REVIEW: The Mother's of Victory Street by Pam Howes

The Mothers of Victory Street (The Bryant Sisters #3) by Pam Howes

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-WW2

Read: 16th July 2021

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Published: 23rd July 2021

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

From Amazon charts bestseller Pam Howes comes a heartbreaking and uplifting historical novel about a young woman trying to snatch her chance at happiness amongst the ruins of World War Two.

1946, Liverpool. Bella Harrison cannot believe the devastating war that stole the lives of her father and sister is truly over at last. She wonders how they will ever rebuild Victory Street with the city in ruins, and half their neighbours gone. But for now, she and her childhood sweetheart Bobby are happy newlyweds, doting on Bella’s little son, her child with black American pilot, Earl Franklin Junior.

With the other members of Bella’s wartime singing trio, The Bryant Sisters, busy starting families of their own, Bella focuses on recording and writing songs with her husband. Everything seems to be falling into place until they get a surprising letter: Earl is moving to England and wants to see them.

Earl arrives and is delighted to see that his son is well and happy. He joins them as a singer and together, they start recording songs. But one night as Earl leaves the recording studio, a racist gang brutally attacks him and sets the place alight, leaving Bobby trapped inside. Meanwhile, Bella is at home, waiting to tell Bobby a devastating secret…

With peace in Liverpool at last, Bella had hoped for a brighter future. But as she faces her life being ripped apart once again, can she rediscover the strength that carried her through the war?

A totally unputdownable, heart-wrenching historical novel, packed with family secrets, perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Pam Howes' delightful third installment of THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET.

I have journeyed alongside the women in this wonderful historical fiction saga series from its beginning, having previously enjoyed "The Midwives of Lark Lane" by the same author. Whilst the first two take place during the war, THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET begins post-war on Christmas Eve 1946 and thus following into 1947 and 48. It takes on a slightly different dimension as the war has ended so therefore so has ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) of which the Bryant Sisters were a part, travelling all over Britain to perform for the troops during the dark days of WW2. So what does post-war life look like for the girls now?

The previous book finished as all three girls - Bella, Edie and Fran - married their sweethearts in a triple wedding to Bobby, Stevie and Frankie respectively. Fast forward to 1946 and the focus is now on babies and motherhood as they begin the arduous task of rebuilding their lives post-war.

Bella Harrison lives in the house her husband Bobby grew up in with their respective mothers (Mary and Fenella), Bella's sister (Molly) and Bella's young son Levi, a product of a brief liaison with Earl Franklin Junior, a black American GI who was also a musician that sometimes played with the Bryant Sisters. The story begins on Christmas Eve in 1946 which happens to be little Levi's 5th birthday and a birthday party is underway at their home where a handful of Levi's friends from school are attending. It promises to be a busy day what with a dinner that evening with close family and friends and the excitement of Christmas Day tomorrow. 

Bella and Bobby are still very much in love and adore Levi, Bobby having adopted him after their marriage, but Bella years for a baby with her childhood sweetheart and husband. However the war has its left scars on Bobby when he very nearly lost his life in a plane crash over London where he was seriously injured and his father was killed. The result was the possibility that he would never be able to father children and as heartbreaking that is for the couple, they are happy and content with their lives as they are. And then just as life is beginning to settle, Bella receives word that Earl has applied for immigration to the UK with his sister Ruby and daughter Dianna after his divorce. Bella and Bobby begin to fear what this means for their little family. Does Earl want to reclaim his son? 

Edie Collins is pregnant with her first child and her husband Stevie has just presented her with the keys to a new house in Victory Street, right across the road from Fran, and a new puppy they call Max after she was left devastated with the death of her previous dog Rebel. Their new neighbours keep themselves to themselves but Edie has noticed the sour looks the wife gives her, Fran and moreso Bella...though why, she has no idea. But one day Edie finds that she relies on the goodness of those neighbours to come to her rescue when she takes a tumble down the stairs, her leg twisted under her body as contractions begin. Dragging herself to the shoe rack Stevie had lovingly made for them, she grabs one of her heels and bangs on the wall between the two houses calling for help. When Rita Jepson hears the sound thinking they are still banging away on renovations, her husband Charlie hear a cry for help. Edie is rushed to hospital with Fran and Charlie following in the car whilst newly friended Rita stays behind to look after Fran's baby Lorraine. Edie's baby isn't due for another few weeks yet...has her fall in some way done any damage to the child they have been so looking forward to?

Fran's life hasn't quite turned out as she had envisioned it when she and Frankie tied the knot in the triple wedding with their friends. All the time he was away fighting in the war, Fran treasured every letter Frankie wrote her but only now did their words begin to take on a whole new meaning. The times he told her that she wouldn't need to work when they were married or have any need for stage clothes, that she will be at home keeping house, that it will be just them as they won't need anyone else. Only now after his moods lead to his griping to his sitting around to his spending the money down the pub to her waiting on him hand and foot to him not allowing her to join her friends as the Bryant Sisters to the black eye and thumping he gave her for talking back...only now does she see those words in a different light. Frankie had meant to control her, to keep her at home and to have her do as she was told. He had no intention of letting her have her independence. As his wife, she belonged to him to do his bidding. She had so loved Frankie but he can't even stand to watch her breastfeed their 4 month old daughter. Now when he isn't at work, he is at the pub with his docker mates and then home to make her life a living misery. Is this to be her life for all eternity?

