Monthly Round Up: July 2018

This month's reads from the TBR pile have been:

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh

The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot

How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt

This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay

Oh Crumbs by Kathryn Freeman

Do No Harm by L V Hay

The Cheesemaker's House by Jane Cable

Friend of the Family by Tasmina Perry

#BlogTour The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot @rararesources

The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot

Published: 31st May 2018 (paperback)

Publisher: HarperImpulse

416 pages

Book Description:

With an exciting new life in Paris, Clemmie Hamilton isn't looking forward to heading home to the picturesque but sleepy village of St Aidan, Cornwall. However, when she discovers that the cosy apartment by the sea, which her grandmother left to her, is under threat from neighbour and property developer, Charlie Hobson, Clemmie realises she can't abandon her home in its time of need.

With her childhood friends encouraging her, Clemmie decides to turn the apartment into 'The Little Cornish Kitchen' – a boutique pop up pudding club raising money for the repairs to the building in an effort to stop Charlie once and for all. But when Charlie and his easy charm won't seem to go away, everything soon becomes even messier than the state of Clemmie's Cornish kitchen…

My Review:

If ever I wanted to swap places with a character it would be with Clemmie Hamilton.  She lives an independent life, with basic essentials in her backpack and moving on to the next opportunity to earn a bit of money wherever it may take her.  At the beginning of this tale she is live-in support for a lady in Paris who has her quirks but is essentially quite easy to work for.  Clemmie loves her Parisian life of few responsibilities, spending her days in coffee shops and boutiques in the shadow of the Eiffel tower.  She gets a call home to Cornwall where she finds out her grandmother has left her an apartment overlooking the sea in a small town she has been avoiding for years.  Her reaction seems at first to be total ingratitude; she doesn't want to move back to St Aidan and give up her independent life in Paris.  Then as the story unfolds we find out that it's more a case of her unwillingness to face up to her family history and the painful home truths she needs to come to terms with which are stopping her from coming back.

Clemmie has the most amazing group of friends who each have fun nicknames for each other which have stuck since their childhoods.  Between them they persuade Clemmie that things aren't impossible and perhaps she should give St Aidan another chance. Circumstances mean that Clemmie has little choice in the matter in the short term and sets about keeping her finances afloat at least for the time being. Always keeping her options open for a return to Europe, Clemmie doesn't look to the future much but the more time she spends in the apartment and the company of her next door neighbour and his menagerie the more attached she becomes to her surroundings as memories start to creep in of spending time there with her grandmother many years ago.

 I really enjoyed the array of characters in this book; Clemmie's friends are fabulous and her neighbours in the town all seem to have a few personal issues under the surface which they have managed to keep under wraps despite living in such a tight knit community.  There's a fantastic singles community in the town who are all out for some fun - luckily for Clemmie and her friends.  Some scenarios seemed maybe a little far-fetched but hey, it's a light hearted novel not real life so I could allow some "poetic licence" in order for the story to work. 

There's a serious storyline going on behind all the light heartedness and cookery classes which I felt panned out nicely - I did feel a happy ending was necessary for Clemmie and the author managed to achieve this without this part of the tale overpowering the whole proceedings.  Overall it's a satisfying tale, great as a holiday read at this time of year.  And there's lots of cake and recipes going on which is always a bonus. I would definitely recommend this to pop in your suitcase to read by the pool.

About the Author:

Jane Linfoot writes fun, flirty fiction with feisty heroines and a bit of an edge. She lives in a mountain kingdom in Derbyshire, where her family and pets are kind enough to ignore the domestic chaos. Happily, they’re in walking distance of a supermarket. Jane loves hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, and most things French. When not on Facebook and without an excuse for shopping, she can be found walking or gardening. 

It's my blogiversary!

via GIPHY

I would like to start by saying a huge thankyou to everyone who has been part of my first year as a contributor to the book reviewing community.  From the initial kick up the backside which I needed to take the first step and set up this page (my eternal thanks go to Abby from Anne Bonny Book Reviews)  to the ongoing support I have had from blog tour hosts, fellow bloggers and every single one of you who have taken the time to read my posts and given your feedback - and indeed shared my reviews on various social media platforms - I couldn't be more grateful.


via GIPHY


The last twelve months have been a very steep learning curve for me in many ways, none more so than the realisation of how much of a technophobe I actually am.  Computers were really just getting started as a'thing' when I did IT studies back in the late 1980's so T'internet hadn't happened yet.  The thought that anything like having a space where you could air your views about anything (within reason) and those views being seen by folks across the globe was inconceivable back then. It still does kind of blow my mind if I think too long about it - that's where being a Piscean helps; my mind soon wanders off onto another subject of equally dubious content...

