Review: Far From My Father's House

Synopsis

1915. As a child it never mattered to Blake that he had no mother, that no one knew who his father was. He was secure in his grandparents' love, happy on their farm in the Yorkshire dales. 

But when his grandparents die suddenly, Blake's world collapses. Taken in by a neighbouring farmer as hired help, Blake's life becomes focused on the land - and also a secret love for Annie, his employer's daughter. And Annie may love Blake too, but she knows she doesn't want to spend her life on the farm. 

So Blake leaves for the coal mines and busy shipyards of Sunderland, determined to make his name. He swears one day he will come back for Annie - but can he be sure she will wait for him?

Review

"People should marry again. If you go too long standing around on the sidelines it dehumanizes you. You start being smug and thinking you know more than other people and despising them." 

Elizabeth Gill reminds of Katie Flynn.  They both possess a similar style that reminds me of Catherine Cookson's talent in creating truthful characters with intricate historical accuracy. Gill is detailed without boring. Although there was a lack of balance between dialogue and description, her writing was engaging enough for this inbalance to affect the overall beauty of the book. She also has the ability paint the scenery in a such vivid manner that I was instantly transported into that little village. 

When Blake is forced to live with Annie and her parents after the death of his grandparents, his life becomes monotonous and repetitive, the only thing that keeps him alive is his love of farming and Annie (the farmer's daughter). This is the first time Blake face loneliness and prejudice and Gill handles this issue in sensitive but truthful manner. His Grandparents have sheltered him from the harsh realities of his being illegitimate. And as the book progresses his confusion and hurt become evident and in some situations he refused to accept his true lineage.

Far From My Father's House is a good introduction to Gill's books.  It's packed with family drama from illegitimate children to premature deaths. There are however more coincidental deaths than an episode of True Blood. The two main deaths in the book happen too quickly and too conveniently to ring true. 

Unlike Katie Flynn however this book was very rushed in some parts and needed more explaining and editing. Also she leaves some parts incomplete for example she doesn't address Blake's illegitimacy as well as I would have liked.  There are no confrontations with his father regarding why he raped his mother or why he never accepted him as son. Gill introduces the concepts but doesn't develop them.

I wasn't particularly overjoyed by Gill's characterisation. Although she manages to humanize Blake, she also paints him as fallen undeserving hero. As the book progressed I found myself unable to understand his character but I did feel sympathy towards him.  I was confused as to whether he really loves Tessa (his boss's daughter) or Annie. This confusion was never explained.  After Annie marries another man, Blake is broken but when he marries Tessa I never believed he loved her. This made me uncomfortable as Tessa was my favorite character because unlike other characters in the book she is truthful and her dislike of Annie mirrored my own dislike. Annie was manipulative, her motives never clear. She moves her affections from Blake to another in such a small amount of space that I began her doubt her genuineness.  Blake was also a self pitying mess and the rest of the characters needed more development. Tessa was by far the only character I understood and cared about. 

In the end this book did remind me of a Katie Flynn read however it does have it's flaws. Some elements works, others didn't.

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Quick Review: Loving Laura

Synopsis
Set in the Louisiana bayou, this emotional story stars two brothers from a close-knit Cajun family, and the woman they both love. For Laura Sebastian, becoming part of the warm and fun-loving Cantrelle family would give her the kind of life she has always longed for, one filled with light, love, and joy. She could finally put the darkness of her past behind her. 

Yet when Norman Cantrelle, her boss and the youngest Cantrelle son, asks her to marry him, she is torn by doubt. She thinks the world of Norman, but she doesn't love him, not the way she knows she should. A tough situation becomes decidedly worse when Laura and Norman are involved in a terrible accident one rainy night as they drive home from a business trip -- an accident that causes Norman's older brother, Neil Cantrelle, to return home to Louisiana to confront his past. 

Neil and Laura are inexorably drawn to one another and soon that attraction turns to the kind of love and desire that can't be ignored. Both fight against these feelings -- especially Neil -- but no matter how many times he tells himself Laura is off-limits, that he cannot hurt his brother this way -- he cannot wipe her out of his thoughts -- this forbidden woman both he and his brother love.

