The Sun's Shadow by Sejal Badani - #bookreview

The Blurb

Celine’s life is spiraling out of control. She’s in danger of losing the beloved equestrian farm that was her childhood home. Her distant husband, Eric, is devoting a suspicious amount of time to a stunning new colleague. Then her young son, Brian, receives a devastating cancer diagnosis. As her life falls apart, she faces an impossible fight

Felicity has uprooted her career and her teenage son, Justin, to get closer to Eric. She’s tired of keeping his secrets―that Eric’s frequent “business trips” have been time spent with her and Justin. Felicity is determined to get her happily ever after, even if it means confronting Celine at a delicate time.

But when Brian’s prognosis worsens, and a transplant from Justin becomes his best chance at survival, Felicity must make a wrenching decision about her son’s well-being―and Celine must accept that the “other woman” is her only hope.

In another life Celine and Felicity might have been friends. Can they put aside the pain between them to do what’s best for their families―and their own futures?

My Review

This is a very heartfelt story which tugs at the heartstrings.

It is an extremely moving story about the main character, Celine who is about to lose it all; her business, her husband and her beloved son. Losing a child is every mother's nightmare, and this made Celine very relatable and definitely made me count my lucky stars that my own children grew up to become healthy young men. Her circumstances seem overwhelming, particularly as she discovers that her husband has another family. Add to that a business that is going to be taken away from her, and her life certainly seems to be spiralling out of control.

Most of the chapters are written from Celine's perspective, but the occasional chapter is written by Felicity who is the 'other woman' in this scenario. She was a very interesting character and I very much enjoyed observing how the circumstances allowed her to mature and become more self-aware.

It is a very thought provoking read and it was impossible not to question myself as to how I might react in this situation. She was enduring a truly awful set of circumstances. Celine demonstrated courage, bravery and determination and I admired her for that. 

It was well written with a clever emotive plot which the author brought to life on the page extremely well. As a reader, this book takes you on quite a roller coaster of emotions. It reminded me of novels that I have read by Jodi Picoult and if you enjoy her fiction then I think you will like this one too. It was immersive to read and although its themes were challenging ones it was ultimately a story of hope and positivity. I thoroughly recommend this book.

Book Details:

ISBN:  978 1662509735 

Publisher:  Lake Union Publishing

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  333 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Sejal Badani is the Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Storyteller’s Secret and Trail of Broken Wings. She is also a Goodreads Best Fiction award and ABC/Disney Writing Fellowship finalist whose work has been published in over fifteen languages. When not writing, she loves reading and traveling. Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, and Ed Sheeran are always playing in the background.

You can find Sejal at:

Author Website

Tik Tok

Pinterest

Instagram

Twitter / X

(ARC courtesy of the publicist)

(media courtesy of the author's website)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

A Midlife Gamble by Cary J. Hansson - #BookReview

 

So now you know the full truth of it. And that makes a grand total of five. I haven't told Helen. I've left that with Caro because it means they'll have to talk to each other. Things haven't been good between them since we got back from Cyprus, but that's a long story. My worry is that they're both Alex's godmothers, and if they're not even talking to each other, I don't know how they're going to be able to help him when ...

***

A terrifying future. Fragile forgiveness. Can three good friends rebuild their connection from the wreckage of burned bridges?

Helen Winters can’t ignore the ache in her heart. With one beloved friend facing a shocking diagnosis and the other still walking on eggshells after their blowout fight, the bubbly fifty-year-old craves the lost comfort of their familiar dynamic. So when someone suggests a trio of tickets to Vegas, the determined woman hopes the trip will rescue their decades-long friendship.

Landing in Sin City, Helen struggles to reclaim her devil-may-care university spirit. And as everyone plays their cards close to their vest and tries to make it alone, she worries that time is running out for reconciliation.

Will laughter, tears, and shared vulnerabilities help them salvage their lifelong bond?

***

This book is the third in the Midlife Trilogy. It begins with A Midlife Holiday, and you can read my review by clicking here. It is followed by A Midlife Baby and my review can be found here.

This book is every bit as good as it predecessors and I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to spend more time with Caro, Helen and Kay. Now in their late fifties, they have been close friends since university, and one of the things that this book looks at is what happens when a fracture appears in such a friendship.

Although this book is the third in the trilogy, it would work as a stand alone novel. However, I think a reader will enjoy it more by understanding the backstory behind these three women and the way in which their friendship has evolved over the years. 