Anyway, where was I...?

Another humongous thing I have learned in the last year is what an amazing community fellow bloggers have going on.  Everyone (well, almost everyone, there's always the odd exception to a rule) is so supportive to one another.  Any questions I have had and aired to the community have been met with the most fabulous support and advice has always been freely given (note the use of the word freely; we don't like the thought of money changing hands inappropriately - but that's another issue).  Bloggers, publishers, authors and tour organisers are all included in this. My apologies if I have left anyone out in that statement, it would not be my intent to gloss over any section of the book world.  Everyone has an equal role to play in promoting, sharing and encouraging readers of any age.  I was very lucky to find a lifelong hobby in reading from an early age, my mum having signed me up at the local library before I can even remember.  With not a lot of spare cash in the family pot to spend on hobbies the library became the one place I could indulge which wouldn't cost me anything more than my time. My biggest regret career-wise is that I didn't use my interest in books to find a job.  With all the amazing positions available within the publishing/bookselling world I am disappointed that my careers teacher didn't advise me more. Because I didn't have a vocation to be a teacher/nurse/accountant or any of the usual occupations I was handed a directory of jobs and told to browse through, it might give me some ideas. Maybe that was the clue and I missed it!

So that was pretty much why I ended up starting this page.  I wanted to share my thoughts on the books I was reading, everyone at work was bored of hearing me going on about which books I recommended so I needed an outlet.  The wonderful world of social media opened up a whole new bunch of people I could chat to who love books as much as I do - I'd finally found my tribe! I started sharing my reviews on goodreads/Amazon and it crossed my mind that I could, if I were brave enough, start my own page.  During a chat with the lovely Abby (as mentioned earlier) - who happens to be a total machine when it comes to reading by the way - I was given the inspiration to step out of my comfort zone.  Only later did I find out that Abby was in her first year blogging too!

I have had a few wobbles on the way, and I have to thank Anne Cater in particular for putting blogging into perspective for me as I was getting overwhelmed at one point.  Her words of wisdom really helped me to learn that it's okay to say no sometimes when the review requests are coming in thick and fast.  The world won't end if I don't post my review on publication day - in fact a timely post can help raise the profile of a book after its initial burst onto the scene. My little blog is just that: little.  I don't have the time to dedicate to it any more than as a hobby. I will do my utmost to shout loudly about the books I love and will continue to do so, but I do realise that my voice is but a whisper on the world wide web in comparison to some who perhaps do this as a fulltime job (if only I could!) or as part of a team. I'm okay with that, and if all us little bloggers work together we can make a huge difference and make one big voice.  Because at the end of the day that's what it's all about: spreading the book love and raising the profile of perhaps some of the smaller authors who need a voice to help boost their work and find their audience.  Without them we wouldn't have the books to enjoy.

Thank you again everyone for your support, I apologise if I have been wittering on a bit. I'll go and get my head back in the books!

This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay #Book #Review @amateuradam @picadorbooks

This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay

Published 13th April 2018 by Picador

Non-Fiction

Book Description:

Adam Kay was a junior doctor from 2004 until 2010, before a devastating experience on a ward caused him to reconsider his future. He kept a diary throughout his training, and This Is Going to Hurt intersperses tales from the front line of the NHS with reflections on the current crisis. The result is a first-hand account of life as a junior doctor in all its joy, pain, sacrifice and maddening bureaucracy, and a love letter to those who might at any moment be holding our lives in their hands

My Review:

I must admit that I looked at this book several times before finally purchasing it after watching Zoe Ball discuss it with Ralph Little, TV star.  I didn't realise that he had been to medical school before his TV career took off; his brother is also a doctor but Ralph himself gave up after about 6 weeks of gruelling long hours trying to put into practice what he was learning from the books.

I am so glad I read this book, which had me laughing out loud all the way to the last few chapters which shift into a totally different mood.  The author has compiled a great compendium of funny moments during his years as a junior doctor - all patients suitably anonymised for confidentiality reasons of course.  His ability to laugh at himself comes through so well as he pretty much describes his games of medical "top trumps" with his colleagues - who had the worst day/funniest moment/longest hours in order to earn the most entertainment.  Some might say that this is disrespectful to the patients these doctors are seeing, but I totally support these professionals whose experiences can be so awful that the rest of us mere mortals forget that these guys and girls are just that: mere mortals just like us.  Sometimes the only way to get through the awful bits is by developing a quirky sense of humour regarding the day's events.

