Book Review: The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin

Here is the truth that can't be escaped: for Mia 'Rabbit' Hayes, life is coming to an end...
Rabbit Hayes loves her life, ordinary as it is, and the extraordinary people in it.
She loves her spirited daughter Juliet; her colourful, unruly family; the only man in her big heart, Johnny Faye.
But it turns our the world has other plans for Rabbit, and she's okay with that. Because she has plans for the world too, and only a handful of days to make them happen.
Here is a truth that won't be forgotten: this is a story about laughing through life's surprises and finding the joy in every moment. 

Publisher: Transworld

Pages: 362 

Publication Date: 1 January, 2015

I thought that The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes was an incredible read. Anna McPartlin knows how to tell a good story. Rabbit Haye's story was humbling and extremely powerful, the book left me in tears at the end and I just wanted to tell everyone about it.
Rabbit Hayes is dying, she only has days left and has just moved to a hospice. Having already beat breast cancer, Rabbit has had a long battle, it has now spread to her bones and she must prepare to say goodbye.
The book alternates between different character's perspectives which works beautifully as we get to hear Rabbit's inner thoughts then see Rabbit through the eyes of those who love her the most. It is heart-wrenching to see their reactions to her illness, their anger at seeing her suffering is very raw and I felt that this was a very believable and honest account of the devastation that cancer causes.
The story flits between the present day and the past where Rabbit remembers Johnny Faye. He was her only true love; he was in a band with her brother Davey but he too was taken too young. Although Rabbit has got on with her life and gone on to have her daughter Juliet, you get a real sense that she has never let Johnny go. Her memories of their time together gives her real comfort during her last days.
I completely fell in love with the Haye's family, their only concern is for Rabbit and to do the right by Juliet who she will have to leave behind. It was interesting to see how each member of the family dealt with it differently; at times they didn't agree about Rabbit's care or what should happen to Juliet but when it came down to it they pulled together as a family unit. So much humour cane from the Haye's family, especially Rabbit's mum Molly. Although this book made me cry, it also made me laugh out loud on many an occasion.
Anna McPartlin's writing style was very confident and fluid; the dialogue was particularly good and felt very natural. The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes makes you think about the importance of each day and appreciating the little things, I highly recommend this emotional read, just make sure you have some tissues ready.

Many thanks to Alice at Transworld for sending me a copy of this wonderful book to review.

BOOK REVIEW: Where Love Lies by Julie Cohen

Lately, Felicity just can't shake the shadow of uncertainty that has pervaded her life. Her husband Quinn is the kindest person she knows and loves her peculiarities more than Felicity feels she deserves, But suddenly it's as if she doesn't quite belong.
Then Felicity experiences something extraordinary: a scent of perfume in the air that evokes memories and feelings that have been settled deep within her for a long time, untouched and undisturbed. As it happens again and then again, the memories of a man Felicity hasn't been seen for ten years akso flutter to the surface, And so do the feelings of being deeply, exquisitely in love, or is it something else?

Publisher: Transworld

Pages: 368 pages

Where Love Lies is an excellent read, Julie Cohen has written a dark and interesting drama. Felicity is married to Quinn, a newspaper editor, she works from home as a childrens author and they live in a picturesque cottage in a tiny village. Everything is perfect but Felicity has changed and she has begun looking at life very differently. She has always been a little different, one of the many things that Quinn loves about her but her behaviour has become a little concerning. Felicity keeps experiencing episodes where she can smell the scent of Frangipani and this in turn sets off memories of a past relationship with her first love. At the end of these episodes Felicity is left feeling euphoric with love but not with her husband. She leaves the marital home to take some time to explore these feelings; she knows she is hurting Quinn but she also feels like he deserves so much more than her. What is causing these episodes and can she ignore them for the sake of her loving husband?
It's hard to review this book without giving the plot away and I don't want to as it's such a good one. Julie Cohen throws in some particularly good plot twists though, one at the end literally made me gasp out loud.
Felicity is a very complex character, I was still undecided by the end of the book as to whether I liked her or not. She has no control over the episodes she is having but I didn't necessarily agree with the way she dealt with it. I think this was partly because I felt quite protective of Quinn who was an extremely likable character. I felt as though he was constantly treading a thin line between protecting Felicity and giving her room to be herself.
Where Love Lies is an emotional read, you can really feel the turmoil that Felicity is in and her confusion as to why. Feelings are a huge part of the book, Julie Cohen explores what they mean and how they affect us, the ones we should and shouldn't have plus the ones we miss having.
Where Love Lies is a hard hitting drama with an excellent plot, Julie Cohen knows how to shock and enthrall her readers from the beginning to the end.

Many thanks to Transworld for sending me a review copy. 

Book Review: The Girl Below by Bianca Zander

After ten years in New Zealand, Suki returns to London, to a city that won't let her in. However, a chance visit with Peggy, an old family friend who still lives in the building where she grew up, convinces Suki that there is a way to reconnect with the life she left behind a decade earlier.
But the more she becomes involved with Peggy's dysfunctional family , including Peggy's wayward sixteen-year-old grandson, the more Suki finds herself mysteriously slipping back in time- to the night of a party her parents threw in their garden more than twenty years ago, when something happened in an old, long-unused air raid shelter...

If I had to sum up this book in one word then I would choose dysfunctional. Everything about it is dysfunctional, the characters, events, settings and emotions. Suki has returned to London after living in New Zealand for ten years. She has no family in the UK but she soon becomes embroiled in Peggy's family. Peggy used to live in the apartment above her when she was growing up. Suki has very vivid memories of her childhood and one night in particular. Her parents threw a party and then something happened in the old air raid shelter in their garden. Something that is still haunting Suki in the present.
I don't want to give the plot away but Suki spends a lot of time with Peggy's family and she comes to realise that she must exorcise the past as her memories are preventing her from having a future.
Bianca Znder writes quite a haunting tale. As a reader, I wasn't sure at times what was real and what was imagined by Suki. The book just oozes mystery, I was intrigued by Suki's past and seriously concerned for her future.
I would recommend this book, it gave me a lot to think about and the story really draws you in.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 4/5

Many thanks to Alma Books for sending me a copy to review, The Girl Below is published on February 24th.