BLOG TOUR: The River Home by Hannah Richell

In their ramshackle Somerset home, its gardens running down to the river, the Sorrells have gathered for a last-minute wedding.

Lucy is desperate to reunite her fractured family. Eve is fighting to keep her perfect life together. Their mother, Kit, a famous author whose stories have run dry, still seethes with resentment towards her youngest child. And Margot, who left home eight years ago under a black cloud, is forced to come face to face with her darkness…

As the family come together for a week of celebration and confrontation, their relationships are stretched to breaking point. Can you ever heal the wounds of the past? Or will it always rise up to haunt you – like the echoes of a summer’s night, like the relentless flow of a river…   

Publisher: Orion

The River Home is Hannah Richell’s third book but the first I have read by this author. It is fantastic and I was completely captivated by her story. 

Margot returns home to Somerset for her sister Lucy’s impromptu wedding, their older sister Eve has gone into planning mode and their mother Kit, a famous author, is not overjoyed at Margot’s return. Margot left for Edinburgh eight years ago after her actions shocked her whole family; she has been running away from her past ever since but now she has no choice but to return to where it all happened. 

The River Home has so many elements that I love in a book, mystery, family tensions, a ramshackle family home, an author as a central character. I was hooked from the beginning and I could not believe how many different story-lines Richell weaved throughout the story. Eve, Margot and Lucy all have their own individual plots and they are linked by their parents Kit and Ted who have a story to tell too. I was impressed with how Richell linked it all together, moving from the past to the present, showing the turmoil within the family unit. We do not find out what Margot did and why until the very end, the truth is heartbreaking and not what I had expected. 

I loved how Richell presented the dysfunctional family element, it reminded me of Fleabag a little with the simmering tensions between the different family members. I liked all of the sisters but Margot stood out. As the youngest she was almost abandoned at a really hard time in her childhood, her parents had just split up with her father leaving; her one sister had left to start her own family, the other sister had left to start her own business and her mother was off in her own world writing her book. You can’t help but feel anger at them for not realising how vulnerable Margot was. She was crying out for one of them to help her but everyone she cared for was caught up in their own lives.

Hannah Richell delves into the complex nature of family relationships, the triumphs and the tragedies that are involved. Her characters leap out at you from the page, fully formed with all their flaws. The River Home is an impressive novel that you won’t want to put down. Many thanks to Orion for inviting me to be part of this blog tour!  

BOOK REVIEW: You Can Take Her Home by Anna Jefferson

That moment when you realise...
you have absolutely no clue.
Emily Jones is a new mum: she's bought the swank buggy, planned her labour soundtrack, read the books. Then her little girl actually arrives and Emily realises, she has all the gear, no idea- and only the rest of her maternity leave to figure it out. Lonely, but not alone, it's the women Emily makes friends with in the first year who will see her through to the other side. 

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 343

You Can Take Her Home Now is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Anna Jefferson writes about first time mum Emily Jones and the book is told entirely from Emily's perspective. In a nutshell it is Emily's experience of the first year of motherhood- the highs, the lows and the very messy moments. It is frank and hilarious, I had laughed out loud several times before I even finished the first chapter:

"Just relax" the doctor says perkily. "We had to cut through several layers of your vaginal wall to get your baby out, so I'm going to sew it up for you. You won't feel a thing for now. I'll tidy it up best I can so it'll be nearly as good as new." I don't think I ever want to use my vagina again. She might as well just sew the whole thing up.

I've read several fictional accounts of having a newborn but this has by far been the best. I identified with so much of it and I couldn't stop reading. That first year is such a roller-coaster and I think Anna Jefferson has done an excellent portrayal within this book.

