BOOK REVIEW: Grown Ups by Marian Keyes

They're a glamorous family, the Caseys.

Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together - birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it.

Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much . . .

Everything stays under control until Ed's wife Cara, gets concussion and can't keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny's birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets.

In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it's time - finally - to grow up?

Publisher: Michael Joseph

February 6th 2020

I am a huge fan of Marian Keyes and have read every single one of her fabulous books. I always let out an excited shriek when I learn that she has a new one coming out. Grown Ups has many of Marian Keyes’ trademarks which I was glad of but it almost felt like the most honest and tender book she has written. 

The story revolves around the Casey family, Johnny, Ed and Liam are brothers and are very different as are their wives, Jessie, Cara and Nell. Jessie is the one with the successful business and a lot of money so she is the one to arrange the lavish family events that brings them all together. As with all families, not everybody gets on all the time and there is a lot of drama. However, this is magnified when Ed’s wife Cara attends a family meal after hitting her head. Her concussion leads her to deliver some home truths to some members of the family, it provides a wake up call that will shake the Casey’s up, they probably won’t be the same again.

Grown Ups is so, so well done. There are a lot of characters involved but once I had it in my head who was who and how they were all connected then I became completely engrossed in their individual stories. I don’t want to give too much away but Keyes packs a huge amount into this book, we have addiction, love, family, friendships, anxiety, ambition and much more. Using a family unit to explore all of these different issues is an excellent idea as it really strips the characters bare, you can rarely hide things from your own family and when you have a large extended family then issues almost become magnified.

My favourite characters were Nell and Ferdia and the bond that they form, it was handled so well and I loved their parts of the book. Nell is a great character, she has married into the family and her husband Liam is not shaping up to be who she thought he was. But what do you do if you like your husband’s family more than your husband?

Marian Keyes has written openly about her experience of mental health and I felt as though she used her own knowledge and perspective of addiction to offer an excellent insight. One of the characters has an addiction within the book and Keyes presents it warts and all. I liked how she did not tip-toe around the problem but instead showed the impact and consequences it has plus the ways in which it affects the wider family and friends.

Grown Ups is an excellent book and showcases Marian Keyes’ immense talent, I cannot recommend it enough.  Many thanks to Michael Joseph for allowing me to review this book via Netgalley, it is out in February!

BOOK REVIEW: The Break by Marian Keyes

'Myself and Hugh... we're taking a break.'
'A city-with-fancy-food-sort of break?'
If only, Amy's husband Hugh says he isn't leaving her. He still loves her, he's just taking a break- from their marriage, their children and most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in South-East Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it. Yes, it's a mid-life crisis, but lets be clear; a break isn't a break-up-yet. However, for Amy it's enough to send her- along with her extended family of gossips, misfits and trouble-makers, teetering over the edge. For a lot can happen in six months. When Hugh returns, if he returns, will he be the same man she married? And will Amy be the same woman? Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then isn't she?
The Break isn't a story about falling in love but staying in love. 

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Pages: 576

Publication date: 7th September

I have read and loved every single one of Marian Keyes' books and I didn't think she could get any better but I was WRONG!
Amy and Hugh are on a six month break, Hugh wants to go travelling to South-East Asia  and whilst he is gone, he wants both of them to behave as though they are single. He wants them to forget about their marriage, the children they are raising and their every day lives. Amy is devastated and angry but she knows she has to let him get it out of his system. When a friend points out that it also means that Amy is on a break  and can do what she likes, she begins to look at the situation differently; what or who would she like to do while he's away?
The Break is Marian's sexiest book; it feels much more grown up than her others. Don't worry, she hasn't gone all Fifty Shades but there are plenty of sex scenes and they are brilliantly done. They in no way feel like they are included to titillate but they are integral to the story and go a long way to show how Amy is thinking and feeling. Hugh going tears her apart and the relationship she has while he is away  highlights the damage he has done and you begin to wonder if they will ever be able to be together again?
Marian Keyes, as usual gets the balance just right in The Break. The emotions are raw and passionate but I also lost count of the amount of times I laughed out loud. Not just a little chuckle but a full on belly laugh! This is why Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors, she is still a master of this fantastic genre.
The Break is brilliant and I can't recommend it enough; the characters are well rounded, the plot will keep you gripped and the emotions are expertly explored. Do not miss this book!

