Book Review: Love at First Flight by Tess Woods

Looking back at it now, I can see it was instant.
The second we locked eyes. Boom. Just like that.
The Me I had spent a lifetime perfecting began its disintegration from that moment. And despite the carnage it brought to all our lives, I still don't regret it.
What would you risk to be with the love of your life? And what if your soul mate is the one who will destroy you?
Mel is living the dream. She's a successful GP, married to a charming anaesthetist and raising a beautiful family in their plush home in Perth. But when she boards a flight to Melbourne, she meets Matt and her picture-perfect Stepford life unravels as she falls in love for the first time ever.
What begins as a flirty conversation between strangers quickly develops into a hot and obsessive affair with disastrous consequences neither Mel nor Matt could have seen coming. Mel's dream life turns into her worst nightmare. 

Publisher: Aus Impulse

Pages: 283

Tess Woods has written a very entertaining, sexy and thought-provoking debut in Love at First Flight. Mel is a happily married mother of two, working part-time as a GP. She is married to a very successful doctor and life couldn't be more perfect. That is until she meets Matt on board a flight to a weekend away with her best friend. They have an inst
ant connection and this leads her to question how happy she really is. When did her husband last pay her a compliment? When did they last have amazing sex? Matt is also taken, engaged and planning his wedding but he feels like his world has been turned upside down when he meets Mel, he can't get her out of his head.
It's pretty obvious form the blurb that Matt and Mel go on to have an affair. This is not a hearts and flowers ending though; the consequences of their actions are devastating. This, I wasn't expecting; when I started the book, I thought it might be a little predictable and I would be reading about them skipping off into the sunshine. Instead Tess Woods presents a very honest account of how individuals and families are affected by infidelity. I felt that she dealt with the situation very well, she doesn't set out wanting you to love her characters etc, she is just showing you how it is.
If I have one criticism of this book then it would be the front cover. In my opinion it looks a little whimsical which is why I was taken aback by the serious undertones in the book. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I think some may overlook this book as being a girlie, romantic read when in reality it is so much more.
Tess Woods is a new author to look out for and Love at First Flight is only £1.99 on Kindle at the moment so give her a go!

I read this book via NetGalley

Book Review: The Lemon Grove by Helen Walsh

He is wearing a pair of plain blue swimming shorts, otherwise he is naked before her. He is muscular, but graceful with it, balletic. He is shockingly pretty...
Each summer, Jenn and her husband Greg return to Deia, on Mallorca's dramatic west coast. This year, the arrival of Emma, Jenn's step-daughter and her new boyfriend Nathan threatens to upset their equilibrium. Beautiful and reckless, Nathan stirs something unexpected in Jenn. As she is increasingly seduced by Nathan's youth and the promise of passion, the line between desire and obsession begins to blur.

This book is tense with a capital 'T', Helen Walsh begins building the tension from the very beginning and simply does not let up. The front cover of this book is stunning but don't be fooled by the blurb; it could come across as a bit of a beach romp but it is far more complex than your average holiday bonk buster.
Jenn and Greg holiday each year on the beautiful west coast of Mallorca, this year is going to be different as Jenn's fifteen year old step-daughter is bringing along her new boyfriend, 17 year old Nathan. Emma and Nathan's arrival awakens several different feelings in Jenn; a resentment of Greg; a sadness over what life could have been, tensions and deep-rooted issues with her step-daughter and more importantly, a deep desire for Nathan which she is unable to ignore.
The tension between Jenn and Nathan is immediately palpable. Helen Walsh is so good at building up the little details, a glance here, a touch on the arm there; it all builds up to several very passionate encounters. The author is quite explicit in her descriptions of Jenn and Nathan, she shows the carnal need of both of them but then we learn of Jenn's feelings about it; how she feels about being the older woman; how she views her body and these new feelings that have possessed her.
The Lemon Grove can be quite an uncomfortable read at times but I don't think Helen Walsh had any intention of putting her readers at ease. I can't say that I particularly liked any of the characters; they all seemed incredibly selfish in their own ways.
This is the first book that I have read by Helen Walsh, I found it riveting and would highly recommend The Lemon Grove.

Publisher: Tinder Press
Pages: 275

Many thanks to Georgina for sending me a review copy of this book, it is out now. 

Book Review: Reflected in You by Sylvia Day

Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest pleasures. I couldn't stay away. I didn't want to. He was my addiction...my every desire... mine.
My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We'd never work. It was too hard, too painful... except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity.
We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession. 