Quick Review

"The dream is the same as all others. He is running down a dark rain-swept street. It is hot and muggy, just like it is every summer in Louisiana."

Have you ever read a book that read just right?  Loving Laura is a simple read with complex characters. The characters, the plot, the humor  everything about this book fits perfectly. Patricia Kay is my trusted author, the one I turn to when all others fail. She is the master of Romantic Novellas.

Neil and Laura find themselves in love against all odds. They try and fight their temptation in the end their bond is too strong to fight. These two characters are by far my favorite characters in a Patricia Kay novel. They are genuine and compassionate. This story could have been told by any other author half-heatedly but Patricia Kay tells this tale beautifully. She is soulful and thoughtful as an author. Loving Laura is a great read, one which stayed with me for a very long time.

Out In April: Gloria

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Synopsis

Jamaica, 1938. Gloria Campbell is sixteen years old when a single violent act changes her life forever. She and her younger sister flee their hometown to forge a new life in Kingston. As all around them the city convulses with political change, Gloria’s desperation and striking beauty lead her to Sybil and Beryl, and a house of ill-repute where she meets Yang Pao, a Kingston racketeer whose destiny becomes irresistibly bound with her own.

Sybil kindles in Gloria a fire of social justice which will propel her to Cuba and a personal and political awakening that she must reconcile with the realities of her life, her love of Jamaica and a past that is never far behind her.

Set against the turbulent backdrop of a country on the cusp of a new era, Gloria is an enthralling and illuminating story of love and redemption.

Quick Review: The Comeback Kiss

Synopsis 
The thing about being the one who got away is that you really need to stay gone.

Petty thief Dermot “Finn” Finnegan came back to Lucy’s Lake, Vermont, to do one thing—return the car he’d stolen from his high school flame, Tessa, the night he’d disappeared ten years ago. The plan was to be in and out with no one the wiser, especially not Tessa, but when a mysterious fire breaks out and he reluctantly saves the day, Finn’s plans are all shot to hell, along with his ability to resist the love he left behind.

Tessa Scuderi never expected to see Finn again, and that was fine by her. The truth about the teeny-tiny felony they committed could threaten her custody of her teenage sister, Izzy, and getting him out of town is job one. But as the mystery of everything that happened that night ten years ago—including her mother’s death in a strange fire—starts to unravel, Finn gets all weird and loyal. Can love survive lies, theft and arson? 

There’s only one way to tell…

Quick Review 

Tessa Jones had her car stolen by her first love Dermot Finnegan. Eleven years later he's back to return the car he stole but unfortunately for everyone involved he's unwillingly he's caught up in the mysterious events that ensure. This is a stupidly funny, absorbing read that made me cry with laughter. I read it on the train  which turned out to be a big mistake, the gentleman next to me on the train did not appreciate my controlled disguised laughter/coughs.  

This author is talented, funny and captivating. I rarely find an author who brings individuality to a genre inundated with mundane reads. I would whole heatedly recommend this book to anyone looking to read a simple, romantic but heartwarming tale of  a great love affair.  This book made my week.  Thank you Lani Diane Rich for this great freebie.

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Highly Anticipated: My Husband Next Door

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Synopsis

When Ella married the handsome, celebrated artist Sebastian Montclair at just nineteen she was madly in love. Now, those blissful years of marriage have turned into the very definition of an unconventional set-up. Separated in every way but distance, Sebastian resides in an outhouse across the lawn from Ella's ramshackle farmhouse.

With an ex-husband living under her nose and a home crowded by hostile teenaged children, gender-confused chickens - not to mention her hyper critical mother whose own marriage slips spectacularly off the rails -Ella finds comfort in the company of the very charming gardener, Ludo.

Then out of the blue Sebastian decides to move on, catching Ella horribly unawares. How much longer can she hide from what really destroyed her marriage . . . and the secret she continues to keep?

Review: Pink Wellies and Flat Caps

Synopsis
Alice Lane has everything; a wonderful fiancé, a responsible job and a lovely flat in Chelsea, but after she has a bra fitting her life goes tits up. Homeless, and with just a sparkling engagement ring as a memory of her previous life Alice accepts a live-in farm manager s job and discovers that things actually can get worse. Come with Alice as she makes her hilarious career change and struggles to cope with her moody employer, Edward. But can Alice turn her back on romance and resist the dashing Dominic or will the past come back to surprise her?