When Earl Franklin Junior stepped off the Queen Mary at Liverpool docks with his sister Ruby and daughter Dianna, he just knew that this was the beginning of a whole new life for them all. Ruby was a trained theatre nurse and Earl himself would love nothing more than to fly planes for the RAF. After arriving they soon find a place to rent on Victory Street on the other side of the Jepsons to Edie so therefore Dianna could go to the school at which her half brother Levi attends. 

But when Fran sees Bella coming out of Earl's house one afternoon, both of them looking far too happy with themselves, and then again the following evening all smiles and kisses as they walked up the street together, she is livid that Bella would do this to Bobby who didn't deserve that sort of treatment. Fran, who had always carried a torch for Bobby, decided to find out if there was trouble in paradise because she sure wouldn't mind consoling Bobby in the aftermath as he licked his wounds. 

But that's the least of their worries when a gang jumps Earl as he leaves the new recording studio Bobby and Basil have set up and attack him whilst hurling racist remarks before he blacks out. And then flames are seen coming from the studio...with Bobby and Basil are still inside! Since having his lower leg amputated as a result of his war injury, Bobby is unable to use the stairs should the lift be out of order. Is Bella and Bobby's happily ever after about to come to a tragic end?

With so much going on, THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET (despite Bella and Bobby living on the more affluent Prince Albert Road) is a such a delightful read and fantastic addition to an already wonderful series. There is love, romance, tragedy, heartbreak and all the usual things that come with a saga such as this. But then that is what we love about them. With THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET taking place post-war and everything therein, I found it to possibly be the best of the three books thus far.

Love is in the air for many of Bella and Bobby's extended family in this installment, which does kind of round things off a little. Whilst book 2 saw Bella's sister Molly endure a horrific ordeal, THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET sees her overcoming the consequences and finding happiness at long last.

One thing I want to say is that the line in the premise "meanwhile Bella is at home waiting to tell Bobby a devastating secret" is misleading. I waited all book for this devastating blow...and it never came.

There is a lot going on within the pages despite it being a quick read, and it is rounded off perfectly at the end in such a way that it could spell the end of the series. I certainly hope not as I for one would love see what's next for the Bryant Sisters!

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Pam Howes is an ex Interior Designer who loves creating stories, but only started writing seriously about twelve years ago. The idea for her first novel, set in the sixties, came from her time as a teenager, working in a local record store and hanging round with the musicians who frequented the business.

That first novel evolved into a series set in the fictional town of Pickford, based on her home town of Stockport. Three Steps to Heaven; 'Til I Kissed You; Always On My Mind; Not Fade Away, and That'll Be The Day, follow the lives and loves through the decades of fictional Rock'n'Roll band The Raiders.

Pam signed a second contract with the award winning publisher Bookouture with the first novel in her Lark Lane series, The Factory Girls of Lark Lane, published in July 2018. Her first series for Bookouture - The Mersey Trilogy featuring The Liverpool Girls, The Forgotten Family of Liverpool and The Lost Daughter of Liverpool - is also available in E book, paperback and as audio books.

Pam is a big fan of sixties music and it's this love and the support and encouragement of her musician partner that compelled her to write the series. Pam has three adult daughters and seven grandchildren. She lives in Cheshire and as well as writing novels, writes short stories, which have appeared in charity anthologies and online e-zines, and poems, many of which are published.

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REVIEW: Out of the Bower by A.E. Walnofer

Out of the Bower (A Durbin Family Novel) by A.E. Walnofer

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance

Read: 14th July 2021

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Published: 25th December 2020

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

London, 1817: When Barclay Durbin, a young street preacher, encounters Honora Goodwin, injured on a London street, he doesn’t know she has just escaped from Titania’s Bower, a brothel. Taking her to his ancestral home to recover amongst his family, he falls in love with the vivacious girl and comes to believe that she is divinely appointed to become his wife.

Honora begins to feel similarly and knows that the good-hearted gentleman’s attentions would likely ensure her future happiness, but she is intent on liberating Celia Woodlow – the friend she was forced to leave behind at the Bower. Telling Barclay only parts of her own story, Honora enlists the besotted young man to help her.

When their plan goes awry, Honora realizes that only the truth can deliver them from the emotional and societal maelstrom in which they find themselves. But if she divulges all, what will become of Honora and Barclay’s budding attachment? And will Celia ever gain her freedom?

Out of the Bower tells the tale of a forbidden romance, an ardent friendship, and the ever-essential redemption of self.

MY REVIEW:

OUT OF THE BOWER is my first exposure to author Aimee Walnofer so I wasn't sure what to expect upon reading it. I thought maybe some delightful regency romance that was an easy read...I certainly didn't expect to discover exactly what the bower is in this book! But I wasn't put off by any means as the heartbreaking story that was at play drew me in and I found I could not put the novel down.

As is the case with most books set during this time period is the importance of class distinction. Someone of a lowly station in life from that of a maid or a governess cannot form an attachment or marry anyone of a higher status should they be ostracised and judged accordingly. The lower classes have this fact drummed into them all their lives just as the middle to higher classes look down their noses at anyone below their own status. And whilst Honora in this story was brought up with distinction and knew how to speak properly, she would always remain a servant in the eyes of the upper classes. Until she met Barclay...

