BOOK REVIEW: The Rose Garden by Marita Conlon-McKenna

Molly's perfect life comes crashing down following the unexpected death of her husband David. With her hopes for happiness in a heap and an old Irish country house to maintain, Molly has no idea how she will survive. As a search for a buyer begins Molly becomes drawn to the restoration of the long neglected and overgrown walled rose garden...
Working in Cassidy's Cafe, Gina dreams of having a place of her own. When Norah Cassidy gets ill she is soon full of plans to take over Kilfinn's much loved village cafe, but Norah's family have other ideas.
When Kim suddenly finds herself heartbroken and homeless, her Aunt Molly's invitation to come and stay with her seems to good to refuse. Maybe a move to the country is exactly what she needs.
Molly, Kim and Gina each look for a new beginning and just as the first rosebuds begin to appear in her garden, Molly begins to accept the green shoots of a new life...

Publisher: Transworld

Pages: 464

Marita Conlon McKenna is a new author to me but I very much enjoyed her latest book The Rose Garden. This author has written nine other books which is very exciting as it means I have lots to add to my TBR pile. When you google this author, names such as Maeve Bincy and Cathy Kelly pop up but I felt that Marita was not as twee, her book had a more modern feel to it.
The Rose Garden is about new beginnings and a big old house, two of my favourite things in a book. Molly bought Mossbawn with her husband David; the big Georgian house was intended to be a beautiful family home for them to raise their two daughters in and then potter about in their retirement. But now Molly is facing an unexpected future without David, how is she going to keep hold of the house and should she really stay now she is on her own?
Kim is Molly's niece and they have always had a strong bond, When Molly invites her to stay, she jumps at the chance. Having recently lost
her home, her job and her boyfriend, Kim is in desperate need of a fresh start. Once settled in, Kim can clearly see that Molly is in trouble; she doesn't want her aunt to lose her beautiful home and sets about doing all she can to help.
Gina lives in the same small-knit community as Molly. She has worked at Cassidy's Cafe for years but when her boss is taken ill, her future and job are in jeapordy.
All three women have encountered huge changes in their circumstances and are brought together for different reasons but hopefully for all of them, they can start planning a brighter future.
The characters in this book were just lovely, the author linked the three women but I felt as though they each had their own strong, independent storyline which kept you interested throughout.
The Rose Garden was a very gentle ad lovely read, I fell in love with Mossbawn and could clearly picture the house in all its charm. It's so lovely to have found yet another author to enjoy, I highly recommend The Rose Garden, Marita Conlan-McKenna is a real talent.

Many thanks to Transworld for sending me a copy of this book to review, The Rose Garden is out now. 

Book Review: The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke

Katie and Mia couldn't be more different. They might share the fullness of their lips, and the arch of an eyebrow but that's about where the similarities end. Katie, the eldest, is the sensible one, with  flourishing career and a stable, smart and loving fiance. Mia on the other hand is flyaway, with no ties and no responsibilities, no one to think about except herself.Katie had hoped the death of their mother would bring the two of them closer together and bridge the differences that had become more apparent as they got older. Persuading Mia to move to London with her, Katie tries to shoehorn Mia into her life, find her a job she can hold for more than two weeks and maybe even someone to settle down with.
Mia hates London. She misses the freedom of their home in Cornwall, the endless blue sea meeting somewhere in the middle. As their relationship looks set to reach breaking point Mia decides to go travelling. Katie mainly feels relief.
Then, one devastating night, Katie's told the news that Mia is dead- and it was suicide. When Mia's things arrive back from the other side of the world, Katie clings to the travel journal she finds in Mia's backpack. Although they've barely spoken since Mia left, Katie refuses to believe that she would take her own life. Heartbroken that they never made their peace, Katie decides to leave London, and using the journal as a guide, follows in Mia's footsteps to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her sister's death.