Many thanks to Michael Joseph for allowing me to review this book via Netgalley.  

BOOK REVIEW: Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes

Welcome to the magnificent Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes- A bold, brilliant book bursting with Marian's hilarious and heartfelt observations on modern life, love and much, much more else besides. Such as? You are determined to ask. Well, how about her guide to breaking up with your hairdresser? Or the warning she has for us all after a particularly traumatic fling with fake tan. There's the pure and bounteous joy of the nail varnish museum. Not to mention the very best lies to tell if you find yourself on an Arctic cruise. She has words of advice for those fast approaching fifty. And she's here to tell you the secret truth about writers- well this one anyway.
You'll be wincing in recognition and scratching your head in incredulity, but like Marian herself you won't be able to stop laughing at the sheer delightful absurdity that is modern life- because each and every one of us is clearly making it up as we go along.

Publisher: Michael Joseph

I cannot fully convey my excitement when I saw that Marian Keyes had a new book out. I have read every single book by this fabulous author and I think that Making It Up As I Go Along is going to make her readers very happy.
The book is a collection of articles written by Marian, some have already been published but others have never been in print before. It is perfect to dip in and out of if you wish or devour entirely. I find Marian's writing so friendly and inviting; it is as though she is sitting across the table from you, having a chat.
There were so many moments when I thought 'I'm so glad it's not just me that has happened to' and that is what Marian does best, her honesty is endearing it makes you want to keep turning the pages.
Serious topics are also covered such as Marian's depression and addictive personality, it's so refreshing to have someone just tell it like it is rather than using fancy jargon or trying to paint the best picture.
This is not  a long review as in reality all I can tell you is that this book is simply wonderful, Making It Up As I Go Along is a breath of fresh air and a book that I will revisit again and again!

Many thanks to Michael Joseph for allowing me to review this book via Netgalley.

BOOK REVIEW: The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes

One day, sitting in traffic, married Dublin mum Stella Sweeny attempts a good deed. The resulting car crash changes her life.
For she meets a man who wants her telephone number (for the insurance, it turns out). That's okay she doesn't really like him much anyway (his Range Rover totally banjaxed her car).
But in this meeting is born the seed of something which will take Stella thousands of miles from her old life, turning an ordinary woman into a superstar, and, along the way, wrenching her whole family apart.
Is this all because of one ill-advised act of goodwill? Was meeting Mr Range Rover destiny or karma? Should she be grateful or hopping mad?
For the first time real, honest-to-goodness happiness is just within her reach. But is Stella Sweeny, Dublin housewife ready to grasp it?

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 6th November

Blimey a lot of people are talking about this book, I was a little frightened to start it. I am a massive fan of Marian Keyes so I was shocked to see a fair amount of negativity surrounding this book in the book blogging world. However, the majority of it seemed to be in the formatting of the proof. It was a little messy and I could see why people got annoyed but I didn't think it was the worst proof copy I have ever read. The formatting paled into insignificance for me though as overall I thought that this book was tremendous.
The main reason I love Marian Keyes is that she writes about real issues, she doesn't sugar-coat and she shows that not every story has to have a happy ending. It doesn't have to have an awful ending just to shock etc but it can have a realistic finale where the main character doesn't get everything they want.
Stella Sweeny is a great character she she is pretty ordinary and then two extraordinary things happen to her; she gets extremely ill but then her illness somehow turns her into a best-selling author travelling the US on several book tours. We meet Stella after all this though when she's down on her luck and back in Dublin. The book then shows exactly how she's got to that point.
A large portion of the first part of the book involves Stella being in hospital and I thought that this was portrayed very well. Marian Keyes showed everything from the sheer terror of being so ill, the boredom of being stuck in hospital and the consequences for the family unit when one person has a debilitating illness.
Stella has a love interest in the book but I don't want to spoil the plot by giving too much away. But I will say that I very much developed a crush on this character as the book progressed and I felt myself getting angry with Stella when she did something that could jeopardise their relationship.
The Woman Who Stole My Life, in my opinion, is a fantastic book. A lot of reviews have said that it is very different to Marian's other books but I can't agree. I felt that it was distinctively Marian Keyes; not in a boring and predictable way but in such a way that you know you are in the safe hands of an excellent author. The book is dark in places but it is realistic and this is balanced out with brilliant humour and wit.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, don't let the negativity about the formatting put you off as it is just the proof copy and you would be a fool to miss out on the finished product.

