Will a second chance at living convince Delphie to live her best life?
27-year-old Delphie is a recluse who spends the majority of her time holed-up inWill a second chance at living convince Delphie to live her best life?
27-year-old Delphie is a recluse who spends the majority of her time holed-up in her flat. Even though she’s lived in London all her life she only knows three people, an elderly neighbour, and her two work colleagues.
One evening while eating dinner (alone in her flat as per always) Delphie chokes to death. She regains consciousness in a place called Evermore, where her young, bouncy, vibrant, talkative, afterlife therapist of all things, informs her she is dead.
While Delphie is struggling to get her head around the devastating news, she is distracted by a new arrival, a guy around her age. Delphie and the guy’s physical attraction is instantaneous, and their conversation flows naturally. Has she just met her soulmate?
But unfortunately, the man of her dreams is merely in a state of deep unconsciousness, and a moment later he is gone, back among the living. During their brief conversation Delphie only uncovered two things about him – his first name is Jonah, and he’s also from London.
Just when Delphie thinks all is lost, turns out her afterlife therapist is a big believer in true love, so the two strike a deal – Delphie can return to earth for ten days. If she hasn’t received a kiss from Jonah by that time she is fated to die again – permanently! A further complication, Jonah doesn’t remember meeting her in Evermore, his memory was wiped clean when he returned to earth.
The race is on to track Jonah down in time. Is a woman with few social skills and little life experience up to the task? Delphie intends to give it all she’s got.
Tick-tock!
The innovative premise, inventive title, and gorgeous cover really captured my attention, well that and Goodreads friends glowing reviews. And The Love of My Afterlife not only exceeded my expectations, but also contained some surprising twists for a romantic comedy. It was sexy, sweet, utterly satisfying, hilarious, magical, gave off Cinderella vibes, and contained several of my favourite romantic tropes, which need to remain under wraps. Delphie’s quest to find Jonah really brought her out of both her shell, and her comfort zone, and everyone who helped her along the way impacted and enriched her life in ways she couldn’t possibly have imagined or predicted. As you know I prefer my rom coms with a side of real-world issues which this novel contained in spades – there were traumatic reasons why Delphie had chosen to hide away from the world. Also, I adored all the mentions of fictional romantic leads from books, TV, and movies.
I chose to read the audiobook and Sofia Oxenham’s performance was magnificent and charming – I couldn’t have asked for a better experience – her voice for Merritt (the afterlife therapist) was a lot of fun.
The contemporary romances released this year have consistently been of a high calibre, and for me have out shined other genres, and Kirsty Greenwood’s, The Love of My Afterlife was a further highlight and top favourite read for 2024. It will be my pleasure to explore this author’s past titles.
Those who thought they knew Oliver Ryan were shocked to learn that he had assaulted his wife Alice so badly that Liz Nugent is now an Auto-buy Author!
Those who thought they knew Oliver Ryan were shocked to learn that he had assaulted his wife Alice so badly that she resides in a coma, unlikely to recover. The couple had been married for nearly thirty years and Oliver has never displayed any violent tendencies, has he? But can their memories of the man be trusted? Because hurting Alice is far from the worst thing Oliver has done.
Last year, I finally got around to reading Liz Nugent, and Unravelling Oliver is now the third novel I have read by her, and all have been five star reads. Right from the first page Oliver was a cold, manipulative, controlling, bully, but how he came to be that way definitely wrecked me, not that it excuses his actions as an adult. The various POV’s of those who encountered Oliver in life-altering ways were all interesting, exciting and tense. The majority of the book read like a contemporary drama saga but with chilling undertones, and once the entire story was revealed, I was left shocked and stunned.
The audiobook was one of the best I’ve ever read. A different narrator voiced each character and every aspect of their various personalities shone through – loved the various Irish and French accents, and the chapter narrated by Alice’s disabled brother, Eugene, was incredible – I listened to it twice.
I’m so happy to have discovered Liz Nugent, I have another library audiobook of hers coming up which I can’t wait to dive into. Unravelling Oliver is a not-to-be-missed must read. As was Strange Sally Diamond and Skin Deep....more
The Vacation Really Surprised Me – In the best way possible!
During a long hot summer in Los Angeles, nine travellers from all walks of life and cornerThe Vacation Really Surprised Me – In the best way possible!
During a long hot summer in Los Angeles, nine travellers from all walks of life and corners of the globe – Tommy, Jake, Nicole, Eric, Savannah, Ruth, Jane, Declan, and Matty – have checked into the Venice Beach International Hostel. They are there for a variety of reasons – some are on a mission, others are trying to find themselves, and all are trying to escape and outrun trauma and tragedy in their past. By the end of their stay, for better or worse, all their secrets will be exposed.
Because the past never stays buried!
The Vacation was John Marrs’ first novel, republished and rebranded in 2021, originally published under the title Welcome to Wherever You Are back in 2015. I feel the former title was a more fitting one, as none of the characters were really there on vacation, well not the kind of vacation most of us picture as one anyway. The Travellers would’ve worked better. Also, the cover art of the edition I read doesn’t work for me, as floating in an inflatable pool ring had nothing to do with this novel, as like I said, it wasn’t that kind of vacation, and It’s misleading to readers.