Emily and Nick bring their baby home with no idea of what they are doing. They are faced with the tiredness, breastfeeding and the huge task that simply leaving the house has become. Nick returns to work and Emily is adapting to her new role as a mum. She is mourning the lost relationship of her childhood best friend Rachel but she soon has two new first time mum friends, Helen and Tania. They provide her with much needed support and understanding that she needs.
Jefferson is brutally honest about motherhood and the many different emotions experienced during those first few months:

I just need to stop the constant chatter in my brain, the constant self-evaluation, the endless guilt. The guilt is so overwhelming, I feel like I'm drowning in it.

I can remember feeling so guilty in those early days. Guilty that I wasn't enjoying every single moment of it, guilty that I would do anything for an uninterrupted night's sleep, guilty for watching daytime TV instead of going to a baby massage class.
This book sounds very serious but it has a great balance. A huge dose of reality matched with excellent humour. I do think that being able to laugh at stuff is one of the best ways of dealing with parenthood, that and alcohol helps too.

You Can Take Her Home Now is an unflinching look at becoming a first time parent. Emily and Nick have to navigate this path whilst being exhausted and very much resenting each other at times. I thought it was interesting how Jefferson explored the different roles we take on when having a baby. Although Emily and Nick have had a baby together, their experience of day to day life with a newborn varies greatly and they have to find a way to stay united.
I can highly recommend this book, I believe You Can Take Her Home will be hugely popular with readers, it is a fantastic debut.

Many thanks to Orion for inviting me to take part in this blog tour, the book is published on 16th May. 

BOOK REVIEW: If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman

A twist that will break your heart... An ending that will put it back together.
Audrey's family has fallen apart. Her two grown-up daughters, Jess and Lily, are estranged and her two teenage granddaughters have never been allowed to meet. A secret that echoes back thirty years  has splintered the family in two, but is also the one thing keeping them connected.
As tensions  reach breaking point, the irrevocable choice that one of them made all those years ago is about to surface. After years of secrets and silence, how can one broken family find their way back to each other.

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 368

If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman is a truly powerful read. The story is so compelling that I couldn't put it down, I had read the whole book in under 12 hours. It's a tricky one to review without giving the plot away but here goes!
Audrey has two daughters, Lily and Jess and they both have teenage daughters Phoebe and Mia born just weeks apart. But this is not a happy family, Jess has refused to speak to her sister for over thirty years and has no wish to acknowledge her niece who is so similar to her own daughter. Something happened one morning before school in 1988 and Jess won't reveal what the event was but the consequence is that she refuses to have anything to do with her sister. Audrey has decided to make one last attempt at mending her broken family but perhaps even she is not prepared to discover the secret Jess has kept for most of her life.
This book is so well written, you are left guessing as to what happened that fateful morning for the majority of the book. I had imagined all manner of things but I still did not foresee the final twist. Each time I reached the end of a chapter, I  just couldn't stop myself from continuing to the next one.
Each chapter is told from either Audrey, Jess or Lily's perspective plus there are some flashbacks to Audrey's childhood. This offered a great perspective and built upon the mystery, initially I thought that maybe Lily knew what Jess was so angry about but didn't want to tell her mother but it quickly became apparent that Lily has no idea why her sister has excluded her.
Hannah Beckerman explores the complexities of female familial relationships. The bond between mothers and daughters and also of sisters is such an interesting subject to examine. The author looks at how all three females are effected by events in their past and the consequences and negative impact it is having on their present lives. Jess in particular is so focused on her daughter Mia not making the same mistakes that she did that she has lost sight of who her daughter is and what her true aspirations might be.
I had forgotten just how emotional Hannah Beckerman's writing is. There were several times I found myself with tears streaming down my face. As a mother to a  young daughter I could totally put myself in these character's shoes and it is truly heartbreaking at times.
I urge you to read If Only I Could Tell You, when I reached the last page I felt like I had just read something extremely special. I think a lot of people are going to be talking about this book, it is fantastic.

Many thanks to Orion for allowing me to read a proof copy of this book via Netgalley, If Only I Could Tell You is published today. 

