The Self-Made Saint by Alexandra Addams - #bookreview #blogtour

"Best get on with it before you go under it."

The Blurb

Judith Drainger has always played life by her own rules. But these days life seems to be playing her right back.

Divorced, orphaned and forcibly retired, 59-year-old Judith is determined to seize the opportunity to leave her broken home in London and move across the world to Australia. Here she reunites with her estranged adult daughter Cassandra – only to land smack bang in the emotional quagmire of her daughter’s anger and abandonment issues. To make matters worse, Judith can see her new granddaughter Emily has a serious health issue, but her offers of help are ignored and rejected.

When an accident knocks her off her feet, Judith is swamped by the kindly care of her nosy new neighbours. Yet, when given a chance to become a part of their community, Judith shocks even herself by making a series of unforgivable blunders. Realizing if she’s to have any hope of reuniting her family, well-meaning but stubborn curmudgeon Judith must learn the power of saying ‘sorry’ - and what it actually means to be a good person.

My Review

Hidden between the covers of this book is a real gem.

The main character is Judith. She is bad-tempered, curmudgeonly and irascible. She has left England and gone to live near her daughter, Cassandra, and baby granddaughter, Emily, in Australia, in order to rescue her from an unhappy relationship and take her and Emily away to live with her. However, the reality is that Cassandra is very happy in her relationship and has no intention of going anywhere - let alone with the mother with whom she has abandonment issues. 

Judith was a fabulous character.  She is complex and flawed, and it made her such an interesting character to spend time with. She is also highly relatable. I think most readers, especially those of us who have adult children, will find a little of themselves in Judith.

The author demonstrated real skill in her depiction of the characters and their various interactions. They all came very much to life on the page, from the handsome man next door to the dog walker who allowed his dog to toilet by Judith's house. Even the minor characters are well-nuanced.

I enjoyed being immersed in the environment and the characters, both Judith and those around her. The Australian setting was perfect and well portrayed. This was a fabulous book to read. Despite Judith's irascibility, it was impossible not to like her, and I loved observing how her character developed through the book.

This is a fantastic debut novel and I can't wait to see what the author brings us in the future. If this novel is anything to judge by then she is definitely one to watch.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1962931175

Publisher:  High Frequency Press

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  266 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Blackwells

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

You can also find Alexandra at:

Instagram

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(ARC and media courtesy of the publicist)

(all opinions are my own)

No. 23 Burlington Square by Jenni Keer - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Number 23 Burlington Square, Kensington. It had taken Mercy a while to find as she wasn't familiar with this part of London, and one grand Georgian terrace looked much like another. The green panelled door stood at the top of five wide stone steps, and she rapped loudly on the brass knocker, gripping her crocodile skin handbag tight.

The style of bag was dated, purchased many years ago by her mother, but it had great sentimental value to Mercy. She didn't have many nice things and no one had brought her gifts for so many years - but then all the people who had truly loved her were dead now...

***

London, 1927: One house. Three lives. A decision that will change everything. A powerful, unique timeslip story, perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Miniaturist, and Lucinda Riley.

On the morning of Friday 5th August, 1927, Miss Agnes Humphries – the landlady of the attractive, if-slightly-shabby, white-fronted townhouse at Number 23 Burlington Square – has a decision to make.

The rooms of the second floor lie empty, since poor Mr Blandford’s unfortunate demise, God rest his soul. And Agnes must make up her mind as to who will be her new lodger… Will it be her spirited, young niece Clara, who drifts through the glamorous world of London’s Bright Young Things? Or Stephen, the sensible, church-going, respectable banker who seems just be too good to be true? Or the timid war widow named Mercy, who is clearly running from something – or someone…?

Agnes must choose between them. But what will her decision lead to? One of the choices could result in scandal, one in devastation, and one could even lead to happiness. If only she gets it right…

As all three lodgers enter Number 23, in alternate timelines, relationships are formed and destroyed, feathers are ruffled, and secrets are exposed. Three different choices. Three very different paths. And Agnes is to discover that nobody – including herself – is quite who they seem…

***

I frequently read more than one book at the same time, and I tend to find one of them calls to me more often than the other. I consider this as the call of a good book, at least in comparison to the others that I am partway through.

In the case of this book, I could not stop myself going back to it and the others which I was reading were put on hold. I adored this book from its very first page to its last and I could not leave it until it was finished.

The central aspect to the story is Agnes Humphries, the owner of the titular property and who takes in lodgers. When the rooms on the second floor become vacant, Agnes interviews three potential occupants, her wayward niece, Clara, the respectable Mr. Stephen Thompson who works in a bank and Mrs. Mercy Mayweather, a meek and quiet widow but whom Agnes suspects is hiding something.

The author then skillfully portrays these three alternate scenarios in which she offers the accommodation to each of them. It was this that elevated this book from a good foundation for a story to a superb book to read.

Agnes and her other lodgers remain consistent throughout the three story lines, and they each have a part to play in the stories of Clara, Stephen and Mercy. However, Agnes is the main character and her backstory is filtered through as the individual stories progress. She is a delightful personality upon which the whole novel revolves. She cares deeply about those around her, is outspoken but always thoughtful.

I appreciated how skillfully the author brought all of her characters together in the epilogue. This is not a spoiler but it is testament to how well rounded and completely the author concluded her book. It has a lovely feel good factor to it and it was a delight to read.

The things that I took away from this book are that family are not necessarily those we are bound to by blood. Rather, it is the emotional connection through friendship which we forge with others that bind us closely together.

If this book is anything to judge by then I cannot wait to read more from Jenni Keer.

ISBN: 978 1785139611

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback - currently available on KindleUnlimited

No. of Pages:  424 (paperback)

About the Author:

Jenni Keer is the well-reviewed author of historical romances, often with a mystery at their heart. Most recently published by Headline and shortlisted for the 2023 RNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year, her first book with Boldwood The House on Burlington Square will be released in October 2023.

(ARC courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Semi-Detached by Deborah Stone - #promo #spotlight @DeborahStone_ @KellyALacey @lovebookstours

 

Not only is it the first day of May today but it is also a bank holiday here in the UK. I hope you all have a lovely day.

Today is also publication day for Semi-Detached by Deborah Stone.

Semi-Detached is a thrilling psychological drama from the bestselling author of What’s Left Unsaid and Me and My Shadow.

The Blurb

Bill and Amanda are living in a semi-detached house, stuck in a depressing rut of boredom and disappointment, when Terry and Fiona – glamorous, successful and very much in love – move in next door. Despite their different outlooks on life, the couples befriend each other and life appears to improve for both pairs. But all is not what it seems, and their increasingly interconnected relationships are fated for tragedy.

(book info courtesy of Love Book Tours)