Many thanks to Michael Joseph for letting me review this book via Net Galley. 

Fabulous Fridays: Chick Lit

I have been thinking about this post for a while but have been putting it off as I hate, hate, hate the term Chick lit! I think it has far too many derogatory connotations yet it is one of my favourite genres to read. So off I went to get a definition of what Chick Lit is and I found this:

Chick Lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood...

This still isn't great as it still sounds a bit feminist and bra burning to me but I interpret it as books about women! I am a woman and therefore it is likely that I am going to enjoy reading books about other women, I hold my hands up to the fact that I very rarely read books with a male lead character or written by a man. I think this is a subconscious choice, I do have a few male authors who I enjoy but it is mainly books by female authors sitting on my TBR pile.

So sorry for the preamble but here is a list of some of my favourite chick-lit books and inadvertently this list also includes all of my favourite chick-lit authors. These are the writers I go to when I want a great story, likeable characters, a bit of drama and the odd happy ending. These are the authors that I get excited about having a new book out as I just know that I am guaranteed a treat! 

I apologise right now if you don't agree with my definition of Chick Lit but I hope that some of these books might be of interest to you, just click on the title to read my review!

Have a lovely weekend

Dot
xxx 

The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson (Simon & Schuster, 492 pages) Life is full of second chances...if only you keep your heart open for them.
Spring Hill Square is a pretty sanctuary away from the bustle of everyday life. And at its centre is Leni Merryman's Teashop on the Corner, a place where three people will find a friend to lean on.
Carla Pride has just discovered that her late husband Martin was not who she thought he was. But now she must learn to put her marriage behind her and move forward.
Molly Jones' ex-husband Harvey has reappeared in her life after many years, wanting to put right the wrongs of the past before it's too late.
And Will Linton's business has gone bust and his wife has left him to pick up the pieces. Now he needs to gather the strength to start again.
Can all three find the comfort they are looking for in The Teashop on the Corner? And as their hearts are slowly mended by Leni, can they return the favour when she needs in the most?

Thirteen Weddings by Paige Toon (Simon & Schuster, 422 pages) Sometimes you just have to step out of the light to see clearly again...

Bronte never expected to see Alex after their one night together, but she never stopped thinking of him. So when she arrives at work one day to find that Alex is a new colleague, she is secretly thrilled. The only problem is that Alex is now engaged to the girl he was on a break from the night they met.
Determined to move on, Bronte becomes a part-time wedding photographer, alongside her day job. Surrounded by loving couples, tearful bridesmaids, mischievous  pageboys and interfering mother-in-laws, she struggles through wedding after wedding whilst he heart is slowly torn apart.
As Alex's own wedding day draws ever nearer, their chemistry becomes harder to ignore. Bronte must decide whether to fight for the man she loves, or to let him go forever. 

You're The One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher (Penguin, 400 pages) Maddy, Ben and Robert have been inseparable since they met in the school playground. They've stuck together through thick and thin, feeling safe in the knowledge that they have each other.
So when Ben falls hopelessly in love with Maddy, he decides to keep it quiet for the sake of their friendship. Until Robert swoops in and kisses Maddy- irrevocably fracturing things between them as the kiss turns to love.
But when Robert and Maddy's love turns sour, can Ben continue to say nothing? And can Maddy choose between her two best friends?

Take a Look at Me Now by Miranda Dickinson (Avon, 416 pages) When Nell's on-off boyfriend Aidan calls her into his office, the last thing she expects is to lose her job. Heartbroken and unemployed, she makes a radical decision to blow her redundancy cheque and escape to San Francisco. But is the glamour of the city too good to be true? And can Nell leave her past behind?

A Cottage by the Sea by Carole Matthews (Sphere, 448 pages) Grace had always been best friends with Ella and Flick. The late night chats, shared heartaches and good times have created a bond that has stood the test of time.
When Ella invites them to stay for a week in her cottage in South Wales, Grace jumps at the chance to see her old friends. She also hopes that the change of scenery will help her reconnect with her distant husband.
Then Flick arrives: lovable, bubbly, incorrigible Flick, accompanied by the handsome and charming Noah.
This is going to be one week that will change all of their lives forever...