For some reason I went into The Vacation thinking it was a locked room Agatha Christie style mystery. I have no idea why I thought this or where I got my information from, as I was way off. This novel was mainly drama, soap opera, action, character study, with elements of thriller, suspense, crime, and romance thrown in (like any good soap opera, right?). And even though the plot wasn’t what I was expecting, and despite it being completely different from anything else John Marrs has written, I absolutely loved it. I loved the camaraderie and friendships that developed between the hostel guests, and the idea of like-minded strangers being drawn to one another in the most difficult of circumstances when they really needed each other most. And that being surrounded by supportive people also taught them to stand on their own two feet.
There were ninety-eight short chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue, mainly unfolding from the POV’s of the nine guests, but occasionally narrated by other’s as well. Chapters were usually divided into two parts – the present, and then a flashback to how the character narrating got to where they are. I cannot emphasise just how much drama there was, so trigger warnings for nearly every topic, but nothing too graphic. There were definitely serious scenes, situations, and topics, but they were conveyed in that soap-operish kind of way, if you know what I mean? I should also mention that there were a lot of characters, but I never struggled to keep track of who was who.
I’m thrilled over how much I enjoyed The Vacation and am happy to name it as one of my top reads so far this year, and probably my favourite John Marrs.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Pan Macmillan, and John Marrs for the e-ARC. ...more
On the night Angus Stoat proposes to Gabby Alvarez in a NYC midtown bar, Gabby’s best friend Natalie Shapiro meeNo one-star rating from me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
On the night Angus Stoat proposes to Gabby Alvarez in a NYC midtown bar, Gabby’s best friend Natalie Shapiro meets Angus’ best friend Rob Kapinsky for the first time. Their banter is fun and flirtatious, there’s a definite vibe, but Natalie has a boyfriend and Rob has a plane to catch so they somewhat reluctantly part ways, but occasionally text over the next year and a half.
Their second meeting at Angus and Gabby‘s wedding is decidedly less friendly, in fact it’s downright hostile. Natalie now hates Rob because he had the nerve to give her first novel a one-star rating on Goodreads. Rob feels justifiably disappointed in Natalie after what he discovered she’d written on page 28.
But, over the years they keep crossing paths, unable to avoid each other because of their shared connection through their best friends. And every time they come into contact, they can’t help being drawn to one another, and unwittingly an attraction is growing between them. Will Natalie and Rob ever admit that they have feelings for one another?
Out of all the contemporary romantic comedies that I have rated five stars this year, and this includes Katherine Center’s, The Rom-Commersand Emily Henry’s, Funny Story, Laura Hankin’s, One-Star Romance is my top favourite for 2024. I would even go as far as to say that it’s one of my top romances of all time. I loved it! If I had to compare it to anything I would say that it shares commonalities with the Katherine Heigl 2010 movie, Life as We Know it, and the TV series Love Life (2020) starring Anna Kendrick.
One-Star Romance contained several of my most favourite romantic tropes including enemies to lovers, hate to love, slow-burn, forced proximity, forced to share a bed, love triangle, and open-door (although not quite all the way ...more
The third rule of Camp Emerson is the most important, ‘When lost sit down and yell.’
Just like the battle cry of Pan: The Greek God of the Woods.
SituatThe third rule of Camp Emerson is the most important, ‘When lost sit down and yell.’
Just like the battle cry of Pan: The Greek God of the Woods.
Situated in the Adirondack Mountains is the Van Laar Preserve. Atop its ridge is the Van Laar’s colossal summer home, named Self-Reliance. Far below, is the camp they own, Camp Emerson, which is open to campers eight weeks of the year (June to August).
July 1961: 8-year-old, Peter “Bear” Van Laar the fourth (the only child of Peter the third and his wife Alice) vanishes without a trace while hiking with his grandfather (Peter II) in the Adirondacks near the family home Self-Reliance. Following an extensive search no trace of him is ever found.
August 1975: The girls in Balsam cabin, Camp Emerson, awaken to find 13-year-old Barbara’s bunk bed empty. Barbara’s surname is also Van Laar – she’s Bear’s younger sister, born after his disappearance, to replace the void he left.
Is the Van Laar line cursed?
Surely it can’t be a coincidence that they’re two children from the same privileged family!
Or are they simply two separate unrelated tragedies?
What happened to Bear, and then Barbara?
If I could rate The God of the Woods 14 stars (for the 14 cabins of Camp Emerson) then I absolutely positivity would, but I guess 5 stars is enough to convey just how immersive, momentous, and affecting it was. A flawlessly written epic masterpiece of literary suspense fiction, and deep dive character study. There were twists that left me reeling over how shockingly clever they were, and Liz Moore’s use of misdirection and carefully concealed clues were meticulously placed. Every once and a while there is a book that comes along that is so special that I find myself taking much longer than normal to read it, inhaling every word, and taking frequent breaks to reflect on the plot, and characters, to prolong the experience, and The God of the Woods was one such example.