The story begins with Barclay Durbin, a man of God called to minister to the disadvantaged, calling out to the crowds outside Covent Garden about God's goodness and love. He is shocked to see the garish faces of two doxies (aka harlots) plying their trade in broad daylight and yet aren't these the very people God has called him to minister to? But poor Barclay is unprepared for their forthright manner as they lean suggestively towards him, baring the pale bulk of their bosom spilling atop their bodices. He had meant to lead them to the truth but they were intent on leading him into temptation. Muttering a stuttered goodbye, Barclay bid them farewell and returned the way he'd come. While his heart is for the calling-out to the people, his family have been urging him to take up the position of curate in his uncle's nearby parish...but Barclay couldn't think of anything more dreary. Is there a reason he has been lead to London town and not yet taken up the curacy?

When Honora knocked on the door of Tatiana's Bower, she had come with the express desire to work in the kitchen of this reputed coffee house. In her last position where she was being trained up as a governess, Honora had gained many a skill working alongside Polly in the depths of the kitchens at Stagsway House. With such skills, Honora felt she would find herself a job in no time. Little did she know that Tatiana's Bower was not what it at first appeared. Her new employer Mrs Dovey took her under her wing and presented her to the sullen Sally in the kitchen where Honora proceeded to put her skills to good use by baking the most delicious cakes.

Shown upstairs to a bedroom she was to share with two other girls - Celia and Molly - Honora was still none the wiser to the goings on of the house. Celia, who uttered barely a word since her own tainting, knew exactly what Dovey had in store for her and pondered whether she should warn her or not. Believing she had time to prepare what to tell her, Celia said nothing. But when she entered the room they shared on Honora's second day to find her dressing in an exquisite blue dress, Celia knew what was in store for the poor girl that evening. She did her best to make her appear unsightly to the gentlemen that would be gathered downstairs in the Mingling Room in the hope that she might escape their attentions. Dovey was angered by her attempts and decided to take over Honora's dressing the following evening, of which Celia had no knowledge what with Dovey having given her the evening off. Leading Honora to a smaller room with food and drink already laid, Dovey gave her a goblet of wine in which she had instilled a drug to ensure her acquiescence. When Celia found her sprawled face down in their room later that evening, she feared that the lovely Honora had endured her tainting.

Honora cried on Celia's shoulder and when she came face to face with Dovey two days later, her anger became too much and she slapped the bawdy madam with such a force that she nearly knocked her teeth out. Shocked at her own outburst, Honora fled the bower before Dovey could punish her but before she got too far her foot fell into a pothole and she twisted her ankle with such an agony. Fearing that Dovey may be hot on her heels, Honora drew herself up with as much force as possible and limped her way to a crowd who did nothing to help but rather just gawped at her.

Until the arms of the preacher man she'd seen in the streets took ahold of her and carried her to his gig, where he sat her to inspect her ankle. He thought to take her to a doctor right away and as she wasn't forthcoming with where to take her, he suggested his own family doctor. He warned her that it was about an hour's journey from London to which Honora shrank with relief and nodded. Where did this woman come from and from what was she running?

After the doctor's diagnosis of a sprain, Barclay took her to his family home to Singer Hall where she was to recuperate for the rest of the week. Honora was too tired to argue but she didn't want to take further advantage of this kind man's good nature and intended on leaving as soon as she could. However, fate had something else in store and as friends of the family descended, Honora found herself the object of fascination with them and decided to play a little game with one of the snobbish girls in attendance. After all, she'd had plenty of practice growing up with Lady Eliza.

Over the course of the week, Honora noticed Barclay appeared to be growing fond of her and she knew that an attachment with her could not be possible. Not least because of her different class but also where she had run from. Which brought her thoughts back to Celia. Sweet Celia who was so entrapped at the bower with nowhere to go. She had promised they would flee together and here she was miles away in safety while Celia was still enmeshed in Dovey's snare. She had to go back for her. But how? And what would she tell Barclay?

OUT OF THE BOWER is an extremely engaging novel that highlights the dilemmas of the time - social class, entrapment, poverty, despair, hope. The circumstances these women find themselves in, duped into a life of ill repute and prostitution while there is no salaciousness in the storytelling, it does make for uncomfortable reading when you think of the plight these young women face. And yet, there is hope.

A touch of Austen-esque and for lovers of regency romance, OUT OF THE BOWER is a tale of a different kind that is not an entirely easy read to begin with. But where there is despair there is also hope...and it comes from an unlikely source. While this is a tale set some 200 years past, the practice is still very real today in human trafficking with young people sold into a life of prostitution as payment for their escape from one prison for another.

Although much of the novel takes place in a brothel, it is not graphic in nature with just enough description to give the reader something of a picture without the salaciousness and graphic detail. It is not that kind of novel. It is, however, headlined as "A Durbin Family Novel" hinting at the promise that there may be more to come. I certainly hope so as I would love to continue the story of Honora, Barclay and Celia.

Recommended for fans of regency romance historical fiction.

I would like to thank #AEWalnofer, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #SelfPublished for an ARC of #OutOfTheBower in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

A.E. Walnofer (Aimee) was born in the United States and writes period dramas set in the 17th to 18th centuries. Her novels place characters in typical everyday settings and lead them on dramatic, romantic tales. She loves history and the fascination that throughout time people have always been people. She focuses on their strengths through frailities and heartbreaks to triumphs. And while her books take place in the Regency period, she knew very little about it. But it was made famous by Jane Austen who devoted herself to sitting in her parlour scribbling out imaginative tales upon reams and reams of paper. These days, we have computers.