At times it was humourous read. At other times it was emotional which has probably come from spending three books with these characters. The author totally understands and inhabits these women and consequently, the reader becomes totally invested in them. 

I do not want to give the ending away but I was a little concerned that the book would end on a depressing theme. However, the book was life-affirming and hopeful and my fears were unfounded.

As with the previous two books I enjoyed reading this very much and highly recommend it.

ISBN: 978 9198758771

Publisher:  Hansson Publishing

Formats:  e-book and paperback - currently available on Kindle Unlimited

No. of Pages:  324 (paperback)

About the Author:

Cary grew up in the UK, but now lives in Sweden. After a varied career that saw her tap-dancing in musicals and selling towels on shopping channels, she settled down to write contemporary fiction. She swims in the Baltic all year round, stands on her head once a day and prefers Merlot over Shiraz.

(ARC courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

This Child of Mine by Emma-Claire Wilson - #BookReview @AvonBooksUK

 

It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

I was supposed to bounce out of this chair and follow the sonographer into a room for a follow-up scan and to hear the sex of our first child. This was supposed to be the day all our dreams came true. I was supposed to have a grin on my face and a heart full of joy and love.

But that's not what happened. My heart knew it was coming before anyone else did. Somehow my body knew it too. I could feel it. My heart wasn't racing. In fact, I think it all but stopped. I couldn't feel anything...

***

When Stephanie is told she’s pregnant and that she is sick on the same day, she faces an impossible choice…

After trying for a baby for so long, finding out I was pregnant was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. But in the same breath as the news I had been waiting years to hear, the doctor told me I was seriously ill.

If I carry my baby to term, I will almost certainly die.

If I proceed with treatment, my baby will not live.

My husband – the father of this child – is telling me to save myself. But with all the secrets I know he is keeping from me, I can’t trust him anymore.

What would you do?

***

This is an extremely well written and heartfelt book and made for emotional reading. It deals with some difficult themes that readers should be aware of before they read this book as it discusses grief, miscarriage and cancer at length. 

Having said that, and speaking as a reader who has had multiple miscarriages and lost loved ones to cancer, it is ultimately an uplifting and hopeful book. Thankfully, I have never been in the position that the protagonist, Anna, found herself but the book is designed to make the reader wonder how they would react if they were unfortunate enough to find themselves in the same situation.

I was completely gripped by this novel and finished it within a day. I so wanted to know how things would pan out for Anna and her husband James. The author has created a cast of characters who were believable and easy to identify with.

The author deals with her difficult themes with sensitivity and compassion. As a debut author, I think Ms. Wilson is one to watch out for. She clearly knows how to delve into human emotions and to bring characters to life on the page. An excellent addition to the genre.

ISBN:  978 0008608088

Publisher:  Avon

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  352 (paperback)

Purchase Link *

About the Author:

Born in Scotland, Emma travelled the world as the child of military parents. Finally she settled in Southern Spain with her husband, daughters, and rescue dog, Pip. Emma works as a journalist for English language magazines and newspapers in Spain and in 2015 launched The Glass House Online Magazine. When not writing emotional book club fiction, you can find her by the sea dreaming up new stories, or wrapped in a blanket with a book in her hand.

Purchase Link *

(book courtesy of the publisher)

(author photo and bio. info. courtesy of Kate Nash Literary Agency)

(all opinions are my own)

*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.

The Notekeeper by Hannah Treave - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

The lights of the runway dazzled up ahead. It was as though the twinkling blue and white lights had been arranged especially for her - a reminder that she had made the right choice. As the twin engines roared into life, she took a deep breath. The rumble of power beneath her would carry her thousands of miles away. This was it. No going back.

As the aircraft accelerated, she fixed her gaze on the lights. They flashed past so quickly they looked like one great line rather than individual dots. And then they were up, the plane soaring into the Australian night sky with all the grace and elegance of a leaping ballet dancer. She let out a loud gasp, the realisation of what she had done hitting her with such force she disturbed the sleeping passenger beside her.

***

In order to love again, first she’ll need to learn how to live again...

Following a tragedy, Zoe flees Australia and makes a life for herself in the UK. Two years later, working as a care nurse in Bath and knowing just how much comfort last words can bring, Zoe has taken it upon herself to become a notekeeper - writing down the final thoughts of her patients and delivering them to their loved ones.

