge turns sour
For teenager Woody, stealing cars with his new friend helps alleviate the tedium of a life of poverty and boredom. This isn’t what he wants to do with his life but for now, he feels accepted. Except on this occasion, his actions have consequences that could change his life forever. Is it too late to turn his life around?

How far would you go to save those you love?
While DI Paton is on the case of the missing child, he is quickly drawn into a web of deception that hits dangerously close to home. He soon finds himself torn in two, not knowing which way to turn: save his career or his family? Will he be able to crack the case before he himself cracks?


MY THOUGHTS:

How lovely to see the return of DI Paton and his son Tommy in this second installment of this exciting series. It has been so long since I read the first book I had to go back and refresh my memory and I'd mentioned in my review then that I looked forward to seeing more of Paton's son Tommy so it was lovely to see him so involved this time round.

Tommy is a delightful and endearing character who has Down's Sydnrome but he doesn't let that hold him back. He is keen to become a policeman just like his dad and he watches crime dramas and cop downs relentlessly as well as playing memory games that help him retain an eye for clues should he ever need to help his dad catch the baddies. It is also refreshing to see a detective that isn't stereo-typically divorced, bad-tempered and verging on alcoholism to get through the day. Instead, Paton is a devoted husband and father trying his best to juggle his responsibilities as both as well as maintaining a successful career as a detective. His home life can sometimes get in the way of his investigations but he is lucky to have an understanding boss who gives him a little leeway in that area...as long as it doesn't encroach too much that it affects him doing his job effectively.

In this story, Paton finds himself solely responsible for Tommy while his wife Wendy is away in Weymouth caring for her mother who has had a fall. Unfortunately, Tommy's school has also closed due to an asbestos discovery leaving Paton with the conundrum of what to do with his son whilst he's at work. This leads him to make a decision which he will come to regret but at the time he felt he had little choice.

Paton is investigating a series of car thefts which lead him to a wrecking yard he felt sure was somehow involved. But then he is tasked with another stolen car, this time with a two year old toddler inside, he is made SIO and the clock is ticking to find the missing child...and quick! Because little Louie has epilepsy and if he is not given his medication or the correct diet, the next seizure he has could prove fatal.

When teenagers Woody and Roach gleefully speed away in the stolen Ford Fiesta they had no idea a toddler was asleep in the back seat. Their first indication was hearing a little voice pipe up "Where's mummy?" Understandably the child became quickly distressed and began screaming his lungs out which then lead to him being quickly dumped and left on a grassy verge outside a field gateway, alone and in the cold. Will he be found before dark? And before it's too late?

Paton's investigations lead him a merry chase before even coming close to the real culprits, and not before trouble strikes closer to home. It seems threats are made and he has unwittingly put his family in danger. Then when Tommy finds a kitten in his shed and, keeping his find a secret, decides to keep it and feed it, a covert trip to the shops has him accidentally involved in the case. But Tommy isn't daft...he knows what he must remember to catch the baddies.

I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting DI Paton and Tommy once again and I do hope this is not the end of their escapades. They make a fine team, albeit a unique one. This story did have a little more procedural involved than I remembered from the first one but I could be wrong. However, I do like the fact that it is not solely procedural which can be humdrum and samey after a while. I love how we get to hear all the voices of those directly involved - Woody, Roach, Mabel, Paton, Tommy and even little Louie. It is no way confusing as each chapter is clearly titled whose narrative as well as the time and how much of it has passed since Louie went missing. It is a poignant story in parts which will have you sympathising in part with some of those involved. I found myself feeling for both Woody and Mabel, despite their involvement, though I really did develop something of a soft spot for Woody.

The story unfolds seamlessly switching from narrative to narrative without a beat as the pace picks up with the tension palpable. There's no real mystery as we know and see who does what from the start but it's the unknown of what could happen that ramps up the tension a notch or two.

I was a little surprised at the turn the story took at the end. I was not expecting that...but I hope it is just a little teaser that is setting the tone for the next book. Because I would love to see more of Paton and his left-in-command!

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable crime thriller that is a procedural with a twist.

I would like to thank #KerenaSwan, #Netgalley, #HobeckBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #Driven in exchange for an honest review.



MEET THE AUTHOR:

We are thrilled to be introducing DI Dave Paton and his son Tommy, the stars of the first novel in Kerena Swan’s new series, to the world. Before coming to Hobeck, Kerena had published three novels, Dying To See You, Scared to Breathe and Who’s There? and has built a solid fan base around her writing career thus far. She is a juggler extraordinaire: driving forward a successful care business she runs with her husband yet finding time to write. She loves to write, here and there and everywhere when she’s not working. We don’t know how she does it but we are glad that she does! 

Social Media links:


Saturday 26 November 2022

REVIEW: A Mother's Christmas Wish by Glenda Young




A Mother's Christmas Wish by Glenda Young
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas
Read: 24th November 2022
Amazon
Published: 24th November 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

'I hope this Christmas is better than last year's.'