Aimee spends weekdays mobilizing the soft tissue and synovial joints of patients, and weekends typing out stories that are incessantly brewing inside her head. There are lots of these tales and she hopes to share many more of them with you in the future.

Aimee is married to hubby Jeff with two grown children. She loves nature and hiking and to immerse herself in well-written stories. She also states that a day is not truly complete unless she eats at least a square of dark chocolate to help remind her just how good life is.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

A little about the Regency period

The Regency Period was when King George III was regarded as incapable of ruling the kingdom due to illness so his son acted as Prince Regent to rule in his place. The literal Regency Era lasted less than a decade, so it is virtually a blip on the screen in English history. However, Jane Austen put it on the map because that’s when her novels were published.

Giveaway to Win 3 x E-copies of Out of the Bower by A. E. Walnofer (Open INT)

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REVIEW: A Light in the Window by Marion Kummerow

A Light in the Window by Marion Kummerow

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Germany

Read: 13th July 2021

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Published: 20th July 2021

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Margarete stumbles out of the bombed-out house, the dust settling around her like snow. Mistaking her for the dead officer’s daughter, a guard rushes over to gently ask her if she is all right and whether there’s anything he can do to help her. She glances down at where the hated yellow star had once been, and with barely a pause, she replies “Yes”.

Berlin, 1941: Margarete Rosenbaum is working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer when his house is bombed, leaving her the only survivor. But when she’s mistaken for his daughter in the aftermath of the blast, Margarete knows she can make a bid for freedom…

Issued with temporary papers—and with the freedom of not being seen as Jewish—a few hours are all she needs to escape to relative safety. That is, until her former employer’s son, SS officer Wilhelm Huber, tracks her down.

But strangely he doesn’t reveal her true identity right away. Instead he insists she comes and lives with him in Paris, and seems determined to keep her hidden. His only condition: she must continue to pretend to be his sister. Because whoever would suspect a Nazi girl of secretly being a Jew?

His plan seems impossible, and Margarete is terrified they might be found out, not to mention worried about what Wilhelm might want in return. But as the Nazis start rounding up Jews in Paris and the Résistance steps up its activities, putting everyone who opposes the regime in peril, she realizes staying hidden in plain sight may be her only chance of survival…

Can Margarete trust a Nazi officer with the only things she has left though… her safety, her life, even her heart?

A totally heartbreaking and unputdownable story about how far someone would go to save one life, that fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See will adore.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Marion Kummerow's heartbreaking A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW.

I fell in love with Marion Kummerow's writing style with "Not Without My Sister". While her stories are set within a much written about time period, the concepts with which she portrays them are so unique and wholly original. They are not your usual run-of-the-mill tales re-telling the plight of the Jews. The premise of A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW was certainly an intriguing one that promised a fascinating tale to be told.

Berlin, 1941: The story opens with a bang - quite literally - an air raid on the city sees the Hubers scrambling to the safety of their cellar. An officer of high standing within the SS, Huber and his wife along with their daughter Annegret push their maid aside in an attempt to save themselves without sparing a thought for her. And why would they? She was nothing but a dirty Jew, employed as a housemaid to undertake their every whim and every chore...ableit unpaid. Her life meant nothing to the superior greatness of the German people. 

But as the bombers disappear and the dust slowly settles, Margerete is the only one left standing in the rubble. As she crawls through the debris seeing the family she had slaved for laying dead, she wonders how she is to survive in a city where Jews are spit upon or worse, sent sent to death camps. As she passes by the lifeless form of Annegret, an idea begins to form. Before she can change her mind, she swaps identity papers with the dead girl and drapes her in her coat bearing the yellow star that identifies her as Jewish. And she becomes Annegret Huber in order to protect herself from the harsh atrocities of war and to stay alive. She steals away to Leipzig to her only surviving relative, Aunt Heidi, who is an Aryan but had married a Jew and gets herself a job at the university library.

Meanwhile in Paris, Wilhelm Huber is a low ranking SS officer who is enjoying the easy life in the French capital with throngs of beautiful women and delicious food when he is suddenly recalled to Berlin to attend the funeral of his parents. His elder brother Reiner is a high ranking officer in the SS who is faithful to the Furher and his cause. Although he has yet to produce a male heir, his two daughters are named Adolphina and Germania in honour to his faithfulness to Hitler. Whilst staying with Reiner's family, Wilhelm's eyes are opened to his brother's complete disrespect for women, including that of his own wife. But Reiner simply states that she just knows her duty is to serve her husband in every way and be a good German wife. That, however, doesn't stop him from bedding any other woman he may get his hands on...including raping his parents' Jewish servant girl.

Upon learning that Annegret has disappeared since the bombing that claimed their parents and their servant girl Margerete, word has reached Reiner that Annegret has been seen in Leipzig. Wilhelm decides to make the journey to see for himself but what he discovers is nothing what he expected. Instead of his sister he finds Margerete has been passing herself off as Annegret and is immediately angered. But before he can turn her in, circumstances take a different turn and Margerete flees the city for an unoccupied part of France whilst Wilhelm returns to Paris without his sister or revealing the subterfuge.