Review

 "Only a man could drop a bombshell on you while you're sitting in a fitting room with your tits hanging out."

I'm in two mind about this book. Firstly Pink Wellies and Flat Caps is a fantastic read by a author who understand British humor. She takes us on Alice's journey which is filled with heartbreak and new beginnings. Her portrayal of a resilient character who faces challenges but ultimately becomes a champion in her own fairy tale is superb. For this reason I loved the book.

However Alice is also a very confusing and at time a very annoying character. She's intelligent yet these accumulated brain cells fail to work once she's in the Countryside. Because the book is written in the first person, her mannerism and  snobbish nature did irritate me beyond belief. . There's something about Alice that failed to resonate with me. Perhaps because she makes a fuss over many things like her supermarket preferences (queue the Lidle v Waitrose debate) or perhaps like most Chick Lit characters, she becomes a caricature incapable of translating into reality or I simply  failed to relate to her. I failed to understand how an intelligent woman could fail so miserably in the country. Yet I was in awe of her resilience.

There's no doubt that this is a good bedtime read and that Lynda Renham is talented. It's just that for me all the characters needs more development for example the ex-fiance is villain with no face, he needed more life and soul. The best villains are those we understand yet we still loathe them. I didn't understand him therefore I couldn't fully hate him. I'm still in two minds about this book. At times this was a brilliant read but other times I could feel my brain start to fry. There's something about Lynda Renham though that will makes me want to pink up her other books. But Pink Wellies and Flat Caps didn't entertain me fully. 

Books On TV: Adaptation of The Ice Cream Girls (19 April 2013) ITV1

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Synopsis
At only eighteen years of age, Poppy and Serena were the only witnesses to a tragic event. Amid heated public debate and scrutiny, the two glamorous teens were dubbed ‘The Ice Cream Girls’ by the press and forced to go their separate ways and to lead very different lives.

Twenty years later, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened, while married mother-of-two Serena wants no one in her present to find out about her past. But some secrets will not stay buried - and if theirs is revealed, their lives will start to unravel all over again . . .

Gripping, thought-provoking and heart-warming, The Ice Cream Girls will make you wonder if you can ever truly know the people you love.

Twitter Recommendation: Decade

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Synopsis

When Vicki and Rhys first laid eyes on each other, Cupid's arrow struck home like a thunderbolt. But how durable was their love? Would it survive the test of time and the reality of their different backgrounds? Would the conflicting pressures they faced tear them apart?

 And what happened when Vicki met one of the most famous men in the country?

 Evoking the seminal moments of the 1970s and filled with drama, passion, fame and glamour, this heartfelt, decade-long love story follows all the ecstasies and agonies of their relationship right through to its gut-wrenching climax where only the strength of their love would determine the outcome between life and death itself.

The Seven Steps to Closure

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Synopsis

Tara Babcock awakes the morning after her 30th birthday with a hangover that could kill an elephant - and the knowledge she is still no closer to achieving closure on her marriage breakup. Things go from bad to worse when she discovers that, not only is her ex-husband engaged to her cousin - Tash, the woman he left her for - but that Jake is also running for Lord Mayor of Sydney.


Desperate to leave the destructive relationship behind and with nothing to lose, she decides- with encouragement from her three best friends - to follow the dubious advice from a magazine article, Closure in Seven Easy Steps.
The Seven Steps to Closure follows Tara on her sometimes disastrous- always hilarious - path to achieve the seemingly impossible.
A credible and amazingly touching debut novel from Donna Joy Usher, this is a solid, light-hearted and honest read with plenty of laughs.

On My Book List: Gone Girl

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Synopsis
Who are you?
What have we done to each other?

These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife?