My heart broke for the author in the last few chapters as the realisation of the toll his work life was taking on him hit home and decisions on how he was to handle things had to be made.  I definitely have a better respect for those who face literally life and death situations on a daily basis, in scenarios they may never have encountered before. You can't learn everything from a book, and nothing can possibly prepare you for some of the feelings you are going to get when faced with an emergency situation with a real person's life in your hands and an audience of fellow health professionals and the patient's family relying on you to fix things.  I am more than 100% certain that I could never cope in that position.

I am not a regular reader of non-fiction but I am pretty sure this book will top my list of recommendations this year.  I've read some fantastic novels this year but this book is real. The things within its pages are happening day in, day out behind the doors of every hospital in the land.
Thank goodness for the NHS and every one of the angels who work for the organisation. I personally can never speak highly enough of them or express my gratitude sufficiently.

Thank you so much to the author for being strong enough to put this book together and the publisher for accepting it and putting it out there for us all to see what is happening in our NHS.

About The Author:

Adam Kay is a writer and comedian
He writes extensively for TV and film. His first book "This is Going to Hurt" is out now.

Social Media Links:

Website

http://www.adamkay.co.uk/

Twitter

amateuradam

How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt #Book #Review #NetGalley @MichaelJBooks @Janeshemilt

How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt

Published 28th June 2018

Published by Penguin UK/Michael Joseph

384 pages

Book Description:

From the author of bestselling phenomenon Daughter comes a thrilling exploration of a marriage consumed by ambition and revenge . . .The perfect couple

Meeting Albie gave Beth a fresh start - a chance to leave her past behind. Now she has her new husband; an ambitious, talented young neurosurgeon.

The perfect marriage

Their marriage gives Beth the safe haven she's always wanted - with just one catch. Albie has no idea of the secrets she's keeping. He doesn't know that years ago, Beth had an affair with Ted, the boss helping Albie's star ascend. Nor that the affair's devastating ending will have consequences for their own future.

The perfect storm

So when Ted's generous patronage begins to sour, Beth senses everything she's built could crumble. And she sees an opportunity. To satisfy Albie's ambitions, and her own obsessive desire for revenge . . .

She'll keep her marriage and her secret safe.

But how far will the fall take them?

My Review:

Beth is a nurse in the operating theatre at the hospital where Ted Malcolm is the all powerful consultant neurosurgeon.  They have history, a painful, raw history which leads Beth to move departments to Trauma and Orthopaedic where she won't have to work in the same circles with him every day. Nobody at work knew about Beth and Ted's involvement only that "happily married family man Ted" had a girlfriend whose identity he managed to keep under lock and key.

Time moves on and Beth is at an awards evening for the hospital.  She sees Ted and manages to keep away from him for the majority of the evening.  She does however meet Baird 'Albie' McAlister, Ted's protégé and registrar.  It transpires that Albie made a rookie error in theatre and in order to keep him professionally safe, Ted took the rap with the hospital authorities meaning that Albie is forever in his debt. Ted has all but promised Albie that his consultancy will pass to him when he retires yet once he realises who Albie's new partner is things start to change in Albie's promising career path.  The reader realises what is going on, however neither Beth nor Ted disclose the relationship to Albie so he is left in the dark as to why his star is not shining so brightly and why things feel like they are going in the wrong direction.

Ted's son Ed is in the loop, and his friend and journalist Jake senses something is awry between Beth and Ted and is desperate to find out the facts.  All the characters are extremely flawed whether it be through ambition or for their own personal gain.  None are particularly likeable, with only the occasional glimmer of hope that perhaps the medical profession are doing good for their patients.  But at what cost?


The first half of this book is quite a slow burner, but once pennies start to drop regarding the relationships between the different characters and their possible intentions the pace starts to ramp up.  The main vibe running through the whole of this book is revenge.  The triangle between Beth, Ted and Albie gets more and more nasty and gets to the point where things can only go one way.  Who is pulling the strings though? Is Albie's mental state so messed up that he makes the decision to sort things himself, or is Beth's influence and her need for revenge so strong that he just acts on her advice? Is Ted deliberately trying to rock the boat?  I'm still not sure even now which of the three is more desperate. 