In Paris, Margerete awaits the connecting train that will take her to her destination when she comes face to face with Wilhelm once again. Instead of revealing her true identity, he introduces her to his friends as his sister Annegret citing that she has come to join him for Christmas. Margerete has no idea if Wilhelm will report her to the Gestapo and yet she knows that if he does he faces charges of treason himself for maintaining the deception. Instead, he has a proposition for her. She is to continue to live as his sister so that he can marry her off and gain control of her inheritance. All they have to do is to continue to hide her from his brother Reiner who will spare neither of them should he learn the truth.

As Margerete becomes Annegret, she battles daily with her conscience and her own identity feeling as in doing so she is betraying her people. But Margerete is fighting for her life and before long she finds that isn't the only battle she is up against. Over the weeks they have lived together, Wilhelm has shown her a kindness and respect she does not associate with Nazis. But how is she to survive trusting this man, a Nazi, with the only things she has left? Her safety, her life and even her heart? And instead of the freedom for which she longs, Margerete finds herself trapped with an impossible moral dilemma of love, life and death. 

"Was one person's life worth more than another one's? And who got to decide which person was allowed to live?"

A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW is a heartwrenching tale of survival that is a compelling read you won't want to put down. It draws you in and has you questioning the moral dilemma of whether one human life is worth more than another. The despicable views of the Nazis concerning Jews and even the French people has you shaking your head with disbelief. The German people actually believed the brainwashing propaganda of the Nazis concerning their superiority and the unworthiness of the "filthy Jews". There were times when Wilhelm shook his head in disbelief when he was actually puzzled as to why the French did not welcome them with open arms. He actually believed the propaganda Hitler spouted.

This is a story of strength, courage and survival. A story of determination against all odds. A story that highlights the prejudices and bigotry whilst reminding us that there is hope. But it is also a love story...

A tale that is heartbreaking as well as intriguing, A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW is ultimately Margerete's story and her plight to survive the war. Does Margerete get her happy ending?

An emotional read from beginning to end. Recommended for historical fiction fans.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.

Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.

Social Media links:

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

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REVIEW: One Left Behind by Carla Kovach

One Left Behind (DI Gina Harte #9) by Carla Kovach

Genre: Crime thriller, Crime fiction, Police procedural

Read: 12th July 2021

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Published: 15th July 2021

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Music and loud voices echo through the woods surrounding her. Wiping her tears, she hears the rustle of leaves close by. Footsteps. She has no time to scream before a hand covers her mouth and her entire world goes black.

In a patch of forest on the outskirts of a small town, five teenage school friends prepare to spend a night away from home. Carrying their tents and sleeping bags, they laugh and joke as they make their way into the darkest part of the woods, away from prying eyes. But as the sun rises the following morning, only four are left alive.

Devastated, Leah’s friends all swear they didn’t see or hear anything. Her best friend sobs as she recounts what she remembers from that night – dancing, roasting marshmallows, sipping warm cans of beer by the fire – but is it grief, or is she hiding something? What happened to Naomi in the hour that no one can account for? And what troubled past lies behind the perfect manners of the boy who organised the trip, and who is prepared to lie to keep it buried?

As the cracks in their stories grow, it’s clear one of them is lying, and one of them is next…

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Cara Hunter and Clare Mackintosh, One Left Behind is a thrilling crime novel that will have you hooked from the very first page!

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Carla Kovach's latest Gina Harte thriller ONE LEFT BEHIND.

Still haven't read the first two books in this series but I've been an avid fan of Gina Harte since "Her Pretty Bones" as I have watched her character develop as well as her relationship with her DCI, Chris Briggs. In the previous book, my reviewed stated that it was about time Gina got her act together and either settled with Briggs or not...as well as the constant bringing up of her past with and the death of her husband Terry. This time I've had to eat my words because both topics feature heavily in this exciting installment almost coming to a head.

A very difficult crime is at the forefront of this book and DI Gina Harte has been called to oversee. Five teenagers snuck out in the dead of night to camp out and party in the woods. Five went in but only four came out. 

Naomi Carpenter wakes feeling groggy and unwell and takes herself off to answer the call of nature. She hears a twig snapping. One of the boys, Jordan or Oscar, probably spying on her. She yells that it's not funny. She hears another snap. Suddenly frightened she hurries to get back to camp, tripping over something on the way. Somebody's legs. It's Leah. What is she doing sleeping here? She was pretty wasted...maybe she crashed. But then she sees Leah's eyes, open and staring...and she screams.

Gina and her team have the task of investigating what happened in those woods but it isn't long before she gets the feeling that the teens are not telling her everything. They are admittedly shaken and admit to booze and drink and a little weed...but what else happened to make them clam up? What really happened in the woods that night?

Then the team discover two other teenagers who were invited to the party but didn't attend. Caro Blakely and Anthony Truss had been at a previous party that was held in the same woods two weeks before. So why weren't they at this one? What had happened to keep them away this time?

Desperate to remember what really happened at the last party, Caro keeps a notebook detailing the snippets of information that has come back to her. But who can she talk to about what happened? Not Oscar. She thought he liked her but she caught him having sex with Leah...or was it Elsa? Jordan's an idiot and Naomi it a bit of a bitch. Anthony? Yes, Anthony has always had her back. She needs to speak to him because someone is sending threatening messages via Snapchat, disappearing into oblivion after she's read them. They tell her to keep her mouth shut or she's next.