Following a scandalous affair, wayward Emma Devaney is sent in disgrace from her home in Ireland to Ryhope, where she will live with her widowed aunt, Bessie Brogan, and help run her pub. Bessie is kind but firm, and at first Emma rebels against her lack of freedom. Struggling to fit in, she turns to the wrong person for comfort, and becomes pregnant.

Accepting she must embrace her new life for the sake of her baby, Emma pours her energy into making the pub thrive and helping heal the fractured relationship between Bessie and her daughters. She catches the attention of Robert, a gruff but sincere farmer, who means to win her heart.

As December approaches, thankful for the home and acceptance she's found, Emma is determined to bring not just her family, but the whole Ryhope community, together to celebrate - and to make one very special mother's Christmas dreams come true.


MY THOUGHTS:

What a delightful heartwarming historical saga tale A MOTHER'S CHRISTMAS WISH is! It is an easy read from start to finish that will fill you with delightful and warm your heart and soul. I don't think I have read Glenda Young before but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for other books by her. I love this type of historical saga with an easy reading style. It is one of my favourite genres that is up there with Catherine Cookson, Lindsey Hutchinson and Dilly Court.

1923: Seventeen year old Emma Devaney has left her home in Ireland under a cloud of shame and sent to live with her aunt Bessie Brogan in Ryhope in the North East of England. Emma decides that this will be a new start but instead she arrives drunk, with a black eye and shrouded in scandal. From the moment she steps off the boat she is faced with challenges that bring out the stubborn and outspoken streak in her, landing her in some unfortunate situations.

Her introduction to Ryhope is not a good one. After stepping off the train, she walks to the first pub to ask for directions to her aunt's pub, the Forester's Arms, and instead stays for several drinks with a charming yet unsavoury character who plies her with several stouts and then suddenly leaves her standing outside her aunt's pub before she makes her grand entrance by falling flat on her face through the door. Scooped up by the rugged and handsome Robert Murphy and under Bessie's guidance, she is then deposited in the spare room to sleep off her stupor. And after an entrance like that, she is sure to set tongues wagging throughout Ryhope.

From the moment Emma arrived, she has brought light to her aunt Bessie Brogan's life. Since losing her beloved husband Pat just months before, Bessie's heart has not been in the pub that has for so long been the lifeblood of her's and Pat's lives. She had instilled young Jimmy Porter in the pub and left him to run things for her but in her absence as she remained shut away in the back rooms in her grief, unable to face serving at the bar again without Pat by her side, the once pride of their lives had now attracted the wrong sort of crowd and gained a bad reputation. Then learning of her niece's impending arrival later that day, despite the three weeks' notice Bessie's sister Nuala had given her (mail tended to be a little slow), Bessie then hastily made room for Emma in the spare room Jimmy had occupied before given his marching orders as "family came first".

As soon as Emma had slept off the stout she had consumed on the day of her arrival with the nefarious Ginger Benson in the Railway Inn, she was taught how to serve at the bar, pour a pint and all the ins and outs of running a pub under Jimmy's scowling eyes while her own blackened one lost its shine. It wasn't long before Emma got into the swing of things and learnt how things ran but it also wasn't long before she noticed some discrepancies and not wanting to worry her grieving aunt, decided to tackle them herself.

Emma proves her worth  as well as being the talk of the village what with her scandalous arrival. But despite her trying to make this a new start for herself, things don't always go according to plan and she finds herself in a situation from which she can see no out. And so she turns to the one person she never thought she would. But will her trust be betrayed once she reveals her secret? Or could this be the answer for which she's been looking?

There is so much to love in this delightful tale of camaraderie and friendship. Villages tend to be the best and the worst of places, functioning as a family and knowing all your foibles and secrets as well as being the place you can seek refuge and be safe. This tale is about the sisterhood and camaraderie of women and the strength they draw from each other. But like all sagas of this nature there also comes heartache. And yet I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful tale and wish I could go back there. I loved Emma and Bessie, as well as Robert and the kindly Joy and even the spiky Lil.

From reading the Acknowledgements/Notes at the end, I gather that Bessie Brogan features in a previous book "The Tuppenny Child" and upon searching out her other titles I've discovered Annie Grafton, who is often mentioned and referred to in this book, features in another of her previous titles. I've also discovered that they mostly appear to be set in Ryhope so each of them will more than likely cross paths in past or future publications, but without them being a series. I'll be interested in checking them out.

A thoroughly enjoyable tale in the vein of my all time favourite Catherine Cookson and perfect for fans of this genre like Cookson, Lindsey Hutchinson and Dilly Court. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I would like to thank #GlendaYoung, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #AMothersChristmasWish in exchange for an honest review.



MEET THE AUTHOR:

Glenda Young credits her local library in the village of Ryhope, where she grew up, for giving her a love of books. She still lives close by in Sunderland and often gets her ideas for her stories on long bike rides along the coast. A life-long fan of Coronation Street, she runs two hugely popular fan websites.