The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes (Penguin, 624 pages) Helen Walsh doesn't believe in fear- it's just a thing invented by man to get all the money and good  jobs- and yet she's sinking . Her work as a private investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced.
Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing person case/ Money is tight- so tight Helen's had to move back with her elderly parents- and Jay is awash with cash. The missing person is Wayne Diffney, the 'wacky one' from boyband Laddz.
He's vanished from his house in Mercy Close and it's vital that he's found- Laddz have a sell-out comeback gig in five days time.
Things ended messily with Jay. And she's never going back there. Besides she has a new boyfriend now, the very sexy detective Artie Devlin and it's all going well, even though his ex-wife isn't quite 'ex' enough and his teenage son hates her. But the reappearance of Jay is stirring up all kinds of stuff she thought she'd left behind.
Playing by her own rules, Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world, where her worst enemy is her own head and where increasingly she feels connected to Wayne, a man she's never even met. 

To The Moon and Back by Jill Mansell (Headline, 416 pages) When Ellie Kendall loses her husband Jamie in an accident she feels her world has come to an end. But life has to go on and eventually she's ready for a new start- at work, that is. She definitely doesn't need a new man, not while she has a certain secret visitor to keep her company...
Entrepreneur Zack McLaren seems to have it all, but the girl he can't stop thinking about won't give him a second glance. Why can't she pay him the kind of attention she lavishes on Elmo, his time share dog?
Having moved  to an exclusive flat in North London, Ellie becomes friendly with neighbour Roo who's harbouring a secret of her own. Between them, can both girls sort out their lives? Guilt is a powerful emotion, but a lot can happen in a year in Primrose Hill...

Book Review: The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes

Helen Walsh doesn't believe in fear- it's just a thing invented by man to get all the money and good  jobs- and yet she's sinking . Her work as a private investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced.
Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing person case/ Money is tight- so tight Helen's had to move back with her elderly parents- and Jay is awash with cash. The missing person is Wayne Diffney, the 'wacky one' from boyband Laddz.
He's vanished from his house in Mercy Close and it's vital that he's found- Laddz have a sell-out comeback gig in five days time.
Things ended messily with Jay. And she's never going back there. Besides she has a new boyfriend now, the very sexy detective Artie Devlin and it's all going well, even though his ex-wife isn't quite 'ex' enough and his teenage son hates her. But the reappearance of Jay is stirring up all kinds of stuff she thought she'd left behind.
Playing by her own rules, Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world, where her worst enemy is her own head and where increasingly she feels connected to Wayne, a man she's never even met. 

 Marian Keyes is back with a wonderful new book. The Mystery of Mercy Close is a Walsh family book, this time focusing on Helen. At the start of the book, Helen is pretty low, she has no work, no flat and her depression is rearing it's ugly head.She doesn't want to take anything from her ex-boyfriend Jay Parker but she is desperate, so when he offers her a missing person case, she simply can't say no. It's a pretty exciting case;. Wayne Diffney from huge Irish boyband Laddz has gone missing days before their big comeback gig. Helen can't stand to be around Jay, especially now she has found Artie. But can she deal with Artie's family baggage and can he deal with her depression?
The Mystery of Mercy Close struck so many chords with me. Marian Keyes writes honestly and in-depth about depression. Having suffered with depression myself, I greatly identified with Helen and the battle she faces on a daily basis. I think depression and the feelings it creates can be so hard to explain to others but there were so many times when I read this book when I thought yes it is exactly like that.
Whist The Mystery of Mercy Close has a serious side, it still has a huge amount of Marian Keyes humour. Marian Keyes always writes about the serious side of life but somehow manages to create a variety of laugh out loud moments with her characters and the situations she places them in.
I have always been a massive fan of Marian Keyes and I have read all of her books. Keyes truly is a fabulous writer and I do not think that anybody will be disappointed by The Mystery of Mercy Close.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Many thanks to the lovely people at Michael Joseph for sending me a copy of the book to review, The Mystery of Mercy Close is published today!