Meanwhile, Gina has had some threatening messages of her own. Someone, it seems, knows her secret. Someone apart from Chris. And he's been getting threatening messages as well. And to top it off, her daughter Hannah has sent her a strange text which leaves her worried. What does Hannah know? Is Gina's deepest secret about to be revealed? Is she about to lose everything she has worked for?

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, Gina focuses on uncovering the truth behind the party in the woods and Leah's death. But before she can make much headway, another teen is discovered dead. Who is killing these kids? And why?

Then the team discover that a man with a prior conviction for voyeurism lives close by bordering the woods and he quickly becomes a suspect. Has his interest gone beyond looking to murder? Once his secret is out and published all over social media, a hate campaign begins outside his house in which his disabled wife is imprisoned and the recipient of all the hate. This aspect of the story is a sensitive one as the mystery broadens and delves into abuse, dependence and control. It makes for uncomfortable reading at times and it's a situation with which Gina sympathises greatly.

ONE LEFT BEHIND is a taut and tense crime thriller that is multi-layered with a lot going on both within and behind the scenes. It almost feels like a penultimate climax concerning Gina's past and leaves readers wondering is this the end of the road? The identity of who is making the threats is not surprising though I am surprised I didn't think of it at the time. But it does leave us pondering is time running out for Gina and her secret?

An intriguing and tense thriller, ONE LEFT BEHIND is a thrilling addition to the Gina Harte series and at last I enjoyed the relationship between her and Briggs, instead of being annoyed with her to-ing and fro-ing over it all. At last they were on the same side and frequency. I admit to shedding a tear at the end in her conversation with Hannah as Gina realises she can no longer hide the truth from her daughter.

Can be read as a standalone but due to the underlying theme, it is best read from the beginning.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach was born in Birmingham, UK and now resides in Redditch, Worcestershire. She started writing more seriously ten years ago after having flirted with musical theatre and occasional writing in her youth.

Since then she has written & produced several stage plays, has four self-published books, has acted in several independent films and is currently in the final stages of production of her feature horror film, Penny for the Guy.

She now writes full time as well as co-owning a film, photography & video production company located in the heart of Redditch town centre. 

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REVIEW: Her Sister's Secret by S.E. Lynes

Her Sister's Secret by S.E. Lynes

(previously titled: "The One to Blame")

Genre: Psychological thriller, Psychological drama, Suspense

Read: 10th July 2021

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Published: 13th July 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Why would you pretend your life is a dream when you’re living a nightmare?

Annie and Dom lead perfect lives in a lovely cottage in a quiet village by the sea, with flowers at the front gate and an apple tree in the garden. Everyone knows them: generous, loving Dom, creative, joyful Annie.

But their neighbours don’t see Annie as she sits waiting for Dom well into the night. They don’t see her smiling through her tears. They don’t know what the perfect couple are hiding.

They just hear the sirens that break the silence of the night and see the flames that rise against the dark sky.

And the morning after, what everyone wants to know is – which one was to blame?

A brilliantly twisty tale of family secrets and the darkness that can lie behind closed doors, Her Sister's Secret will keep you turning the pages till the final devastating revelation. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Louise Candlish will love it.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for S.E. Lynes' latest thriller HER SISTER'S SECRET (previously titled "The One to Blame").

In the past, I have found Susie Lynes to be hit or miss as her books are more of a slow burn of which I am not generally a huge fan. But...I have to say, that slow burning tension that her thrillers have simmering throughout just explodes in such a way that only she can excel at. Her books are some I never thought I would enjoy but Susie has mastered the slow burn in such a way that she keeps you enthralled throughout. And HER SISTER'S SECRET is proof that she just gets better and better.

Isla and Annie Andrews are two sisters that couldn't be more different. Growing up in the Scottish highlands in Inverary by strict and conservative parents, Isla is sensible, practical and prudent whilst Annie is wild, untamed and carefree. For many years Isla looked up to her older sister until she became the seemingly elder of the two. At 10 years old, she was wise beyond her years when 15 year old Annie woke her in tears one night to tell her she was pregnant. Instead of "fixing her problem", their parents set Annie up in a flat above their gift shop where she was to live with her newborn son Callum necessitating the fact that she must face her responsibilities and that with every decision there are consequences with which one must live. And there she and Callum lived happily for the first 11 years of his life.

And then she met Dom.

Isla had been away at uni and had returned home to scale the mountains the two sisters had always promised themselves they would but so far hadn't. Callum was with his granny and granddad, who doted on him, whilst the sisters were away for the weekend. Annie was charmed almost at once by Dominic who was on a boys weekend away with his two friends, doctor Gavin and barrister Tom. They talked long into the night and continued to correspond by phone and letter despite the long distance between them. Isla, the more sensible of the two, tried warning her sister to be careful but Annie was swept away by his charm and feelings she had never felt before. 

Two years later they married and Dom whisked Annie and Callum away to their new home in Dorset.

Eleven years later, Isla returns from a night out to her flat in London and the ringing of the telephone, despite it being gone 1am. Wondering who could be calling at such an hour, she almost slurs her greeting but is immediately sobered by the frantic voice on the other end of the line. It's Callum. Her sister Annie and husband Dominic have been killed in a fire. No...not Annie. Almost immediately, Isla makes the journey to Dorset to support her nephew Cal, now her only living relative. But upon arrival she finds the place swarming with police and a wealth of unanswered questions.