Social Media links:


Friday 25 November 2022

REVIEW: Murder at St Saviour's by Merryn Allingham



Murder at St Saviour's (Flora Steele #5) by Merryn Allingham
Genre: Cosy mystery
Read: 20th November 2022
Published: 21st November 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Bookshop owner and amateur detective Flora Steele teams up with handsome crime writer Jack Carrington to unravel a curious murder in the village of Abbeymead!

Sussex, 1956: When Flora and her partner-in-crime-solving, Jack, arrive at the charming church of St Saviour’s the last thing they’re expecting to find is the curate, Lyle Beaumont, lifeless on the flagstone floor beneath the belltower, with a mysterious note in his hand.

Flora is dismayed to find the poor curate dead. But she can’t help being intrigued by the eclectic mix of bell ringers present at the old church – Mr Preece, the local butcher, Dilys Fuller, the busybody postmistress, and Stephen Henshall, a newcomer to the close-knit community. Any one of them could be the culprit – and Flora needs to act fast before someone gets away with murder…

When Flora and Jack begin their sleuthing, they quickly realise all is not what it seems with the victim, and the certainty of the dead man’s identity becomes the first twist in the investigation.

Just as they’re getting closer to the answer, the death of one of the suspects changes everything. As a series of unexplained accidents unfolds across the village, it seems no-one who was present at the church on the night of the curate’s demise is safe.

Has the bell tolled on Flora and Jack’s detective days? And will they work out the truth in time to save themselves?

A completely addictive cozy crime novel set in the fictional Sussex village of Abbeymead. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis!


MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Merryn Allingham's cosy mystery series MURDER AT ST SAVIOUR'S.

It's November 1956 and Christmas is coming as Abbeymead prepares for the festive season. It's only been a couple of months since the unfortunate events that took place at the newly renovated and opened Priory Hotel from which they are still trying to recover. As for bookshop owner Flora Steele and crime writer Jack Carrington, who would love nothing more than snuggling up on this chilly night, are getting ready for an evening out at the cinema.  Their plans, however, unfortunately fall by the wayside when they hear a single toll coming from the nearby St Saviour's bell tower. Feeling something is amiss, the dynamic duo make the frosty walk to the Norman church and make the most gruesome discovery. The newly arrived curate Lyle Beaumont is found dead on the floor with a single note in his hand.

The police are called and the bumbling village constable Tring is all sixes and sevens as to what to do next. Jack's friend Inspector Alan Ridley is soon on the case but soon discovers that clues are hard to come by, especially as Beaumont was a newcomer to Abbeymead and few villagers seemed to know anything about him. Working alongside the inspector, Flora and Jack soon discover there is far more to this case than meets the eye. And unlike ever before, both of them appear to find themselves in danger than ever before.

Investigations take Jack to London and the couple to a weekend in Dorset to learn more about their victim and who would want him dead. What they uncover is a treasure trove of secrets that could put any number of unknown newcomers in the frame - stolen identities, family hostilities, hidden grudges, sudden deaths and even fraud! And while asking questions puts both Flora and Jack in danger...it also brings them closer together.

But it seems someone wants to silence the amateur sleuths permanently as they close in on the villain. Will they live to uncover the truth?

MURDER AT ST SAVIOUR'S is the fifth in the Flora Steele series which has a taste of Agatha Christie in the form of Miss Marple and her own village of St Mary Mead. Although Flora is a lot younger than Ms Christie's elderly sleuth, she is just as dogged and with the same nose for uncovering the truth.

I love Flora and Jack. They make a good team and their partnership is one of friendship and comfort as their relationship begins to move into something more and yet it doesn't overshadow the main story. It was also good to see the inspector back and taking on a bigger role in this story. As well as the inclusion of all the usual residents - Sally, Alice, Kate, Dilys as well as a few newcomers that pass through.

This book, as well as the series, is perfect for fans who love cosy mysteries without the sex, gore and graphic detail of crime thrillers. Just a picturesque chocolate box village hidden in the English countryside with a murder or two on their doorstep every couple of months. Life in Abbeymead is reminiscent of life in Midsomer.

Overall, a nice gentle easy read perfect for cosy mystery fans.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 


PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.


Sunday 20 November 2022

REVIEW: The Widow's Secret by Kate Hewitt



The Widow's Secret (The Goswell Quartet #4) by Kate Hewitt
Genre: Historical fiction, Dual timeline, Contemporary fiction, Georgian era
Read: 16th November 2022
Published: 17th November 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

She looked down at the sweet little girl and knew she wouldn’t listen to what anyone else said. She had to do what was right. Even if it meant going against everything she was taught to believe and keeping a secret from the person closest to her…

England, 1766: Abigail is happily married to James, a tobacco trader turned sea captain, and is looking forward to starting a family and settling down in Whitehaven, deep in the Lake District. But after a series of devastating losses, she finds herself in turmoil, with her future suddenly seeming unknown…

When James announces that he will captain a ship to Africa and then the Americas for a year, it sparks a series of surprising and heartbreaking events – involving some of the darkest evils in humanity’s history, and a tiny, terrified slave girl who’s brought back to England. This helpless child forces Abigail to reconsider everything she thought she knew – and will change her life forever…

Now: When a shipwreck is discovered off the coast of Cumbria, local expert Rachel is brought in to investigate. Her first thought is that this will be a perfect distraction from her troubled marriage and the memories of her past that she is desperate not to think about. But then it becomes clear the wreck is a slaving ship from the 1700s – one that was recorded as sinking in the Caribbean – and Rachel begins to wonder if there’s more to this terrible mystery than meets the eye.