BOOK REVIEW: Louis & Louise by Julie Cohen

Louis and Louise are the same person in two different lives. They are separated only by the sex announced by the doctor and a final 'e'.
They have the same best friends, the same red hair, the same dream of being a writer, the same excellent whistle.
They both suffer one catastrophic night with life-changing consequences. Thirteen years later, they are both coming home. 

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 296

Julie Cohen's last book, Together was one of my favourite reads in 2018 so I was ridiculously excited to see what her latest book would be about. Louis & Louise follows a baby born in 1978, one narrative explores what would happen if the baby was a boy- Louis and the other narrative explores the events if the baby was a girl- Louise. Both Louis and Louise have the same set of circumstances; same parents, same friends and childhood experiences, so what difference does their gender make? Louis & Louise is quite a simple idea really but Cohen uses it to visit so many complex issues- parent and child relationships, loyalty, gender, friendship, sexuality and the wealth divide in America.
This is a fantastic book and so relevant for the time we live in. It left me with a huge amount to think about and question. At first I enjoyed Louise's narrative more as I think I obviously identified with her as a female. However as Louis' narrative developed, it was just as enjoyable. It was fascinating to observe how they both react to identical circumstances. Their relationship with their parents, Peggy and Irvine is so well done. Having had difficult relations with my own parents in the past, it was quite profound to have it presented on the page. Cohen shows how all parents make mistakes at times but if you strip everything back, that vital family link and shared history will always be there. It's often much easier to be angry at somebody you love rather than someone you don't have that attachment to. Louis and Louise are born in 1978 so this book felt quite nostalgic to me. I was born four years later in 1982 but I could identify with both characters and the events in their childhood. Cohen cleverly uses twins Allie and Benny as Louis and Louise's best friends and it was a good way of comparing them gender-wise, plus a good marker for how different they are in the present to their closest friends from the past. Both Louis and Louise leave the tight-knit community that they grew up in whereas Allie and Benny remain for one reason or another.
I think Louis & Louise will appeal to so many readers. I marvelled again at the capacity Julie Cohen has to explore human emotions and feelings. She never shies away from the uncomfortable or complex and this brings a huge amount of realism to her writing. Cohen's talent sings from every page of this book and I urge you to read it.

Many thanks to Orion for sending me a copy of this book to read, Louis & Louise is out now. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Adults by Caroline Hulse

Meet the Adults.
Claire and Matt are divorced but want their daughter Scarlett to have a 'normal; family Christmas with them all together.
Claire brings her seemingly eligible new partner Patrick.
Matt brings his extremely patient girlfriend Alex.
Scarlett brings her imaginary friend Posey.
He's a rabbit.
Together the five (or six?) of them grit their teeth through Organised Fun Activities, drinking a little too much after bed-time, oversharing classified secrets about their pasts and, before they know it, their holiday is a powder keg that ends- where this story starts- with a call to the police...
But what happened? They said they'd all be adults about this...

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 403

The Adults could be classified as a festive read as it is set over the Christmas period but I read it in January and still enjoyed it so don't be put off now that you've taken down your tree and eaten the last mince pie.
The Adults follows Claire and Patrick and Matt and Alex as they embark on a rather tense festive trip away. Claire and Matt are divorced but they want to give their daughter Scarlett the treat of them all spending Christmas together plus Scarlett's imaginary friend Posey who is a rabbit.
So they all set off to The Happy Forest determined to have a good time or at least not to kill each other. However, the book opens with the transcription of a 999 call requesting an ambulance to the holiday park as a guest has been shot with an archery arrow so maybe things haven't quite gone to plan.
The Adults is a highly entertaining read, it is full of awkward situations and underlying tensions constantly threatening to spill over.
I loved the idea of The Happy Forest setting, it is very much
an exaggerated version of Centre Parcs and I'm sure many readers will identify with the humour in this.
Caroline Hulse sets a good pace from the very start and it was interesting to get different character's perspectives on events taking place. There is a lot of humour within the story and many experiences that are easy to relate to and empathise with. The Adults is an easy-going and entertaining read, it was a great start to my 2019 reading.