This is one of those books that I can't say that I enjoyed purely because the characters are so horrible.  The writing is very good, perhaps the pace of the book could have been a little quicker to get to the explosive part but on reflection this is really rather clever as it proves that time only makes some things fester and get really rotten if left to their own devices. About The Author: Jane is a general practitioner who completed a post graduate diploma in Creative Writing at Bristol university and went on to study for a M.A in Creative writing at Bath Spa. She was shortlisted for the Janklow and Nesbitt award and the Lucy Cavendish fiction prize for Daughter, her first novel.

She and her husband, a Professor of Neurosurgery, have 5 children and live in Bristol, England. _{^{Social Media Link: Twitter: @Janeshemilt}}

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh #Book #Review @sscav @orion_crime

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh

Published 12th June 2018 by Orion Publishing

384 pages

Genre: Crime/Legal Thriller

Book Description:

The serial killer isn't on trial. He's on the jury.

Hollywood actor Robert Soloman stands accused of the brutal stabbings of his wife and her lover, but he is desperately pleading that he had nothing to do with it. This is the trial of the century, and the defence want Eddie Flynn on their team.

The biggest case Eddie has ever tried before, he decides to take it on despite the overwhelming evidence that Robert is guilty. As the trial starts, Eddie becomes sure of Robert's innocence, but there's something else he is even more sure of - that there is something sinister going on in the jury box.

Because of this, he is forced to ask: what if the killer isn't on the stand? What if he's on the jury?

My Review:

Having read the tagline for this I tried and tried to get an advance copy of this book for months; I entered competitions, requested from Netgalley - I even got myself in such a knot I mistakenly asked in Waterstones in England for a copy, not realising it had only been released in Ireland and I had to wait another few months until its release in June in England.  Then my amazing partner spotted it in Tesco while getting a newspaper and bought me a copy - probably because he was so sick of hearing my grumbles of frustration! 

I've not read any of Steve Cavanagh's previous books, and did begin to wonder whether I should perhaps have done so during my period of frustration.  But once I started reading I was so hooked in to the intrigue that I knew that this was going to work just as well as a standalone as it does as part of the series.  We know right from the prologue that Joshua Kane is a cold, ruthless killer.  It's not until the last page has been completed that we realise just how deep and twisted that killer instinct runs through him. You have to read the whole book in order to comprehend just how many pieces this guy is prepared to put into place to achieve his evil intent.

But how on earth was he going to get on to the jury and not get rumbled? I kept expecting him to have to stall his plans and rethink things, but he just assesses all the time and keeps his cool, staying under the radar and unsuspected of any wrong doing.

How much planning did this book take?? I am super impressed with Steve Cavanagh's plotting skills, as this book definitely took serial killing to another level. Just when you think that's it, you have the story complete, there's another layer lying there waiting to be discovered.

From early, literally eye watering scenes of the lengths Kane is prepared to go to in order to take his victim's place in their lives to the cold calculations he has made which help him escape any inkling of investigation, the whole book is an outstanding work.  I can't think of any point I could possibly criticise. As with all good crime novels there are red herrings thrown in along the way but the final chapters had me well and truly gripped as the case came to a great finale. During the course of the book I found myself trying to work out the case and any relevant facts which may have slipped past my awareness, even when I had put it down to get housework done or while sat in traffic to and from work. This is one which creeps under your skin and gets your brain working.

It's a strange one timescale and pace-wise.  In some ways things seem to just tick along, then you realise that everything you've just read has happened in such a short time frame that actually it's quite frantic.  You appreciate the urgency of the defence lawyer getting his facts together in time to present to the court but there is a calmness to the writing that reflects the depth of thought that is going on in order to get things right for Bobby Solomon but also the calculating nature of Kane. Boy, can he play the long game.  It's all very clever.  And then once the bigger picture gradually comes into focus as to what Joshua Kane is all about, things really do wow you as a reader.

Now I have read the book I am actually pleased I had the anticipation of waiting for it.  I did wonder whether it would live up to the hype of such a brilliant tag line, and I can now say with a resounding voice that oh yes, it most certainly does.  This is one of those books that will have you thinking about it way after you put it down wondering whether there is an actual, real life Joshua Kane out there. And if there is, we should be very afraid. 

About the Author:

Steve Cavanagh was born and raised in Belfast before leaving for Dublin at the age of eighteen to study Law. He currently practices civil rights law and has been involved in several high profile cases. Selected for the Amazon Rising Stars programme 2015. ACES award winner 2015 from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The Defence is his debut novel.