Wow, The Sea Sisters is a stunning debut by Lucy Clarke. I was completely absorbed by the story and I felt as though I knew the characters so well by the end of the book.
The Sea Sisters is told in alternating narratives by Katie and Mia so we often get both sisters views on the same situations which is a fantastic way of exploring their complex relationship.
Lucy Clarke examines the bond and relationship between sisters. I have an older sister myself so I very much identified with the feelings of Mia and Katie. Underlying everything is their love for each other but there are so many other emotions involved, some that they aren't even aware of themselves.
Lucy Clarke creates great suspense in this book, the reader is left wondering right until the very end as to whether Mia took her own life. We find out about events at the same time as Katie, just as Katie can't stop reading Mia's journal; we can't stop reading this book.
The Sea Sisters is an excellent debut. Lucy Clarke's writing is deep, thoughtful and moving; I highly recommend this book.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Pages: 388

Publisher: Harper  Collins

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

Book Review: The Angel at No.33 by Polly Williams

'Am I dead? I don't feel dead...'
Sophie cannot leave the people she loves. Her husband, Ollie- a man who once watered a house plant for a year before realising it was plastic- is lost without her. Their son Freddie is so little. And her friend Jenny? There's something she desperately needs to know before it's too late.

I took this book on holiday and my sister borrowed it first, she loved it and couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed it but I found it a tiny bit slow in places. Just goes to show how a book can easily get different reactions.
Sophie is dead when we first meet her, there is no long drawn out illness so it is as much of a shock to her as it is to those around her. Now she can see everything that is going on  without others being able to see her. Sophie has to watch her husband and son struggle with their loss. She has to watch her best friend Jen try to get on with her life and worst of all she has to watch other women try to take her place.
Polly Williams is a very witty writer but The Angel at No. 33 is also extremely poignant. I know it is terribly cliched but this book makes you take a step back and be grateful for what you have in life.
As I said, I did find this book a little slow in places but I still think it is a worthwhile read. It never hurts to be reminded of the bigger picture.

Dot Scribbles Rating 4/5

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

Book Review: Between a Mother and her Child by Elizabeth Noble

For Maggie and Bill it was love at first sight...
One impulsive wedding later and with the arrival of three perfect children, Jake, Aly and Stan, the Barrett family seem to have it all. Until the day their world stops turning.
When Jake dies suddenly, they're swept away on a tide of grief that fractures Maggie and Bill's marriage. She and the children are left clinging to the wreckage of their family. And they need help, because in her grief Maggie is in danger of losing Aly and Stan too.
Enter Kate, housekeeper, companion and shoulder to cry on. She's here to pick up the pieces and fix what isn't completely broken. But can Maggie trust Kate? And why is Kate so keen to help?
When Bill falls for another woman, Maggie realises she will have to fight to put her family back together- but will they still want her?

Between a Mother and her Child is Elizabeth Noble's seventh book and I think it is her best so far. Maggie and Bill's world is torn apart when their teenage son Jake is killed in a tsunami whilst on his gap year travels. Life will never be the same again but life has to go on, especially when you have two other children depending on you. The grief caused by Jake's death leads Maggie and Bill to separate. Maggie's sister from Australia can see that the family is falling apart and enlists the help of Kate; part Mary Poppins and part rent-a-granny; Kate comes into their lives at just the right time. Bill has met another woman and Maggie realises that she may be close to losing Aly and Stan due to the barrier of grief that she has put up around her. Kate will hopefully be able to help but why doesn't she have her own family to look after?
Elizabeth Noble explores the devastating affect that grief can cause within a family. We get to know each member of the Barrett family and see their different perspectives in losing Jake and how it has affected them individually and their relationships with each other.
I thought that the book was really interesting in that Jake's death causes Maggie and Bill's marriage to come to an end but not their relationship. Of course they still have to have contact because of the children but it becomes very clear as the book develops that they still love each other. They may not want to continue their marriage but they must find a way to move on in order to find any happiness in the future.
Elizabeth Noble's writing is very poignant and there were times when I was close to tears. She is so good at giving you all the little details so you feel as though you know the characters completely and this is what kept me turning the pages.
If you haven't read any of Elizabeth Noble's books then I highly recommend them. Between a Mother and her Child is a highly emotional read but worth every page.

Dot Scribbles Rating 5/5

Many thanks to Kate at FmCm Associates for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out now.