Wednesday's Freebie

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Synopsis
Sabrina Eckhart is losing it. Oasis, the restaurant she manages, is getting battered by a trendy newcomer, and with everyone looking to her for ideas, you could say she's under a little pressure. But wait, that's not all. Her evil landlady has given her until the end of the month to vacate her crummy apartment. And her thirtieth birthday is looming, reminding her of the milestones she's missed. No wonder she's distracted and driving off the rails...down the sidewalk, and nearly running over the man with amazing glutes. 

Jackson Murphy is an avid jogger, and the local television station's scrumptious news director--if he can keep the job. Unfortunately, he has one year to resuscitate their wheezing news department or the owners are going to pull the plug. His hands are already full even without Sabrina dropping into them. The last thing he needs is to be involved with a publicity stunt.

The road to love is bumpy. It'll take all of Cupid's arrows, and a lot of interference from friends, for these two to win the Dating Game.

The Billionaire's Book List

Aah....I love Billionaires. Those smouldering, sexy blue eyed billionaires; Christina Grey, Sloane Quest, Gideon Cross all exude power. They are well known for melting hearts among other things. They come in one size: sturdily frames and formidably magnetic. 

I've recently noticed an increase in Billionaire romance novels on Amazon. If done well, the billionaire romances are exquisite. If done badly, tears could be shed.  Either way they are gradually becoming a genre in their own right.  They unapologetically romantic, they are what they are: cheese, cheese and more cheese. Addictive and easy to read, billionaire romances are taking over my Kindle. However the billionaire romance, much like Regency can only be consumed in small doses unless you can consume triple servings of cheddar cheese on a platter of melted parmesan.

I read these novels every once in while and when I say once in a while I mean every other day.  In between those emotional reads, I will pick up a Billionaire and busk in the cheese filled glory. My favorite indulgent billionaire romance author is Judy Angelo. She understands what her readers want; romance filled cheese. There's no space for realism. Her books are indulgent, unrealistic and extremely addicted. I wouldn't say they are my favorite books but they are extremely pleasurable.

This week: The Good, The Good and The Ugly: Book Names

This week's best book name goes to The Unfortunate Miss Fortune. Motherly Lust is simply one of the worst book names I've ever come across. I do however like the synopsis and the book cover. I understand that choosing a book name is extremely difficult but surely the author could have come up with something better than "Motherly Lust". And finally Laid is Chelsea is a lazy, predictable book name for a reality "star"'s kiss and tell.

The Good 
The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes

The Bad
 Motherly Lust



The Ugly 
Laid in Chelsea

Superb Prologue: The School Gate

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Synopsis
At 3.10pm every weekday, parents gather at Featherstone Primary in Denbury to collect their children. 

For a special few, the friendships forged at the school gates will see them through lives filled with drama, secrets and sorrows. When Yummy Mummy Alana reveals the identity of her love-child's father, she doesn't expect the consequences to be quite so extreme. Ex Czech au-pair Earth Mummy Dana finds happiness in her secret sideline, but really all she longs for is another child. Slummy Mummy Mo's wife-beating husband leads her down a path she never thought possible, and Supper Mummy Joan has to cope when life deals her a devastating blow. 

And what of Gay Daddy Gordon? Will he be able to juggle parenthood and cope with his broken heart at the same time? 

Four very different mothers. One adorable dad. And the intertwining trials and tribulations that a year at the primary school gates brings

Mike Gayle's The Stag and Hen Weekend

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Synopsis
The Stag and Hen Weekend is the story of Phil and Helen, a couple in their thirties about to commit their lives to one another . . . that is of course if they can just manage to get through their respective stag and hen weekends (his: Amsterdam; hers: a country house and day spa in the Peak District) without falling apart. Told in the unique form of two separate stories that have common characters as well as themes and conclusion, The Stag and Hen Weekend can be read from front to back or from back to front putting the reader in the driver's seat as to which story they wish to read first. Feisty, fun and thought provoking.

Quote Of The Day

"But books, when they're good, don't live in these public arenas. They exist in a far more intimate space, between one reader and his imagination as he's turning the pages. If books are "socially engineered", they're propaganda, and readers can smell that from across the library. 

I do, however, agree with the one critic that books can hurt. They can break you right open, reflect your own losses, and sometimes bring you into a broader plain of understanding." Chris Beam (author of I am J).

