BOOK REVIEW: About Last Night by Catherine Alliott

Molly has moved from London to rural Herefordshire chasing the good life. Swapping the tube for the saddle, she is living the country dream.
Apart from it isn't really her dream. It's her husband David's. And David is, well, rather dead now.
Then a distant relative of her late husband kicks the bucket, leaving a London townhouse in her possession, and Molly dares to consider chucking it all in. Quitting the Good Life and going back to her good life.
But there's a problem. A rather tall, handsome problem. In the shape of a man already living in Molly's new house. And when a face appears from her past, Molly is more confused than ever.
Will Molly's London dream replace her muddy reality? Do any of the men in her life have honourable intentions? And has she said goodbye to country life too soon?

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 400

I haven't read a book by Catherine Alliott for ages and I really enjoyed this one. Molly is barely holding it together  in rural Herefordshire. She has bills mounting up, three children to care for as well as a selection of farm animals to upkeep. It has been her husband David's dream to leave London and live in rural bliss. But David has been  dead for five years and Molly is at breaking point. Her mother saves the day with the news that David's rather wealthy uncle has died and with no other family, Molly can claim the lot, it is an answer to her prayers. The inheritance, including a beautiful house in Kensington could not have come at a better time but Molly starts to question whether she wants to go back to her old life or is she actually happy where she is? Throw in a dashing art dealer, a disgruntled but kind vet and Molly certainly has her hands full.
I was after a light and entertaining read when I chose this book and it was perfect. There were some aspects of Molly's character that I didn't like but it didn't put me off and I still wanted to her to make the right decision and be happy. The interactions between her and her three children, Lucy, Minna and Nico were brilliant and brought a lot of humour to the book. Molly is trying to be balance being a responsible mother whilst also finding some happiness for herself.
My favourite character in the book was Paddy, the vet; Molly just views him as a disgruntled, grumpy, judgemental man until her shows his true colours and comes to her rescue on more than one occasion.
The contrast between London and Herefordshire was very entertaining and it was very easy to see why Molly was so torn between the two. As we discover David's real reason for wanting to move out of London, it becomes obvious why Molly my have reservations about going back.
About Last Night is a funny, touching and enjoyable read. If you are looking to escape for a while then Molly's chaotic life would provide the perfect distraction.

Book Review: One Day in May by Catherine Alliott

Single mother Hattie has plenty of reasons to be happy. Her antiques business is flourishing, her teenage son is settled at boarding school and she's enjoying a fling with a younger, very sexy man. But when her job takes her back to the idyllic village of Little Crandon, painful memories of her first love- Dominic Forbes, the married politician she worked for years ago, the man who changed the course of her life- come flooding back.
Things come to a head when Hattie bumps into Dominic's widow and his gorgeous younger brother Hal, in the village and she finds her world turned upside-down. Will Hattie come clean about what really happened with Dominic all those years ago? And if she does, is she ready to face the consequences? Whatever happens, Hattie comes to realise that you can't keep running away from your mistakes. It's time to move on and maybe, just maybe, let herself fall in love again...

Catherine Alliott is a lovely writer and One Day in May did not disappoint. Hattie's character highlights how one event in life can change the whole course. She is a brilliant character, fall of flaws, making her very accessible.
One Day in May is 458 pages long, which seemed longer than Catherine Alliott's other books; I did find it harder to get into this one but once I was going along with the flow, I found it to be a really enjoyable read.
It's hard to review this book without giving too much away. Catherine Alliott springs several surprises on the reader, the final one of which I did not see coming at all.
This is a book that I would recommend; I find it so refreshing that Catherine Alliott is not afraid to show the darker sides of love and relationships. She does not present a picture-perfect ending in all of her books and this only serves to make them so much more believable.

Review: The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton by Catherine Alliott

I read my first Catherine Alliott book, A Crowded Marriage a few months ago and loved it so when I heard that Penguin were publishing her new book, I couldn't wait to get hold of a copy!
It has only taken me two days to read as I was completely gripped from the very first page. Evie Hamilton lives in Oxford with her best-selling author husband and their beautiful daughter Anna. They have a charming life but this is about to come to an end when a letter arrives on Evie's doormat. Suddenly her whole life feels as though it is under attack and nothing will be the same again. I don't want to give too much away about the plot but there are many twists and turns and a very big surprise at the end that I really did not see coming.
Catherine Alliott sets the scene perfectly; I love how she conjured up Evie's idyllic life in Oxford, surrounded by the university and the rich culture it has to offer. Equally as lovely and believable was the setting of Evie's family home, a farm in rural Oxfordshire, run by Evie's worn-out brother Tim and sister-in-law Caro. I could totally imagine these places and Catherine Alliott takes you below the surface to show you that things are not always as perfect as they seem and that you should not always assume that people are blissfully happy and content with their lot in life.
I really identified with the character of Evie Hamilton and her insecurities. Her strength lies in her honesty about how she is feeling; many people put on a facde but it seems that she is almost unable to.
I think that I am going to become a big fan of Catherine Alliott's books! I find her similar to Lisa Jewell and Marian Keyes in that her writing style is extremely witty and entertaining, especially the dialogue but the poignant moments are still there and always beautifully created.
If you want a book that will make you giggle but also stop and think then I would definitely recommend giving this a go!