Faced with uncertainty about both the past and present, can Rachel learn from Abigail’s extraordinary story and take the first step towards a brighter future of her own?

The Widow’s Secret is a completely heart-wrenching and powerful story of courage, redemption, and compassion. Fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara O’Neal and Fiona Valpy will be absolutely captivated by this unforgettable read.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Previously published as The Widow’s Secret by Katharine Swartz.


EXTRACT: 

Georgiana let out a gay laugh and clapped her hands. "What can she do? Does she speak?"

"Of course she speaks," Abigail answered stiffly. "She has learned English remarkably well."

"How clever of her! In any case I am quite looking forward to having a page and dressing him in a frock coat and frills. How handsome he will look! Mr Fenton said he would find me a healthy, well turned out little lad for me. I am quite depending on him."

"I do not know know how he will find such a creature," Abigail said before she could think better of it, "when he will have endured the kind of voyage no human being ever should."

"Why, Abigail, you sound almost like one of those abolitionists," Georgiana answered with a laugh. "And with your husband in the trade."

She pressed her lips together. "Well I know it."

"Surely you are not getting such ideas? It would be most unsuitable. Besides, we cannot do without the trade. All of society rests on it." With a little laugh she gestured to the loaf of sugar that had been brought in with the tea tray. "There would be none of this without them, you know."

"Then perhaps we should go without sugar in our tea," Abigail said recklessly. "I daresay it would not be such a sacrifice."

"And what of the trade? The profit?" Georgiana replied with an irritable laugh. "Really Abigail, you are too much. I thought you would amuse me today, with your little lady's maid, but I am quite put out."

"I am so sorry to disappoint you," Abigail returned with acid in her voice.

"What does she do?" Georgiana asked petulantly. "Can you make her say something?"

"No, I cannot." Abigail found herself shaking with rage. "She is not a puppet, or a pet, or a plaything. She is a person."



MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kate Hewitt's delightful dual timeline tale THE WIDOW'S SECRET.

I really didn't think I would enjoy this final installment of the Goswell Quartet as the subject matter - shipwrecks and maritime whatnot - is not something I would normally have picked up to read. However, I have been proved pleasantly wrong. I enjoyed THE WIDOW'S SECRET far more than I ever thought I would and I am saddened to have to say goodbye to Goswell and Jane, who has been a stalwart throughout all four books.

As with each tale, this one delves even further back than the previous three as we venture into the 18th century and the world of merchant ships and the slave trade.

Whitehaven, 1762: After a a rather dubious entanglement in Harrogate, 19 year old Abigail Heywood is sure her prospects for a husband have all but disappeared within the whispers of society's gossips. And then she meets 33 year old James Fenton, a former sea captain and now maritime trader in tobacco. He has no interest in the gossips and thinks only on the lovely Abigail Heywood, despite her plain looks and yet he finds her attractive in an innocent and wholesome way. Within months he proposes and they marry, moving to the beautiful town house he has procured for them. But after more than a year, Abigail has been unable to bear him a son...or any child, for that matter.

But with every tobacco plant and every shipment bound for Glasgow, James must find another source in which to trade...and he soon finds that the slave trade is proving to be rather profitable. Procured in Africa, the ship then sails to the Caribbean where they trade the slaves for sugar, thus sailing back to Cumbria with a haul to pay off the investors as well as make a profit themselves. A profitable business, by all accounts.

One one such voyage, James returns with a surprise for Abigail. Her very own slave, her small hands manacled! Abigail is shocked. The creature before her couldn't be more than six years old, if that! She speaks not a word of English (just heathen gibberish) and her skin is as dark as anything she has ever seen. She takes the young girl home and orders her maid to fill a bath of hot water for the child as she bathes her emaciated and scarred body. Who would do this to a child? And yet, when her husband returns home, he argues that the child is to sleep on the dark warehouse floor and to remain manacled until she learns her place.

And then when James announces that he is to sail on the next voyage since his captain failed to procure enough slaves so he will see to it himself. He will be gone for more than a year by the time he has solicited enough slaves from the Africas and journeyed to the Caribbean to trade them for goods that he will bring back home. 

During the time her husband has been gone, Abigail meets and listens to John Wesley and his teachings and thus begins to learn a lot more about herself and her husband...and the situation in which she now finds herself. She also comes to see Adelaide, as she now calls the child, as more than a slave...more than a servant even...but something akin to a daughter. 

But society will never accept an African child...and neither would James, Abigail fears.