Many thanks to Orion for sending me a copy of The Adults to review.

BOOK REVIEW: Together by Julie Cohen

Robbie and Emily have been together for years, but their love is still fresh and fierce. They have shared a bed, a home, a bond so deep it can't be broken. But there are things they don't share, things best left unsaid.
On a morning like any other, Robbie wakes, dresses, writes Emily a letter and leaves their home for good. There is a secret they've been keeping since the day they met. The sacrifices and choices that have sealed their fates could be exposed, and this is the only way to keep it all hidden. 

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 341

Wow, Together is the most unexpected love story I have ever read! Julie Cohen is so masterful with emotions in this book, and the suspense and mystery she creates is something else!
Robbie and Emily me and fell in love immediately and they have made a life for themselves with children of their own and even grandchildren too. But as Robbie's ageing mind begins to falter they are both suddenly very scared that he may accidentally reveal the secret they have always managed to keep. Robbie will do anything to protect Emily and their family, he knows that were they to reveal the truth then they would lose everything they love and hold dear and he won't allow that to happen.
Julie Cohen managed this beautiful story so well, she goes back and forth between the present day and the past and we discover how Robbie and Emily met and the huge sacrifices they made out of love for each other.
When Cohen revealed Robbie and Emily's secret, it was not what I had expected at all and I was so impressed by how it all suddenly made sense. I could think back on how she had dropped hints whilst building the plot up, it is so well done.
Together by Julie Cohen is quite the twist on the traditional love story but it is superb. I was so invested in Robbie and Emily by the end that I felt quite bereft to leave them behind on the final page. I can easily agree with other book bloggers that Together would be an excellent book club choice and there is so much to talk about and questions to raise.
This book will stay with me for a long time, make sure that you read it!!

BOOK REVIEW: A Family Recipe by Veronica Henry

Laura Griffin is preparing for an empty nest. The thought of Number 11 Lark Hill falling silent- a home usually bustling with noise, people, and the fragrant smells of something cooking on the Aga- seems impossible.
Feeling lost, Laura turns to her greatest comfort: her grandmother’s recipe box, a treasured collection dating back to the Second World War. Everyone has always adored Laura’s jams and chutneys, piled their sandwiches high with her pickles. Inspired by a bit of the old Blitz spirit, Laura has an idea that gives her a fresh sense of purpose and her own exciting path to follow.
But even the bravest woman needs the people who love her. And now they need her in return…

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 382

It’s been a while since I read anything by Veronica Henry but I have loved her latest book, A Family Recipe. The story follows Laura as she waves her youngest daughter away to university. As if that’s not hard enough, Laura then receives some shocking news that rocks her whole world. Suddenly she has a very empty nest and too much time on her hands. Laura turns to her grandmother’s recipe box which she has added to over the years. She loves cooking and entertaining people, maybe this is where her future lies?

Veronica Henry flits between Laura and her husband Dom in the present and then Laura’s grandmother Jilly and her friend Ivy during the Blitz. Number 11 Lark Hill connects both of these periods, a beautiful regency house in Bath that has provided a home and sanctuary to both lead female characters.

A Family Recipe is a really lovely read, I sat and read it in the garden in the sunshine, it would be a great book to take on holiday. Veronica Henry starts with quite a shock for Laura and Jilly so you are straight into the action. I loved how the book went back and forth and it was a clever way to show how many things don’t change. Relationships can always be tricky, families can be a huge source of support but also worry and underlying everything is the sheer importance of friendship.

The setting of Bath was perfect, I have visited many times but Henry provides gorgeous descriptions of the buildings and atmosphere. The house is a huge part of the book and it was interesting to see that even though it had changed, it was still at the heart of the family.