Social Media Links

Follow on twitter @SSCav

Website

http://stevecavanagh.com

This Could Change Everything by @JillMansell #BlogTour #Review - Random Things Tours @annecater

Paperback: 416 pages

Publisher: Headline Review (published 12th July 2018)

Genre: Women's Fiction

• ISBN-10: 1472208986
ISBN-13: 978-1472208989

I have to admit that the opportunity to be a host on this blog tour for one of the queens of women's fiction, the legendary Jill Mansell, has to be the highlight of the first year of my blog.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this happening, especially so soon.  My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and Headline for the privilege of being part of the promotional tour for Jill's latest novel.

Book Description:

On the one hand, if Essie hadn't written that letter - the one that only her best friend was meant to see - then she'd still be living like an actual proper grown-up, tucked up with Paul in his picture-perfect cottage, maybe even planning their wedding...

On the other hand (if her true feelings hadn't accidentally taken the internet by storm, that is) she wouldn't have moved into the attic flat on the square. She would never have met Conor. Or got to know Lucas...

And she wouldn't have found herself falling in love with someone she really, really shouldn't fall in love with...

My Review:

This book is typical of Jill's writing style with strong, inspirational characters who may be a little flawed but who are credible and have you rooting for a good outcome for them from start to finish.

We are first introduced to glamorous octogenarian Zillah, who gets herself involved with a young man who she spies in a local shop as he considers shop lifting. She diverts the situation by pretending to be the teenager's grandmother and hopefully setting him on a better path in life.

Then comes thirty-something Essie, who manages to get herself in a proper pickle when she makes the disastrous decision to put into writing her deepest thoughts regarding life with partner Paul and her opinions of his family - including her prospective mother-in-law who just happens to also be her boss. Her document ends up being sent to all the contacts in her address book thanks to the mischievous late night click of a laptop mouse.  That one spur-of-the-moment decision by a rather inebriated house guest results in Essie losing her partner, home and job in one fell swoop.
But as we all know as one door closes, another opens and Fate decrees that Essie and Zillah find themselves in the same letting agent's office at the same point in time. And there begins the next chapter of their lives.

Not everything is plain sailing for any of the characters, with tear jerking moments and life changing scenarios sprinkled in amongst some lighter,funnier moments.  Zillah's life story really made me consider what a genuinely lovely person she is as she takes stock of events which happened many years previously and does her best to put things right even if it is at her own personal expense emotionally as well as financially.  If only there were more people like her in the world to touch the hearts of many.

There is a wonderful cast of characters in this story.  I don't think I disliked any of them despite some of them being incredibly annoying at various points in the tale: Zillah is very glamorous ( I shall strive to be like her in my pensionable years), bar owner Lucas is very dashing but I felt there was more to him than the veneer he showed in his hospitality role, and the brash Brendon Banks and Caz have absolutely fabulous personalities which raised a few smiles - whether I could cope with them in real life I'm not sure!  I think one of Jill's main strengths is her creation of some of the best characters in contemporary fiction, put together with her feel-good storylines they can only be a recipe for success.

This is a fabulous tale of second chances, being brave enough to admit when we're wrong and being prepared to do something about putting things right. As always Jill has hit the spot perfectly with this book, I absolutely adored it. What more can I say?

About The Author:

Jill Mansell is the author of over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers including THE ONE YOU REALLY WANT, TO THE MOON AND BACK, YOU AND ME, ALWAYS and MEET ME AT BEACHCOMBER BAY. TAKE A CHANCE ON ME won the RNA's Romantic Comedy Prize, and in 2015 the RNA presented Jill with an outstanding achievement award.

Jill's personal favourite amongst her novels is THREE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT YOU, which is about cystic fibrosis and organ donation; to her great delight, many people have joined the organ donor register as a direct result of reading this novel.

Jill started writing fiction while working in the NHS, after she read a magazine article that inspired her to join a local creative writing class. Her first book was published in 1991 and she is now a full-time novelist. She is one of the few who still write their books by hand, like a leftover from the dark ages. She lives in Bristol with her family.

Social Media Links: Twitter - @JillMansell 

                                 Facebook - /OfficialJillMansell

                                 You can also visit her website http://www.jillmansell.co.uk/

Follow the Tour: 

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Could-Change-Everything-uplifting/dp/1472208986/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1527101772&sr=1-1