Present day: Maritime archaeologist Rachel Gardener is called up to look into the remains of a possible shipwreck off the Cumbrian coast. Leaving her husband behind in Bristol, she makes the five hour journey to Whitehaven and this exciting possible find. But Rachel is no stranger to the Lake District for she grew up about an hour away and where her mother still lives, though they barely talk having a somewhat prickly relationship.

During a dive to investigate the site, Rachel and her colleagues find a pocket watch with the engraving "JMF" and soon discovers an 18th century merchant trader with those initials whose ship was reportedly wrecked off the coast of Antigua in the Caribbean. So why was his pocket watch found within this wreck just a quarter of a mile out of Whitehaven? And so close to home?

Her investigations lead her to James and Abigail Fenton as she tries to unravel the mystery of who they were and what their roles were in the slave trade? She meets and befriends Jane Hatton (from the previous books) who is an ear for Rachel to offload her worries as well as her findings into the Fentons. For Jane, too, is understandably as intrigued.

Her enquiries are then paused when she receives a call about her mother who has had a fall and is in hospital. But it seems not everything is as it seems and Rachel must deal with an even further blow, wondering how she is going to handle everything from her mother to her marriage.

THE WIDOW'S SECRET is a little different from the first three in that it is not actually set in Goswell, though it does feature. I couldn't warm to Rachel who I found standoffish and aloof, and there are times I could have gladly knocked her and her mother's heads together. The heroine of this tale is most certainly Abigail. She was loyal, kind and somewhat forward thinking for the time. She knew in her heart that slavery was wrong and hated the very thought of treating Adelaide as nothing but a savage creature who behaved like a heathen, could speak nothing but gibberish and could very murder her in her sleep! She refused to see her that way and her relationship with Adelaide was a heartwarming one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale far more than I expected to and I am saddened to leave the residents - past and present - of Goswell behind as this beautiful series comes to an end. I have enjoyed every minute of my time with everyone, getting to know them and seeing them blossom. And I loved the mysteries each of the characters were faced with. I am so glad I met them all. And I thank Kate Hewitt for the opportunity.

Overall, though not an entirely easy read in parts, THE WIDOW'S SECRET is perfect for fans of dual timelines.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads


PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.


REVIEW: The Bride's Sister by Kate Hewitt



The Bride's Sister (The Goswell Quartet #3) by Kate Hewitt
Genre: Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction, Dual timeline, Victorian era
Read: 14th November 2022
Published: 17th November 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

She clutched the piece of paper close to her chest, tears welling in her eyes, hardly believing what she had read. Silently thanking Sarah for all she sacrificed, she took the death certificate and slipped it under a loose floorboard – no one must ever find out what she’d done…

England, 1868: Orphaned and penniless, 18-year-old Sarah is left the sole guardian of her beloved little sister Lucy – who she’s vowed to protect at all costs. With nowhere left to turn, she is forced to accept mysterious widower James Mills’ proposal of marriage.

She believes being his bride can’t possibly be as bad as the threat of the workhouse. But nothing prepares her for the darkness of her marriage, the shocking secrets of her new family and the lengths she will have to go to, to keep her sister safe…

Now: Living in the beautiful village of Goswell, Ellen believes her family life to be idyllic… until her estranged seventeen-year-old stepdaughter Annabelle moves in and shatters the peace. Ellen fears they will never bond, until she finds a death certificate – for a woman named Sarah, from over a century earlier – hidden under the floorboards of their house, and Annabelle starts to help her unravel the mystery.

Yet as Ellen and Annabelle dig deeper into Sarah’s life and death, shocking truths, both past and present, come to light which change everything Ellen thought she knew about Sarah’s family – and the new addition to her own…

The Bride’s Sister is a powerful and moving story about what it means to be a family, second chances, and the lengths we go to for those we love. Fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara O’Neal and Fiona Valpy will absolutely love this gripping and emotional read.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Previously published as The Second Bride by Katharine Swartz.


MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kate Hewitt's delightful dual timeline tale THE BRIDE'S SISTER.

It began with a death certificate under the floorboards...
Sarah Mills. River Cottage, Kendal. General debility. July 1872.

Kendal, 1868: Eighteen year old Sarah and her ten year old mute sister Lucy step off the train after the long journey from Goswell. Having been left orphaned after the death of their mother, they find themselves in the strange town awaiting the aunt they have never met. Edith was their mother's sister but for reasons unknown to the girls, they never spoke again after their mother met and married their father, a curate in Goswell.

Aunt Edith is a stern and strict figure, though not unkind. She takes the girls in, feeds them generous meals, gives them a roof over their heads and clothes them. She does not believe in idle hands and keeps the sabbath holy. But when a sudden tragedy occurs, leaving Sarah and Lucy destitute, an offer of marriage to a friend of her late father's gives the girls the prospect of a home in which they are cared for.

But marriage to James Mills is not without its problems. It seems he does not really want a wife but an unpaid skivvy, which is what Sarah and Lucy become. His 14 year old daughter Clara who parades herself about town in all manner of colourful flounces of gowns, totally inappropriate for a girl her age, incredibly spoilt having been the only child of her husband and his late wife. Clara makes life difficult for Sarah and her sister Lucy, whose bed is now a pile of blankets on the kitchen floor, like a servant.