I can highly recommend A Family Recipe, the story is excellent and the characters are delightful.

BOOK REVIEW: Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield

As a boy, William Bellman commits one small cruel act that appears to have unforeseen and terrible consequences. The killing of a rook with his catapult is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games. And by the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, he seems indeed to be a man blessed by fortune. Until tragedy strikes, and the stranger in black comes, and William Bellman starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed. Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, he enters into a bargain. A rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business.
And Bellman and Black is born...

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 25th September

I was a huge fan of Diane Setterfield's first book, The Thirteenth Tale so I was extremely excited to see that she had written a new one. Bellman and Black is a fascinating read; it is dark and mysterious, leaving you feel quite unsettled but in a good way.
William Bellman is the central character and at the beginning of the book he is just a boy. A boy who kills a rook with his catapult, showing off to his friends. This one small act has consequences when he becomes an adult. The folklore surrounding rooks is a big part of the book; these birds remember everything and can foresee death and tragedy. The details of the folklore meant that I didn't question this aspect of the book at all. I just felt that William Bellman was going to be punished for taking the rook's life, even though he had no idea that his actions would have any kind of consequences.
In the first part of the book we see that William Bellman is a good man and particularly hard working. He goes from being an apprentice at his uncle's mill to running the whole business. He has a loving wife and several beautiful children. The second part of the book sees the downturn of Bellman's life; those close to him start dying and only his daughter is left. He makes a deal with the mysterious Mr Black to save her. Mr Black has been appearing at the funerals of all those Bellman has lost; Bellman has no idea who he is or where he has come from but he does know that if he does as Black says then his daughter will survive. So Bellman sets up Bellman and Black, a mourning emporium. He sells nearly everything to do with death, he is effectively profiting from other people's losses. Bellman is so relieved that his daughter has been spared but he begins to question who exactly Mr Black is and why has nobody else seen him?
Bellman and Black is described as a ghost story and it does have that Victorian/gothic feel to it. However, I think it would be better described as a mystery as this is not a tale about things that go bump in the night.
Diane Setterfield's writing is extraordinary, I felt like she drew me into the story from the very first page and then weaved a wonderful fictional world around me. As I said, I felt that the idea of the rooks was entirely believable and I couldn't stop reading as I wanted to know what would become of William Bellman. He is such a good character and I completely loved the idea of a mourning emporium, it was the perfect fit for the Victorian period.
Bellman and Black is an excellent read that showcases Diane Setterfield's many talents for storytelling.

Many thanks to Orion for allowing me to read a review copy via Netgalley. 

Book Review: The Villa Girls by Nicky Pellegrino

Escape, celebration, recovery, everyone goes on holiday for their own reasons. For Rosie, it is a chance to get away with her friends, a break from the worries of their normal lives. But of all the Villa Girls, it is Rosie whose life is changed  the most by those stolen days.
For Enzo, getting away isn't an option. The heir to an Italian olive estate, his destiny is clear. But when he uncovers a secret that tears his family apart, he must make one of the toughest choices of his life.
As the years go by and the girls grow up, each has their own journey to  make. But for Rosie and Enzo, time will lead them back to the same question: What will they do for love?

My lovely friend Kim from Still Reading sent me this book as she had enjoyed it so much. It was the perfect start to my holiday as it was such a great, easy read.
The Villa Girls follows Rosie, Addoloratas, Toni and Lou. It also follows Enzo, the heir to a vast olive estate in Italy.
The girls end up going on a villa holiday the year they finish school and they make a pact to go on a villa holiday together every three years, no matter where life has taken them. Rosie is the main female character and she has had more than her fair share of tragedy. The holidays are a chance for her to escape from it all and prepare herself to face everything again.
Enzo's life is so different  from Rosies, he is to inherit the family estate so his whole future is mapped out for him whereas Rosie is still trying to come up with  a plan for hers. However, there seem to be a few secrets in Enzo's family and he feels that it is his duty to get to the bottom of it. How will Enzo and Rosie come together and will their two very different lives be able to come together?
The Villa Girls is mainly about family, love, relationships and friendships but it is also about food. There are so many descriptions of beautiful Italian food and recipes that this book will make you hungry.
This is the first book by Nicky Pellegrino that I have read but I was really pleased to see that she has written several others. Her descriptions are particularly detailed and it is easy to image the world she creates. This book is perfect for on holiday but perhaps not great if you are on a diet!