Full article on The Guardian

Starting Now

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Synopsis

For years, Libby Morgan dreamed only of making partner in her competitive, high-pressure law firm. She sacrificed everything for her career - her friends, her marriage, her chance at creating a family. When her boss calls Libby into his office, she assumes it will finally be good news, but nothing can prepare her for the shocking reality: she's been let go and must rebuild her entire life . . . starting now.

With no job prospects in sight, Libby reaches out to old friends and spends her afternoons at A Good Yarn, the local knitting store. There, she forms a close bond with Lydia, the sweet-natured shop owner, Lydia's spirited teenaged daughter, Casey, and Casey's best friend, Ava, a shy yet troubled girl who will shape Libby's future in surprising and profound ways.

As A Good Yarn becomes a second home - and the women a new kind of family - Libby relishes the different person she's become. She even finds time for romance with a charming and handsome doctor who seems to be her perfect match. But just as everything is coming together, Libby must make a choice that could forever change the life she holds so dear.

Warmly told and richly textured, Starting Now is filled with the promise of new beginnings and the unending delights of companionship and love.

Never Google Heartbreak

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Synopsis

When her fiance Rob breaks off their engagement for the third time, Viv does what any girl would do - she Googles heartbreak. Confronted by tales of misery, she decides to set-up her own self-help website for the broken-hearted. But as Viv passes through the three essential stages of grief (denial, vodka, disastrous haircut), she becomes determined that it's not too late to try and get Rob back. When things get out of hand after a drunken declaration of love at an extremely inappropriate moment, Viv's scruffy, tequila-swilling best friend Max is there to pick up the pieces. Viv starts to realise that maybe the real thing has been under her nose all this time, and now - one ex and a massive error of judgement later - she has to face the question: What's the craziest thing you'll do for love? Readers of Lindsey Kelk, Sophie Kinsella and Paige Toon won't be able to put this down. Never has heartbreak been so hilarious...

Review: Silver Linings Playbook

"If clouds are blocking the sun, there will always be a silver lining that reminds me to keep on trying because I know that while things might seem dark now, my wife is coming back to me soon."

Synopsis
Pat Peoples knows that life doesn’t always go according to plan, but he’s determined to get his back on track. After a stint in a psychiatric hospital, Pat is staying with his parents and trying to live according to his new philosophy: get fit, be nice and always look for the silver lining. Most importantly, Pat is determined to be reconciled with his wife Nikki. Pat’s parents just want to protect him so he can get back on his feet, but when Pat befriends the mysterious Tiffany, the secrets they’ve been keeping from him threaten to come out . . .

Review

Mathew Quick's Silver Linings Playbook is outstanding. An accomplishment that deserves all the praise. It was recently adapted into a film but unfortunately for me I preferred the book to the film.Apart from the Robert De Niro and Jenifer Lawrence the rest of film didn't really work for me. Robert De Niro as Pat's father is superb and Jenifer Lawrence is compelling Tiffany. Tiffany also has mental health issues and together they are able to recover.  The book however is stand alone of the best books I've ever read.  Silver Lining Playbook sounds like a chicklit. Its not. I say this because there's a temptation to categorize books with happy endings as chicklit and having watched the film, the temptation become impossible to resist but this book isn't chicklit. However it does have a happy ending (spoiler). I admit I do love my happy endings however in this case I found the happy ending a little too abrupt. The love story wasn't developed enough to seem realistic. The book is based around Pat Peoples 's recovery. He suffers from mental illness and like many mentally ill patients he's very childlike. He's at times confused as to why his mother lies to him, he's confused as to how his missed out on almost four years of his life and his confused about Nicki.

Through his narration Pat People is able to express himself and reveals his unstable state of mind which is very chaotic but strangely ordered. Silver Lining Playbook is unlike many books I've read on mental health because we learn about Pat People from Pat Peoples. Other books about mental illness involve a third party, a voice that lays the scene and explain things for the read. This book relies solely on Pat People. This works by creating authenticity and character.   However this was an uncomfortable read because it made me question about how I viewed mentally ill patients. The film doesn't do the book justice not by a long stretch. This is fiction at its best. The film is loosely based around the book, I say loosely because so many elements are skipped or missed out. I hated so many things about the film that I'm glad I read the book beforehand. I would advice everyone to read Silver Linings Playbook before watching the film.