Then when Clara finds herself in a position of disgrace, it's Sarah she comes to begging her for help. And so she does. But when James discovers the subterfuge, his wrath is such that he all but destroys Sarah.

Goswell, present day: During renovations of an upstairs attic room, builders comes across a piece of paper hidden under the floorboards. Ellen is intrigued by the mystery behind the words:

"Sarah Mills. River Cottage, Kendal. General debility. July 1872."

Who was Sarah Mills? And if she lived and died in Kendal, what was her death certificate doing hidden under the floorboards of her house here in Goswell? And what on earth does general debility mean? Ellen begins initial enquiries which are quickly abandoned when when her husband Alex, who she describes as having the emotion intelligence of a hermit crab, announces that his his ex wife contacted him asking that they take his 17 year old daughter Annabelle in for a year while she does her final year of A levels, as she jetsets off to New York.

Ellen is dubious. Past experiences with Annabelle have not been pleasant and in the ten years since she has seen her, she fears it will not be different. But she makes an effort and relinquishes the room she has waited twelve years for to make room for Annabelle...who is anything but grateful. The teenager is rude, truculent with an uncompromising attitude. She gives the greatest death stare than anyone Ellen knows. And nothing she does is right.

In an attempt to remain positive, Ellen coaxes the spoilt madam into a little project she had all but forgotten in the busyness and upheaval of their lives created by Annabelle's arrival. The mystery of Sarah Mills and who she was and why her death certificate was found under the floorboards of the room that is now Annabelle's. The teenager shows some interest and Ellen hopes this could go some way to extending a kind of olive branch to the girl.

But is it enough?

THE BRIDE'S SISTER is a deeply heartbreaking tale that will certainly tug at your heartstrings. The Victorian timeline is especially difficult and uneasy, just as times were, and your heart just goes out to the young Sarah and her little sister Lucy who is so obviously autistic (a condition not known about in those days let alone tolerated). Lucy was slated as an "imbecile" and yet she was intelligent and understood everything, her communication silent and her hatred of being touched. The story surrounding Sarah and her sister was incredibly heartbreaking. Life was unkind to those without any means as well as to those who were different in any way, as Lucy was. The lengths to which Sarah goes to ensure the safety of her sister is admirable. And yet the threat of the workhouse was always there.

And then there was the present day story, which was equally uncomfortable. Annabelle was immediately unlikeable and her scenes made for incredibly uncomfortable reading. She was rude, truculent, sulky, sullen and incredibly uncompromising. She hated Ellen and made no bones about it. 

As with all the stories in this delightful quartet, Kate Hewitt entwines the lives of past and present characters. Ellen is the mother of Sophie, who is the best friend of Merrie from the first book "The Wife's Promise", and Jane (also from the first book) is Ellen's close friend. Interestingly, the teenagers in these stories have grown with the subsequent additions of further tales, with Natalie, who was 14 in the first book then 15 when Rebecca appeared in the second "The Daughter's Garden", is now 17 and the same agae as Annabelle. I love how Hewitt connects all these characters in the subsequent tales, as each of their lives entwine within the sleepy coastal village of Goswell.

The title THE BRIDE'S SISTER conjures up images of happiness and contentment though this story is anything but. It is far more poignant than the first two but just as heart wrenching. Although we know of Sarah's ultimate fate from the beginning, the journey we are taken on is one filled with tragedy and heartache as we prepare ourselves for the tugging of our emotional heartstrings.

I love dual timelines and this tale is no different as each chapter alternates between the past and the present with the two seamlessly entwined through the discovery of a 150 year old death certificate. I had only ever read one Kate Hewitt book before (an historical fiction one as I'm not generally a contemporary fiction fan unless it's coupled with a historical timeline like this) and this series is fast becoming one of my favourites. Although each tale is different and standalone, Hewitt cleverly entwines previous characters with new ones with each new story.

Overall, though not an easy read, THE BRIDE'S SISTER is perfect for fans of dual timelines.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.


REVIEW: The Daughter's Promise by Kate Hewitt



The Daughter's Garden (The Goswell Quartet #2) by Kate Hewitt
Genre: Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction, Dual timeline, Post-WW1
Read: 13th November 2022
Published: 17th November 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

“I had to free it,” Eleanor said, and stretched her hand out to the blue butterfly that seemed almost to hover in the air. “I had to let something find what happiness it could, since we cannot.”

England, 1918: As war ends, across the world, people are trying to heal and recover. But Eleanor still feels broken. The loss of her beloved brother, killed just days before the Armistice was signed, feels impossibly unjust. Spending her time in the neglected garden behind their house, she fears her heart will never recover.

Then her father hires a man to help restore the garden to its former glory. Gruff, handsome Yorkshireman Jack comes from a totally different world to Eleanor, but he understands the nature of her grief more than anyone else seems to. And as they spend time together, even though she knows her family will never accept someone of Jack’s class, Eleanor starts to wonder if – like the butterflies around them – there is any way for her to learn to soar again...