Dot Scribbles Rating: 4.5/5

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 336

Book Review: The Heart Whisperer by Ella Griffin

On her thirty-third birthday, Claire Dillon decides that it's finally time to grow up. She will give herself twelve months to try to sort her life out. Her mother was thirty-three when she drowned. The accident happened on Claire's seventh birthday and deep down, Claire feels it was her fault. Her mum had everything to live for but Claire's life is a mess...
All her relationships have just fizzled out over the years. Her acting career is going nowhere and thirty-three in acting years, is somewhere between forty-five and extinct. Nothing in her life works. Her locks stick, her pipes howl, her computer has no letter 'p'. Her beloved car, Mossy, which used to belong to her mother, has one wiper and no reverse gear. If it weren't for the kindness of her oldest and her best friend, the gorgeous, charming and once-very-famous Ray Devine, she wouldn't even have a place to live. So she gives herself a year to turn her life around...

I very much enjoyed Ella Griffin's first book Postcards From the Heart so I was really pleased to receive her latest book, The Heart Whisperer.
The book follows Claire who has just turned thirty-three. She doesn't feel like she has much to celebrate, an out-of-work actress, no relationship, a clapped out car and living on the charity of her best friend. So Claire decides to turn her life around in the next 12 months. Her birthday is particularly poignant as Claire's mother drowned in a tragic accident on Claire's seventh birthday. Claire idolised her mother; a successful doctor with a marriage and two children, she had everything to live for.
Claire's brother Nick practically raised her when their mother died but now they barley speak plus Nick is having problems in his own marriage which is a little inconvenient as he has just landed a TV spot as a relationship counsellor.
Throughout all of this Claire relies on her best friend Ray Devine who used to be in a very famous band. Ray is living off the royalties nowadays and looking after Claire but maybe he is doing too much for her; he needs her to stand on her own too feet and this may require him pushing her away.
I really enjoyed The Heart Whisperer and Claire's character in particular. She brings a lot of humour to the book but also a lot of humility and poignant moments. Her relationship with Ray is really interesting and was one of my favourite parts of the book.
I really tried but I couldn't take to the character of Nick. You appreciate

by the end of the book just how much he did for Claire and the things he protected her from but there was something about him that didn't click for me.
 Marian Keyes has been quoted as saying that 'Ella Griffin can make you laugh and then cry in the turn of a page' and I think that is the perfect quote to describe this author. The Heart Whisperer is an entertaining read with many comical moments but it really pulls at the heartstrings too.
Ella Griffin is definitely an author to keep an eye on and I hope she has many more books to offer in the future.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 4/5

Pages: 368

Publisher: Orion

Many thanks to the publishers who sent me a copy of this book to review, The Heart Whisperer is available now.

Book Review: Postcards from the Heart by Ella Griffin

Saffy has a dream job at a top Dublin ad agency. She's got her high-maintenance purple-boot-wearing mother at a safe distance. And she thinks her actor boyfriend Greg- the next Colin Farrell is going to propose.
Conor worships the beautiful Jess. But after seven years and twins, she still won't marry him. He spends his days teaching terrifying teenager and his nights writing the book he hopes will change everything- including her mind.
But happy endings are playing very hard to get...