Consumed with grief, Isla must now face the fact that not only is her beloved sister dead but that she had kept many secrets about her life from her. But why? She was her sister. She would have listened to her, been there for her. Why did Annie not confide in her what life with Dom was truly like? And then to make matters worse, Cal is arrested and charged with Annie's murder. Not Dom's...his mother's. But that is ludicrous. Cal and Annie were close. There is no way on earth he would harm his mother. Ever.

Over the next four months from the time of Annie's death to the trial in which Cal stands for her murder, Isla tries to make sense of what really happened that night and events leading up to it. She befriends Annie's best friend Daisy and close friend Jan whilst systematically uncovering the truth about Dom, his appalling treatment of Annie and their tempestuous marriage. The man who had charmed his way into her sister's life, who had seemingly doted on her, who had swept away to the other end of the country...had left her to look after his business and keep house while he did...what, exactly? Isla felt an inordinate amount of guilt for not keeping in regular touch with her sister and had she done so, feels she may have seen what was really happening and rescued her. She could have saved her. And Annie might still be alive today.

But Annie saw Dom as her way out of Inverary. And that despite her unhappiness, she'd made her bed and now she must lie in it...as her sister's voice echoed in her head - "Och, wheesht and get oan wae it!"

In the midst of all the secrets and lies, will Isla be able to uncover the truth before it's too late? And when she does, what will the future hold for her? Or for Cal, even?

What a fantastic read HER SISTER'S SECRET is! It's edge of your seat thrills and slow burn suspense that is palpable throughout right up to the courtroom drama that drips tension from start to finish. The grief, the secrets, the lies - every moment grips you as slowly the mystery is stripped away. 

The portrayal of the tempestuous marriage between Annie and Dom is expertly carved - from the moment the charismatic bully masquerading as a romantic free spirit seduces the younger woman trapped in a small community in the highlands to the horrific aftermath of what essentially was an abusive situation. The flattery, the charm, the compliments that were really put downs, the manipulation and gas-lighting...Annie merely swapped one prison for another. Dom was pretty much a man-child who was spoilt and wanted to have his cake and eat it too. And if he didn't, he would behave like a spoilt child, over indulged by his parents and believing it was his right to get exactly what he wants when he wants. My heart broke for Annie but at the same time you could see her strength shine through even when Dom was at his cruelest. And when her art studio that Dom had once built especially for her burnt to the ground in a mass of turps, white spirit and candles...Isla found herself questioning which one of them was to blame.

HER SISTER'S SECRET is an enjoyable read filled with suspense and a palpable tension. And then there is the twist. But I wasn't to be hoodwinked or surprised by it because I had worked it out long before it was revealed. Little clues I had picked up that Susie had peppered throughout remained at the forefront of my mind that I had already guessed the twist that was to come...but it didn't spoil it for me. I love trying to work it out and even more so when I am proved correct. Three little (big) clues...can you spot them?

Cleverly told by Isla in the present with flashbacks from both Annie and Isla, HER SISTER'S SECRET is tense, compelling and brilliantly structured that will keep you guessing until the end. Susie has a way of creating intense characters, some of whom you will love to hate....and stories that will linger long after you have finished.

I definitely recommend this intriguing thriller which is perfect for fans of well constructed slow burns that continue to simmer beneath the surface throughout.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

After graduating from Leeds University, Susie Lynes lived in London before moving to Aberdeen to be with her husband. In Aberdeen, she worked as a Radio Producer at the BBC before moving with her husband and two young children to Rome, where she lived for five years (that sounds amazing). There, she began to write while her children attended nursery. After the birth of her third child and upon her return to the UK, she gained an MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University. She combines writing with teaching at Richmond Adult Community College and bringing up her three children in Teddington, Middlesex.  She is the author of critically acclaimed psychological thriller, VALENTINA, published by Blackbird books. MOTHER, her follow up, was published by Bookouture in November 2017 then THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER? and HER SISTER'S SECRET out 13th July.

Formerly a BBC producer, she turned to novel writing after the birth of her third child.

After her MA in Creative Writing, she became a Creative Writing Tutor at Richmond Adult Community College and now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing. She has also published three children's books in Italy.

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REVIEW: Wartime Blues for the Harpers Girls by Rosie Clarke

Wartime Blues for the Harpers Girls (Harpers Emporium #5) by Rosie Clarke

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Read: 8th July 2021

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Published: 6th July 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

LONDON 1917

As the Americans enter the War, there is renewed energy in the war effort.  

With husbands and sons fighting for freedom, the women of Harpers are left to tackle the day-to-day affairs at home and work.

With Ben Harper away, Sally fears she is being followed by a mysterious woman. Who is she and what does she want?

Maggie Gibbs collapses seriously ill in the frontline hospitals and is brought back to England close to death. Can she be saved and what does the future hold for her and her broken heart? 

Marion Jackson’s father is on the run from the Police already wanted for murder. She fears he will return to threaten his family once more.

And Beth Burrows is pregnant with her second child, worried and anxious for her husband Jack, who has been many months at sea.

As Christmas 1917 approaches what will the future hold for Harpers, its girls and their men at War?

MY REVIEW:

I have still yet to read the very first book in this series and possibly go back and re-read the second, which I didn't really enjoy all that much, because from the third book onwards I have found myself invested in the lives of the Harpers girls and all of that therein. I read "Harpers Heroes" back to back with this one WARTIME BLUES FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS and I think that this is possibly the best yet in the series.