Dot Scribbles Suggests...

I am always coming across new books that I would like to read and I have decided to start sharing them here with you on Dot Scribbles! These are the four that have caught my eye recently and they're all out this month so not too long to wait!

The Wake by Jeremy Page, published by Penguin on 30 July 2009

A field, a perfect morning, a family destroyed in a single moment.

Every night before he cuts the engine and lets the boat drift, Guy writes the diary of the man he should have been- of a husband with his wife and their young daughter; of a new family that may not have been perfect, but who were, at least, together. And every morning, as he's rocked in his berth by the waves all around, he wakes to the memory of that fateful day and the knowledge that things can never be the same.

Embarking on a moving and eventful journey from the calm estuaries of East Anglia to the southern states of America and the storm-filled waters of the North Sea, Guy meets Marta and her daughter Rhona who are on a life-affirming journey of their own...

The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton by Catherine Alliott published by Penguin on 9th July, 2009

I'm really excited about this book having only just read my first Catherine Alliott book, here's the idea behind this one:

Evie Hamilton has a secret. One she doesn't even know about. Yet...
She's blissfully unaware that her charmed and happy life is about to be turned upside down. And it all begins one sunny, Oxford morning when a letter- a ticking time bomb- lands on Evie's immaculate doormat. Something she never anticipated threatens to sabotage all that she holds dear. It's time for her to reappraise everything in her carefully arranged universe.
Is Evie string enough to fight for what she loves? What will be left and what will change forever? And can her world really be as fragile as her best china?

When Good Friends Go Bad by Ellie Campbell, published by Arrow on 30th July 2009.

All through school tomboy Jen, snobby Georgina, hippy Meg and gentle Rowan were inseparable. But when a childish prank turned bad their friendship was torn apart.
Twelve years later Rowan organised a reunion dinner and all did not go well. Rowan never appeared; Georgina's shocking secret was revealed; Meg behaved outrageously; and Jen finally decided it was time to move on. And that's just what she did for the following ten years...
Until now, when in the midst of her divorce Jen receives a desperate call from Meg. On a personal mission to track down Rowan, Meg manages to convince Georgina and Jen to put aside their differences and help her. But none of them even begin to imagine the extent to which their loyalties will be tested as their past finally catches up with them.

Temples of Delight by Barbara Trapido, published by Bloomsbury on 20th July, 2009.

Jem is a joyful mystery to Alice. She is something to give thanks for. And when she disappears from Alice's life, as suddenly as she entered it, a whirl of glamour, subversion and literary references, Alice is left bereft. But then she meets Giovanni, presumptuous and hectoring, passionate and beautiful, who leads her back to her childhood friend and the mystery and chaos still surrounding her. Alice find herself being seduced all over again...

I love the front cover for this book and I think that the character of Giovanni sounds extremely interesting!! Have you heard anything about any of these books?

A Crowded Marriage by Catherine Alliott

I've never really taken the time to pick up a Catherine Alliott book for some reason, however this one found it's way into my basket and I'm extremely glad that it did. The story revolves round Imogen Cameron, her husband Alex and their son Rufus. The Camerons are experiencing financial troubles so they have to leave their house and life in London and accept Eleanor Latimer's offer of a rent-free cottage on her large country estate. The problem is that Eleanor is Alex's glamorous ex and Imogen already has her suspicions.
So they relocate to the country and settle into Shepherd's Cottage which comes complete with sheep, chickens and cows that Imogen is expected to look after. Life becomes very busy, Rufus has to be settled into a new school; Imogen has many encounters with the bossy but handsome vet and Alex and Eleanor seem to be spending far too much time together. Although Imogen had not welcomed the move to the country she does find that she is able to re-invigorate her painting career and begins to think that she could become very happy in the country. There are many twists and turns in the story as the situation finally comes to a head. I did not expect the ending at all which was a nice surprise really as books in this genre can sometimes be a little predictable.
A Crowded Marriage made me laugh out loud on several occasions and I think that Catherine Alliot creates extremely witty dialogue between her lovely characters. I will definitely be reading another Catherine Alliot book, I just hope the rest are as good as this one!