Author Interview: Helen Scott Taylor

I was recently lucky enough to convince Helen Scott Taylor to do an interview for Herbooklist (thank you Helen). It was a great honor as I am a big fan of her books. She currently lives in England and has written over five novels. She's a great author who has the ability create incredible characters and great love stories. I feel in love with Oceans Between Us and would urge all romance lovers to read her books. 

What inspired you to write your first book?

I enjoyed writing stories when I was a child but gave up when I moved on to senior school and got more interested in science. I never lost my love of reading fiction, though. My interest in writing was reawakened when I went on a course that was supposed to be about dealing with issues, but the technique they used was to write about our past. I haven't stopped writing since!

How did you come up with the titles?

Sometimes I think of a title before I start writing a story and the story is partly shaped by its title. Other times the title comes to me when I'm writing. A few times I have finished a book and had no idea what title to give it. Each time is different. Of course, traditional publishers often discard the author's own title and come up with their own. One of the great things about publishing a book oneself is that the author gets to choose their own title.

I do draw on my life experiences in my contemporary romances. For instance, A Family for Christmas is set on Dartmoor near where I live and in the book I have just finished writing, A Family Forever, the heroine rescues injured hedgehogs and re-homes them. I have experience of this as our garden is a hedgehog re-homing site for a local rescue organisation. One thing I've never done is use people I know in my stories. The closest I have come to this is the cat in The Phoenix Charm, one of my Magic Knot Fairies books. I based the cat on my own pet.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Gosh, this is a difficult one. I guess the books I read as a child and teenager that started my love of reading. I devoured books about horses and ponies when I was a child. Later, as a teen, I worked my way through the classics. My love of romance probably derived from reading books like Pride and Prejudice. I read a whole variety of authors, many of them American authors. Just recently I've discovered Rita Herron, Nancy Radke and Lorhainne Eckhart. They all write contemporary romance and that is my favourite genre at the moment.

What are your current projects?

I have just finished writing a novella called A Family Forever. It is not directly related to my A Family for Christmas story that has been so popular, but it explores the same theme of family relationships. This is something that is very much on my mind at the moment and I'm enjoying writing stories about families with children and often animals included in the storyline. I've also just published a paranormal romance that I first wrote in 2006!

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

It really started years ago when my father used to tell me bedtime stories about my soft toys. I wrote my first stories about my teddy bear and my rabbit! One of my all time favourite authors is Santa Montefiore. I love the way she weaves the past and present together, I love her evocative scene setting and her characters. I particularly enjoy listening to her stories as talking books as the writing is often poetic and lends itself well to being read out loud.

Have you read fifty shades of Grey and what do you think of the characters?

Yes, I had to! When a book or series is so popular, as a writer, I'm always curious to know why. I've read all the recent mega star books such as The Hunger Games, the Twilight series, and Harry Potter. I did find the Fifty Shades trilogy compelling and disturbing. I wanted to dislike Christian Grey, but was disturbed to find I didn't. In a twisted way I liked him LOL. (Although I'd run a mile if I ever encountered him in real life!) Strangely, I found myself angry on his behalf as a mother, hating what had been done to him when he was a child and then again when he was a teen. I found Ana to be a far less interesting character.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

In this day and age when anyone can write a story and put it up for sale on Amazon, I'd say be sure to hone your craft before you publish a book. Join a writing group, read books on writing, have your story critiqued by people who can write and can give you good advice. 

Author Alert: Helen Scott Taylor

Helen Scott Taylor's first novel, The Magic Knot, won the American Title contest in 2008, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and was chosen as one of Booklist's top ten romances of 2009. Since then, she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA. Her published works have been finalists in a number of contests including the Holt Medallion, the Lories, the Prism Contest, the Write Touch Award and the Maggies.

Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful long-suffering husband, she shares her home with two Shih Tzus and an aristocratic chocolate-shaded-silver-burmilla cat who rules the household with a velvet paw. She believes that deep within everyone there's a little magic. www.helenscotttaylor.com

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