Zoe’s new boss, Ben, isn’t happy about her getting so involved in the patients’ lives. Even as they clash, they both begin to realize that facing one’s past is the only way to move on. But life is never straightforward, especially for Zoe. In finally opening up her heart after all these years, is she about to have it broken all over again?

***

I enjoyed reading this book very much and becoming aquainted with the cast of characters.

The main character, Zoe, is multi-faceted and her journey to healing is a heartfelt and moving one. Running away from grief, and working as a nurse in a hospice she is constantly reminded of her own loss. However, this is not a depressing book but is thoughtful and sensitive, although many readers may do well to have a handkerchief tucked into their sleeve. 

The author handles the subject matter carefully and skillfully. The main theme in the book is that of dying and bereavement but ultimately it is an uplifting and hopeful novel. There were many joyous moments in the book, with the other characters playing a vital, and meaningful role. I particularly liked Miles, Zoe's colleage and fellow Australian. He brought humour and fun to the story.

Written in a light and accessible style this is a book that can be read in a two or three sittings. I certainly found myself being lured back to it when I had to put it down and I definitely read past my bedtime.

I will read other books by this author. This is the first book published under the pseudonym of Hannah Treave but she has released several books under the name of Fiona Ford, of which I soon hope to become acquainted. 

ISBN:978 1804361290

Publisher: Canelo

Formats: e-book, audio, paperback

No. of Pages: 352 (paperback)

Triggers: Death of a child, dying, grief, bereavement, cancer.

About the Author:

Hannah Treave is the pseudonym for Fiona Ford, an experienced freelance journalist and prolific novelist. She has written for the national press for many years (far too many to count) and is the author of the bestselling Liberty Girls series published by Penguin Random House. She lives in Berkshire with her husband and two cats and when she's not writing can be found in the gym desperately trying to exercise her way out of diet that is filled with just a little bit too much cake.

(ARC courtesy of Love Book Tours)

(author photo courtesy of Blake Friedmann)

(author bio courtesy of Amazon)

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy - #BookReview

Dear Harold,

This may come to you as some surprise. I know it is a long time since we last met, but recently I have been thinking a lot about the past. Last year I had an operation on a tumour, but the cancer has spread and there is nothing left to be done. I am at peace and comfortable but I would like to thank you for the friendship you showed me all those years ago. Please send my regards to your wife. I still think of David with fondness.

With best wishes, QH

When Queenie Hennessy discovers Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her, and that all she must do is wait, she is shocked. Her note to him had explained she was dying. How can she wait?

She must write again, someone says. But this time she must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets hidden for twenty years she will find atonement for the past.

Queenie thought her first letter would be the end of the story. She was wrong. It was just the beginning.

                                                                          

Ms. Joyce insists that this is not a sequel to her previous book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, but is a companion volume and I completely agree. This does not follow on from her earlier book but is written from Queenie's perspective as she lies in the hospice awaiting Harold's arrival.

Incidentally, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, was one of my Top Ten books of 2017 and I heartily recommend reading it if you have not already done so. It will also enhance your reading of this novel, although this book will still make sense if you have not previously read it. However, Harold's journey is well worth reading about. I did not think that I could possibly enjoy this companion book as much as I had enjoyed reading about Harold's journey in the previous book but how wrong could I be? 

Written with wisdom, compassion and understanding this book was a joy to read. Following Queenie on her emotional journey alongside Harold's actual journey gave real insight into their lives. Having previously read the narrative of Harold's walk I further enjoyed accompanying Queenie on her journey through her past and reading how her story interlinked with Harold's.

This is a fantastic novel and a wonderful piece of writing. If you hold any pre-conceived ideas regarding a hospice as a mournful, dreary place then this book will blow those ideas completely out of the water. The author brings alive the characters in the hospice in a way that had the ability to make me laugh and cry simultaneously. 

However, this is not a book about dying. Rather it is about living every moment to the full. It is about love, redemption and how each of us plays a part in the life of others. It has a very real feel-good factor about it and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did.

ISBN: 978 1784160302

Publisher:  Black Swan

About the Author:

Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestseller The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Music Shop and Perfect. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize and long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and has been translated into thirty-four languages. She was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards 'New Writer of the Year' in December 2012 and shortlisted for 'Writer of the Year' 2014.

She is also the author of the short story volumes A Faraway Smell of Lemon and A Snow Garden and Other Stories.

She is the award-winning writer of over thirty original afternoon plays and classic adaptations for BBC Radio 4.

Rachel Joyce lives with her family in Gloucestershire.