Whilst "Love and Marriage" saw the girls amidst the suffragette movement, "Rainy Days" marked the beginning of the war and "Heroes" took us into 1915 and the throes of war, WARTIME BLUES FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS takes us into 1917 and the third year of WW1 with finally an end in sight. I'm guessing the next book will see the end of the war and the onset of the deadly Spanish flu.

Throughout the series we have watched the girls grow and become women, most of them marrying and some even having children. What began as four unmarried women - Beth, Sally, Maggie and Rachel - joining Harpers in the beginning has now become an even bigger assemblage fondly referred to as the "Harpers family". There have been good times and bad times, laughter and tears as the journey with Harpers continues.

It's 1917 and the Great War continues to claim more lives as the results of the loss of loved ones as well as the continual shortages are felt at home. Harpers has felt the sting of shortages as none of their suppliers are able to access the materials they had been before the onset of war, therefore the quality of products are suffering and Sally Harper tries her best to source newer and more interesting items to ensure the shelves of Harpers remains sufficiently stocked. Meanwhile, her husband Ben continues his secret work for the War Office, often leaving his wife and now four year old daughter Jenny for weeks at a time. Sally knows Ben, as an American, is doing his bit for the war effort and the country he now calls his own. On top of all this, Sally is being followed by a mysterious woman. Who is she and what does she want? Whilst continuing to balance work and home lives respectively, Sally falls ill and Ben fears he may lose her.

Since the birth of her first child, little Jack, Beth gave up her job at Harpers and is now expecting her second. Her husband Jack is still away for months at a time with the Merchant Navy, sometimes with little to no word. She frequents Harpers to make purchases and see her friends or just to enjoy tea and a chat with Sally in her office. Beth doesn't play as big a part in this book as she has in the past but she is still there in the background.

Working as a VAD nurse in a Field Hospital close to the frontline, Maggie has devoted her life to treating wounded soldiers and making comfortable those on the brink of death...particularly after the death of her fiance Tim. Her former colleague Sadie had left the service when she fell pregnant and is now living with a French family in the village where they would often vist. But after years of devotion to the treatment of soldiers, Maggie herself falls ill with a fever and delirium. As soon as she has stabilised enough, she is sent on a ship back home where she is to be treated in a hospital in Wiltshire. It seems after caring for so many soldiers she had picked up a fever they often carried from the trenches and she was thus lucky to be alive. After several weeks in the hospital she is sent to the countryside in Devon to convalesce where she meets the belligerent and irritable Captain Colin Morgan, who seems to have taken exception to Maggie for her having acquired the mostly unused annexe for her room in a house full of men that the Captain had seen as his own. Knowing he is lashing out due to his own situation, Maggie has seen many like him and treats him accordingly as she would have any other soldier under her care. And the two form an unlikely friendship.

Rachel continues to work as supervisor at Harpers while her personal life seems to be falling apart. Having married William Bailey and living in the beautiful flat he had decorated for her, she now finds herself mostly alone with William often working away. When he us home it feels as if he is absent or at the club with his friends and Rachel begins to wonder if he has regrets about marrying her. But nothing will prepare her for the news that is to come and sees William sent away where she will be unable to see him or even write to him. Until one day, she comes across a little girl sitting hunched over on the ground in tears, her mother having just died and her grandmother throwing her out. Little did she know that little Lizzie would change Rachel's life in more ways than one.

Newly married Marion Jackson was enjoying married life to husband Reggie who was now being sent to the front whilst she remained at home caring for her younger siblings alongside her sister-in-law Sarah. She continued to work in the hat department at Harpers as well as helping out as a window dresser in the absence of Mr Marco. Life at last was good for Marion and her family until an unexpected visitor darkened their door one evening, changing everything. Her father who was on the run after beating her mother to death had returned to claim his place in what he thought of as his house with the wife he claimed had cheated on him. Although she had died due to the last beating he gave her, her father took one look at Marion and as she resembled her mother, saw her as his wife and thus flung all his anger at her with threats of more violence until help stepped in. Believing they were safe, Marion knew her father would continue to return until the police caught up with him. And then in the midst of all her woes, came an unexpected surprise which would bring happiness to their lives once more.

Then Marco's time in France came to an end with him being recalled to Britain, his cover having been compromised. But upon his return, he brought with him a little surprise of his own - a wife and child - when Marco's persuasion had secretly been known throughout the Harpers family leaving everyone somewhat puzzled. So who were they and why had he brought them back?

As with all the Harpers books, there are several stories running throughout entwined together with each of the characters. But there was just something about this installment that I found far more engaging. The Harpers family give a real sense of community with the love and friendship they share with one another that continues over the course of each book. But like with most sagas, with each one comes ups and downs, love and loss, heartache and tragedy as new generations begin.

I thoroughly enjoyed WARTIME BLUES FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS and look forward to what comes next for each of the women and their loved ones.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction sagas and wartime fiction.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosie Clarke has been writing for several years and has written under various names for a variety of publishers.  She lives in Cambridgeshire, is happily married and enjoys life with her husband.  She likes to walk in the Spanish sunshine and eating out at favourite restaurants in Marbella is a favourite pastime, but writing is her passion.

Rosie loves shoes, especially those impossibly high heels you can buy and has a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos but can't wear them so they sit on the mantlepiece.

Rosie also writes under the name of Anne Herries and Linda Sole.

 

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