Book Review: The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes

As any regular visitors to my blog will know, I was just a little bit excited about reading the new Marian Keyes book. I have taken my time with The Brightest Star in the Sky and really enjoyed it. There's a fair few characters so I'll give you a little overview of the inhabitants of 66 Star Street, the address in Dublin where this tale takes place:

In the top floor flat lives music exec Katie. She spends her days fighting off has-been rock stars and wondering how much cheesecake you'd need to eat yourself to death.
Below her, a pair of muscular Poles share with a streetwise cabbie named Lydia, who has a sharp tongue, an even sharper brain but some unexpected soft spots.
On the first floor is Fionn- a gardener who prefers the company of parsnips to people. But he looks like a fairy-tale prince and when he's offered his own television show, he's suddenly thrust into the limelight.
And at the bottom of the house live Maeve and Matt, who are Very Much In Love and who stave off despair by doing random acts of kindness.
But a mysterious visitor has just landed at 66 Star Street and big changes are on the way. Old secrets are working their way to the surface, bringing love, tragedy and unexpected optimism. And life will be different for everyone...

So as you can see there are quite a few characters to follow but Marian Keyes manages to link them perfectly. I don't usually like books with lots of characters to keep track of but I didn't feel confused at any point as they all feature consistently throughout. I have always enjoyed the characters that Keyes creates and this lot did not disappoint. By having 66 Star Street as a central point, Keyes is able to bring a varied bunch of people together in a very believable manner. I think that my favourite character was the feisty Lydia, hard as nails but with a heart of gold.
Many people felt that Marian Keyes' last book, This Charming Man, was a little serious compared to her other writing. I think it did have a darker side but that it was dealt with in a very Marian Keyes manner. The Brightest Star in the Sky also explores some pretty heavy issues and there are many poignant moments within the book. However, Keyes' wit and humour is still present throughout and personally I think that it is this humour which allows her to explore darker subjects in such a sensitive way.
The mysterious visitor to Star Street is not revealed until the very last page and I was guessing right up until the very end. I loved the use of the mysterious visitor though as it allowed the reader to get to the very core of the characters whilst adding an air of mystery that kept me turning the pages.
I may be a little biased in this review as I am such a fan of Marian Keyes but I do think that this is one of her best. As with all her books, you get a brilliant story with some fantastic characters but there is real depth to the book too. The Brightest Star in the Sky left me with a profound feeling of hope, hope that if we surround ourselves with the people who love and care for us then we can face anything that life throws at us,

Super Thursday!

So it was Super Thursday yesterday!! Apparently nearly 800 books have been published just in time for Christmas! So what took your fancy then? I didn't go to the shops yesterday but I did have a good look on the Internet to see what might happen to accidentally fall into my shopping basket at the weekend! At the moment I have quite a few books on my wish list, it's my birthday this month though so I am hoping that some of them will be finding their way to my bookcase!
Top of my list is The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern, I have loved all of her books so far and this one sounds just as good, she brings a real fairy-tale element to her stories yet they are still entirely believable. I am really looking forward to reading Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor, this hasn't been published yet but it sounds like it's going to be a really good read and the cover is gorgeous! I've heard really good things about Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger so that is on the list too, as well as Kate Harrison's The Secret Shopper Unwrapped and of course Marian Keye's new book which is out at the end of the month, The Brightest Star in the Sky!! It's going to be a good winter for reading this year, lots of lovely new books to choose from!!

61 Days to go!!!

I know that loads of people have written about Marian Keyes' new book The Brightest Star in the Sky which is released on October 29th but I have just realised how excited I am about this! 61 days to go, I was hoping it would be out in time for my birthday (October 20th) as then it could have gone on my wish list but it's only a few weeks after.
Watermelon was the first Marian Keyes book that I read when on one of those awful holidays you have to go on with your parents as you're just that little bit too young to stay at home and fend for yourself. This book was definitely my introduction to the world of Chick Lit and I don't think that I could have started with a better author. Since then I have devoured every single book she has written as they come out and loved every single one of them. A lot of people have said that This Charming Man had a very different feel to Marian Keyes' other books and I think it did as it was a little bit darker but the way she dealt with the issues in that book was excellent and the humour and witty dialogue were still there in abundance.
The Brightest Star in the Sky does not sound like it is going to disappoint either:

At 66, Star Street in Dublin, someone is watching over the lives of the people living in its flats. But no one is aware of it- yet. One of them is ready to take the plunge and fall in love; another is torn between two very different lovers. For some, secrets they want to stay buried will come to light and for others, the unveiling of these secrets will have tragic consequences. Fate is on its way to Star Street, bringing with it love and tragedy, friendship and heartbreak, and the power to change their lives in the most unexpected of ways.

If you have not read a Marian Keyes book then you really are missing out, check out her website for some more information about her previous releases, or like me you can read the new one in just 61 days!!