Postcards from the Heart is one of my favourite books of 2011. Marian Keyes describes Ella Griffin as a 'fresh, funny voice' and I think she is spot in, I think Ella Griffin will be an author to watch out for in 2012!
The book revolves around Saffy and her relationship with Greg and then the relationship of Conor and Jess. Saffy would like nothing more than for her actor boyfriend Greg to propose but things don't go to plan and Saffy's life is turned upside down.
Conor and Jess are settled with their twins but Connor has his sights set on more. He would love for Jess to be his wife but she is having none of it. Writing by night and teaching by day, Conor is chasing his dream of being a published author. However, his dreams are not shared by all of those around him and he is running out of the effort needed to convince them.
I think that Postcards from the Heart has a great balance of humour and poignancy. I had several laugh out loud moments but also felt that the characters had enough depth for me to want to invest my emotions in them.
Of the two female characters, I liked Saffy a lot more than Jess. I felt that Jess was quite selfish and at times I was questioning why Conor thought she was so wonderful. I think this just added to my enjoyment of the book though as predictable, likable characters can become a little boring.
I think that Ella Griffin has written a really lovely book that explores different types of relationships including those between friends also those between parents and their children. There was a lot going on in the book but I felt that the author tied the sub-plots together very well. The different story lines meant that the books had a really good pace; I always wanted to read on to the next chapter in order to find out what was going to happen next.
I am very excited by Ella Griffin's writing. I hope that she has many more books to offer in the future as I know I would definitely  buy them.

Dot Scribbles Rating 4.5/5

Many thanks to Ella for sending me a copy of her book  to review, Postcards from the Heart is published by Orion and is available now.

Book Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

Deep in the jungles of eastern Colombia, Professor Jonas Lear has finally found what he's been searching for- and wishes to God he hadn't.
In Memphis Tennessee, a six year old girl called Amy is left at the convent of the Sisters of Mercy and wonders why her mother has abandoned her.
In a maximum security jail in Nevada, a convicted murderer called Giles Babcock has the same strange nightmare, over and over again while he waits for a lethal injection.
In a remote community in the Californian mountains, a young man called Peter waits for his beloved brother to return home so he can kill him.
Bound together in ways they cannot comprehend, for each of them a door is about to open on a future they could not have imagined. And a journey is about to begin. An epic journey that will take them through a world transformed by man's darkest dreams, to the very heart of what it means to be human.
And beyond. 

You cannot escape the fact that The Passage is huge, at 766 pages, it's only in hardback at the moment too which makes it feel even bigger. I loved the cover of this book but I have to say that it wasn't a book that you could just pop into your bag and it was far too heavy for bath reading.
I did enjoy it though and I can see what most of the hype is about. I had already ordered the book when I learned about the vampire element of it; it wouldn't have put me off as I am quite partial to the odd vampire but it may have stopped others from reading it. Justin Cronin's vampires are not the traditional sort, there's no swirling capes or changing into bats. However, the vampires in The Passage are terrifying creations able to tear a human up in seconds without any control over their desire to do so.
The Passage is a page turner but I will admit that I found the first part of the book far more gripping than the second. Cronin introduces the characters and sets up the events in the first part, the subsequent parts of the book have a very different feel to them and there were some parts that felt like a bit of a chore to get through.
If you like a good paced thriller then you will very much enjoy The Passage. Justin Cronin has written a very clever and powerful book which looks at the many aspects of human nature. Juts prepare yourself for the long haul and no reading in the bath, it's worth it though!