Now: Nearly one hundred years later, Marin is not prepared for finding herself the guardian of her fifteen-year-old half-sister Rebecca, after her father and his second wife are killed in a tragic accident. The sisters are practically strangers, and Rebecca’s grief makes her seem even more distant. Marin too is in need of a fresh start, so when Rebecca begs her to let them move to the picturesque village of Goswell on the Cumbrian coast, Marin impulsively agrees.

But it is only when they find a locked door to a secret garden, and a photograph of a girl with a butterfly landing on her hand, that the sisters start to realise they have a mystery to solve, one about war, about secrets, and about a love that could never be. A mystery that might just bring them together…

The Daughter’s Garden is a totally unputdownable novel about tragic secrets, the chance for forgiveness, and the healing that can come from a new start. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Rhys Bowen and Lucinda Riley.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Previously published as The Lost Garden by Katharine Swartz.


MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kate Hewitt's delightful dual timeline tale THE DAUGHTER'S GARDEN.

“She wondered who would open this gate one day in the future. Another girl, another gardener? Would they fill it with flowers, even butterflies? She almost smiled to think of the garden being redeemed and loved again”.

West Cumberland, 1918: The Great War may be over but it has left many scars and many a family broken in its wake. It was meant to be over by Christmas in 1914 they said, but four long years later and nearly 900,000 lives lost, peace finally came to the world once again. But not for Eleanor Sanderson, the vicar's daughter and their family. Their son Walter, whom they were expecting home at any moment, became one of those casualties falling just days before the Armistice was signed. It hardly seemed fair.

But as soon as the telegram boy delivered the envelope with a look of sorrow on his face, Eleanor's mother had taken to her bed and she was left to break the news to her Grandmama in the adjoining Bower House, her father who was visiting parishioners and her sister Katherine who had spent the day in Carlisle sorting donations. Eleanor just wanted to fall in a crumpled heap but her grandmama said she needed to be strong for  her family...because she was the strongest of them all.

The loss of her brother left Eleanor feeling bereft and without purpose...that is, until she found a new purpose. To create a garden memorial in Walter's memory. And with the help of gardener Jack Taylor, Eleanor did just that, utilising the walled garden that had once served as a herb garden. And in the midst of it...a beautiful butterfly house.

But it seems, tragedy is never far away as the Spanish flu sweeps the world in the wake of the war, and Eleanor suddenly falls ill at a garden fete. Will she be strong enough to overcome the influenza and find peace again?

Goswell, present day: After her father and his wife are killed in a car accident, Marin returns from Boston to undertake the care of her 15 year old half sister Rebecca. As a break from their the mundaneness of their normal routine, the sisters take a trip north and find themselves in sleepy Goswell and falling in love with the unusual but charming Bower House. In a flash of impulsivity, they make a decision to uproot their lives in Hampshire and move to the sleepy little village.

It is chance for a fresh start for the both of them as they set to making Bower House their own. Leaving most of their modern furnishings in their Hampshire house which they have rented out, Marin and Rebecca set to purchasing old fashioned furnishings for their new home. They meet their neighbours in the Vicarage, the Hattons, who had moved from America 18 months before and Rebecca and their daughter Natalie soon become friends.

But it is the exploration of the gardens one day that saw the sisters come across a fastened gate with a rusted latch to a walled garden, that gave them new purpose. Rebecca was eager to discover what lay beyond the gate...a secret garden of sorts...while Marin was less enthused. And it wasn't until she saw the hurt on Rebecca's face at her dismissal of it just being a garden full of brambles, that Marin realised what this idea really meant to her sister.

And soon Marin finds herself delving into the lost garden beyond the walls and rusted latch, and with the help of landscape gardener Joss, finds new meaning and purpose whilst searching its history and the woman in a photo who had once sought meaning and purpose within the very same walls.

THE DAUGHTER'S GARDEN is the second in the Goswell Quartet series and is a pure delight to read. I think I enjoyed it more than the first one as I think the characters were more likeable too. I loved the fact that those who featured in the previous book are also mentioned in part in this one too, which goes some way to linking the stories despite them being separate from each other. Such as the neighbours in the Vicarage who were front and centre in the first book and the Sandersons who are the focus this time around were merely mentioned in the first also. I love how Hewitt ties them all together and I hope she continues to do so through the remaining two books.

A gentle story with a steady pace, THE DAUGHTER'S GARDEN is about grief and loss and the overcoming of it. In both timelines, the main characters - Eleanor as well as Marin and Rebecca - have lost someone and while they feel very differently about their losses, they both need to find a purpose to give their lives meaning once again. I love how both women's stories, a hundred years apart, intersect with one another despite not being in the slightest way related. What does bind them is the lost garden of Bower House.

I love dual timelines and Kate Hewitt blends the present with the past beautifully. Both stories play out beautifully with an unexpected ending. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Goswell and I fear I will miss it once I have finished the final book.