Gideon and Eva's story continues in Reflected In You. Eva's past come backs to haunt them both and Gideon offers Eva a few glimpses of his devastating history. They are still deeply in love and unable to keep their hands off each other. Gideon will do anything not to lose Eva but even she perhaps is unaware as to how far he will go.
I found Gideon infuriating in this book; it feels like he expects a lot from Eva but isn't prepared to give as much back. Sylvia Day alludes to his past experiences but there were times when it felt as though he purposely antagonised Eva, spent ages apologising only to go and do it all over again.
Eva and Gideon are bad news for each other in so many ways but they are also each others' saviour. This interests me most in the book; they are almost wary of each other yet can't bear to be apart.
Toward the end of the book we learn a little about Gideon's past. I did kind of wonder why it has taken him so long to share it with Eva when she has been so honest from the beginning.
I think and hope we will discover more about Gideon in the next book. I will definitely continue with this series; the relationship between Gideon and Eva is fascinating and leaves you wanting more.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 3.75/5

Pages: 357

Publisher: Penguin

Many thanks to Penguin for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out now! 

Book Review: The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

Todd and Jodie have been together for more than twenty years. They are both aware their world is in  crisis, though neither is willing to admit it.
Todd is living a dual existence, while Jodie is living in denial. But she also likes to settle scores. When it becomes clear their affluent Chicago lifestyle could disintegrate at any moment, Jodie knows everything is at stake. It's only now she will discover how much she's truly capable of...

The Silent Wife is being talked about a lot and after reading it, I can see why.
The beginning feels a little slow but once I had got into the book I could see how clever the beginning was. A.S.A. Harrison paints Todd and Jodie's domestic life in great detail. As we learn of Todd's infidelity you can understand why he has strayed yet also why he doesn't want to lose everything he already has.
Jodie is a fascinating character, she is very cold and calculated and although we learn a lot about her, I can't say that I grew to like her in any way. We learn of Jodie's past through the transcriptions of her therapy sessions. I don't this necessarily explains Jodie's behaviour though. I was left wondering if Jodie really was in control of her actions.
I loved the atmosphere that A.S.A Harrison creates in the book. There is an impending sense that something awful is going to happen, I couldn't stop reading as I needed to know how events would unfold.
The Silent Wife swaps between the perspectives of Jodie and Todd. Todd's narration felt a little more helpless though. His behaviour is inexcusable but as a reader I saw him as being quite vulnerable. He is going about his daily life with no idea as to what Jodie is thinking and working herself up to; you almost want to warn him to watch his back.
The Silent Wife is such an interesting read, I felt that it really explored the nature of relationships; the roles we fulfil and what we are capable of when hurt by those we love. I think that A.S.A Harrison has written a strong, psychological thriller. It's a great legacy but also a great shame that this will be her only book.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 4/5

Pages: 384

Publisher: Headline

Many thanks to the lovely Ben at Headline Review for sending me a copy of this book, The Silent Wife is out now.

Book Review: The Promise by Lesley Pearse

London 1914: Belle Reilly finally has the life she always dreamed of; a devoted husband in Jimmy and a hat shop of her own. But as WW1 shatters peace and Jimmy enlists for the army, Belle realises she can no longer stand by but must volunteer to help the cause. Her work as a Red Cross ambulance driver in France throws her back into the path and arms of Etienne, the enigmatic man who played such a significant role in her childhood and Belle finds herself torn between loyalty and passion. But the past returns to haunt her in other, more unpleasant ways and Belle's character is tested like never before.
Can she survive this most brutal of wars with her spirit intact and will destiny finally lead her to lasting happiness?

I read Belle earlier this month and thought it was fantastic. The Promise begins exactly where we left Belle and continues her story, I was definitely not disappointed.
Belle and Jimmy are happily married and settled in Blackheath with Mog and Garth. Garth and Jimmy are running the pub and Belle has finally turned her dream into a reality by opening her own hat shop. She finally has the life she longed for with a man who loves her and accepts her turbulent past.
Their lives are shattered though when World War One begins. Jimmy feels duty bound to enlist and signs up. Once has has gone to France, Belle is unsettled. There are certain things from her past being dug up that she would not like her new neighbours to know about and she has become disillusioned with designing hats for wealthy women who have no idea of the real world.
So Belle volunteers to be an ambulance driver with the Red Cross and is soon in France herself. Here she discovers that it is not only Jimmy that she is now closer to but also Etienne who is fighting in the French army. Belle has never forgotten Etienne and she is very quickly torn between the loyalty she feels to her husband and the passion she feels for Etienne that has been there from the very beginning. Belle is not even certain she will survive the war but if she does, how will she ever choose between these two great men who have done so much for her?
Lesley Pearse's writing is just superb again. Her descriptions of the war and it's devastating consequences are truly haunting and clearly well researched. As in Belle, Pearse leaves you wanting to read on at the end of every chapter and is never afraid to shock or tell it like it is.
I am so pleased to have been introduced to Lesley Pearse's writing as she has written so many boks which I am really looking forward to catching up on.
I would definitely recommend reading Belle before you read The Promise as you would not have the full picture plus you would be missing out on reading another excellent book. I only have good things to say about this book and I know that there will be several Lesley Pearse reviews on Dot Scribbles in the future.

Dot Scribbles Rating 5/5

Many thanks to ed public relations and Michael Joseph for sending me a review copy, the book is out now!