Book Review: The Secret Shopper Unwrapped

Emily, Sandie and Grazia are back in the sequel to The Secret Shopper's Revenge. Emily is living happily with Will and her son Freddie, they are trying to keep Bell's Emporium afloat during the recession. Things get worse when Freddie's father, Duncan is back on the scene. The demands he is making  put Emily and Will's relationship under massive strain and Emily's dreams of a picture-perfect family Christmas are thrown out of the window.
Grazia is starting to think about her future without Leon. After going under-cover at a cosmetic surgery clinic, she decides to have a few procedures done but will this make her any happier? When she meets a younger man in a bar she is surprised as to how much they have in common and unsure what his reaction would be to her real age.
Meanwhile, Sandie is running the mystery shopping agency from Toby's gorgeous pent house apartment. She is incredibly happy but then she has her first meeting with the potential mother-in-law from hell; her own mother shows up several years after disappearing and then she gets a shock that changes everything.
Kate Harrison throws a new character into the mix. Kelly is a bit of a rough diamond, she starts work as Sandie's new assistant. This is her first ever job and she loves it but can she really be trusted 100% when Sandie hardly knows anything about her?
I did enjoy this book but it was very strange to read something set at Christmas when it is June and the sun is shining! It did make me feel extremely festive though and I only wish that I had read it at a more relevant time.
Emily, Grazia and Sandie are  still brilliant characters but I wish there had been a little more interaction between them in this book. It was interesting to see what had happened since we left them and I thought that Kate Harrison gave us a really good sequel. Kelly is an interesting new addition and she certainly shakes everything up, you are left guessing throughout as to whether she can be trusted or not.
If you liked the first book then you will enjoy this one, I enjoyed reading it now but I think it would be even better in the run up to Christmas. 

New to Dot Scribble's Shelves...

I have had such a lovely week, Mr S and I went away to Gozo last weekend with my sister and her husband for the bank holiday weekend. Gozo is a really special place to me as I spent a lot of my childhood there, we had a lovely time, we stayed in a beautiful villa; ate lots of lovely food, sunbathed; had bombing competitions in the pool and of course read some brilliant books! I feel very refreshed which is a good job as I have ALOT of new books to read!

I have two that were sent for review this week:

The Other Girl by Sarah Miller (Bloomsbury- 21st June) Molly McGarry seems to have it all- she' smart, she attends the prestigious Midvale Acadamey and she's finally got the guy of her dreams, Gideon Rayburn. But now everything's changing.
Molly and God got together in a very unusual way, when Molly mysteriously entered Gid's mind and so could 'guess' exaclty what he wanted. By a bizarre twist of fate, Molly suddenly leaves Gid's mind and enters the mind of Pilar Benitez-Jones, possibly the hottest girl in the world. Pilar flirts with Gid. A lot. No longer inside her boyfriend's head, Molly feels life is spiralling out of control. But she realises that being inside Pilar's head has its advantages as she influences Pilar for her own schemes- with ensuing chaos.

Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey (Bloomsbury- 5th July) It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living, and must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who turned her into a vampire and left her buried for two hundred years. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

I read the first in the The Drake Chronicles last week and you can read my review here.

I have bought two books from Amazon as well this week but they haven't arrived yet so I shall share those with you next week. However I had a little trip to the library which to be honest doesn't always have a brilliant selection but I was so pleased with my library pile this week, here's what I got:

• You Can't Hide by Karen Rose (Headline)- I have wanted to read a good thriller for a while, I started this one straight away and I have not been disappointed so far!
• The Secret Shopper Unwrapped by Kate Harrison (Orion)- I loved the first one and have been meaning to catch up with this one.
• Forget Me Not by Isabel Wollf (Harper)- I really enjoyed her book Vintage Affair and I have heard very positive things about this one too.
• The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith (Simon & Schuster)- I thought that Child 44 was simply brilliant and this one follows on from that.
• Conjugal Rites by Paul Magrs (Headline)- This is the third in the brilliant Brenda and Effie series and I am looking forward to finding out what trouble they have got into this time.
• One Day In May by Catherine Alliott (Penguin) I have read a couple of books by this author and enjoyed them, this is her latest and looks as though it will be just as good.

So if you have read any of these then let me know your thoughts! It's supposed to be lovely and sunny this weekend so Dot Scribbles will be spending plenty of time in the garden with a good book and maybe a glass of wine or two!