Overall, a pure delight to read. Perfect for fans of dual timelines.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.


REVIEW: The Wife's Promise by Kate Hewitt



The Wife's Promise (The Goswell Quartet #1) by Kate Hewitt
Genre: Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction, Dual timeline, WW2
Read: 12th November 2022
Published: 17th November 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Alice looked at the young girl standing alone on the platform, sensing the same vulnerability she’d once felt entering the village she now called home. Then, as the child gripped her hand, the pain and sorrow Alice had held in her heart for so long softened… And in that moment, she vowed she’d always protect her – whatever the cost…

England, 1939: When Alice marries twinkly-eyed, kind-hearted vicar David, it means leaving everything from her old life behind and moving into the draughty vicarage in the beautiful but remote village of Goswell, Cumbria. Though homesick, Alice is determined to make a new life there for herself and her husband.

But soon tragedy strikes, and she is devastated when war breaks out and David chooses to sign up to fight. But everything changes when Alice is asked to take in a child evacuee, and she makes a promise to protect this girl, no matter what it costs her…

Now: When Jane and her family move to the small coastal village of Goswell where her husband grew up, she’s afraid she might have made a huge mistake. Their new home – in what had once been the vicarage – feels a million miles from their previous fast-paced life in New York City, and Jane struggles with her empty days that seem lonely and purposeless.

But then she finds a small note, forgotten behind a shelf in the pantry. A note written in the Second World War. By a woman named Alice, whose incredible story has the power to change everything…

Two wives’ stories – told over 70 years apart – about courage, finding a home, and how the unexpected arrival of someone else’s story in your life can change your own. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Lucinda Riley and Barbara O’Neal.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Previously published as The Vicar’s Wife by Katharine Swartz.


MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kate Hewitt's delightful dual timeline tale THE WIFE'S PROMISE.

It all started with a shopping list...

Cumbria, present day: Jane and Andrew uproot their family from the hustle and bustle of their busy lives in New York City to relocate to the dank, cold and miserable Goswell on the Cumbrian coast. For sixteen years Andrew has lived in New York where he met and married Jane and now it's time for him to come home. But for Jane, the move is not as smooth sailing as they thought it would be...at least, not for her. Their three children Natalie (14), Ben (11) and Merrie (7 or 8) find the transition difficult at first but soon make friends and settle into their new life.

They move into a spacious old Vicarage and Jane has every intention of painting each room and making it home but for some reason can't seem to find a connection between the woman she was in New York to the one she's expected to become here and now in sleepy Goswell. It is while she is cleaning out the pantry that she finds an old shopping list stuck beneath the cold slate shelf, for keeping things cool in the times before refrigerators, that Jane finds herself a new purpose and feels compelled to investigate who wrote this list and what became of them. 

In asking the current vicar in the neighbouring church about records of old vicars, does Jane come across the names of David and Alice James who lived in the vicarage from 1930 till 1943. And Jane feels sure she has found the writer of her list.

1931: Nineteen year old Alice has just met and married the man of her dreams, David James. After their small wedding at her home in Cambridge, the couple then make the long and slow journey by various trains to Goswell in Cumbria, where David is serving as vicar. As soon as she arrives, Alice realises she has not put much thought into what it means to become a vicar's wife and all that it entails. It seems the villagers have such expectations of what she must do and Alice hasn't the first idea of how to do any of it. Or if she even wants to. All she wants is to be married to David, have a family and grow old with him. But David's duties to his parish are many that they only seem to have a couple of hours together in the evenings before retiring for the night.

From the time to arrived in Goswell, it seems she has had to face many challenges. From adapting to being a vicar's wife to a tragedy from which she thought she may never recover to the onset of war and David enlisting as a chaplain. Life becomes very lonely for Alice in the ensuing years that she takes up gardening and soon has a thriving array of vegetables to keep them going through the harsh rationing.

By the time 1940 comes around, news arrives that the village is to take around fifty evacuees and Alice decides that she wants to take one of them on, much to the annoyance of her housekeeper and the nosey churchwardens (you don't know what you are getting with the likes of them from the cities). She ends up with a resentful surly 12 year old girl called Vera with a seemingly huge chip on her shoulder whose attitude borders on rude. Alice wants so much to give her a loving home but has no idea how to reach the sullen young girl. That is, until a stray German bomber empties the last of his load on the Vicarage's outbuildings and Alice finds a frightened Vera hiding under the table thinking she was going to die.

THE WIFE'S PROMISE is a beautiful heartbreaking tale of two women separated by seven decades who lived in the same house. It is compelling and engaging throughout as each story speaks of sacrifice, love and love. It did take me a while to get into the story but once I did I was fully invested in uncovering what happens next.

This is my second read by Kate Hewitt and I love this particular style in dual timeline, which is one of my favourite formats. I intend on diving right into the second book in this compelling quartet right away. I think though my favourite story was Alice's. I found Jane a little self-absorbed and Natalie a bratty teenager.

Overall, a pure delight to read. Perfect for fans of dual timelines.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads


PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.