The story contained many gothic elements which increased my sense of unease and claustrophobia tenfold. A prickling sensation at the back of my neck permeated the novel from the very first page. First up, was the secluded setting, far enough away from the nearest town of Shattuck to be isolating, surrounded by endless wilderness and the looming Hunt Mountain, with Lake Joan cutting them off even further. Then there were the dilapidated log cabins, once used for hunting parties, complete with unused fireplaces, whose chimneys were occasionally inhabited by bats. Not to mention the origins of Self-Reliance – there was something off-putting and out-of-place about it previously being a Chalet in Switzerland, transported by ship to New York piece-by-piece and then reassembled on the Van Laar Preserve. As expected, there were numerous campfire style legends circulating – whispered stories warning of Slitter, of Scary Mary, and Old John. And last but not least, the plot was built around not one, but two disturbing enthralling mysteries.
Those who know me are aware that I love a summer camp setting and this novel contained everything I wanted in one – new friendships, secretive and untrustworthy behaviour, counsellors and campers sneaking around after dark, campfires, sing-a-longs, swimming, hiking, a camper survival trip in the woods, and an end of summer dance. The vivid and intricate descriptions of the campgrounds really brought Camp Emerson to life. There was also a handy map included at the front of the book, showing the layout of the grounds and buildings.
And I was thrilled that the author chose to set the camp story arc in the 70's – I adored the nostalgic trip, the slang, and pop culture references. The 1950’s/1960’s timelines were equally compelling. Instead of Camp Emerson, that plot focused on Self-Reliance and Peter and Alice's marriage within its walls, and of course, Bear's disappearance, and what lead up to it, and the fallout resulting from it.
The majority of the POV’s were pre-teen/teenage girls and twenty-something women (with the exception of Alice in 1975. She was 41 by this stage), and most of them were damaged or broken (and given what they'd been dealt in life I'm not surprised), beaten down and trapped by their circumstances. Back then women were considered inferior – utterly dependent on the men in their lives to make decisions for them regarding how to look, act, and behave. And a lot of the male characters in this book took advantage of this – were dismissive, controlling and abusive. Not only that when female characters were abused by men, they saw it as their failure, and thought it was them who needed to change, who needed to be more compliant. And those who did take a stand were belittled, mocked, and shunned, by both men and women, for not conforming to the norm.
Class, prejudice, injustice, and resentment was another prominent theme. With the Van Laar family and their rich, entitled friends on one side, and the locals from Shattuck (including camp staff, counsellors, household staff, and caretakers) on the other. Self-Reliance, sat high on the hill, on prominent display, lording it over everyone, literally and figuratively, looking down on people. Even its name, Self-Reliance, was an exclusion, a slap in the face for the townspeople, implying that the Van Laar’s had build it themselves with no assistance, when it had been the entire eligible male population of Shattuck who had done so, with no help from the Van Laar’s. And even the fact that the camp staff quarters were situated way down lake from Self-Reliance in the farthest south corner possible, placed in the half of the camp separated by a creek, spoke volumes.
The God of the Woods was in my opinion a smash-hit and I strongly urge everyone to read it and experience the magic for themselves. My top read for 2024 so far. Actually, a top read full stop....more
The Midnight Feast was Unsettling, Creepy, and it Sure Kept Me Guessing!
June 2025 – It’s the opening weekend of The Manor, an excl*HAPPY RELEASE DAY!*
The Midnight Feast was Unsettling, Creepy, and it Sure Kept Me Guessing!
June 2025 – It’s the opening weekend of The Manor, an exclusive, cliffside, health and wellness resort hotel, nestled away in the tiny village of Tome, Dorset, with the beach on one side and the woods on the other. The retreat promises three days of luxury, spirituality, and pampering, culminating in a Midnight Feast on The Day of the Solstice.
But just before dawn The Day After the Solstice fishermen make two grisly discoveries, floating in the water is a body, and high up on the cliff The Manor is burning!
Just what went on at The Midnight Feast?
After finishing The Midnight Feast I can honestly say that Lucy Foley is the master of misdirection – the plot had more twists than the trees featured in this novel – the mystery was multi-layered, clever, and exciting, and the shocks and secrets just kept on coming. I can’t stop thinking about that last 25%!
The characters were a mix of one’s I cared about, other’s I wasn’t sure about, and a few that were evil to the core. All were compelling, three-dimensional and intriguing. I even teared up a couple of times and was surprised how emotionally invested I was in some of these character’s situations and trauma. The setting of Tome took on a life of its own – steeped in class conflict and divide, exacting justice, and customs and folklore. Now, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m terrified of birds – although I’m not keen on their squawking, flapping wings, and beady eyes – but the bird legends featured in this novel, coupled with the fact that people kept finding ominous feathers, really freaked me out.
There were several timelines to keep track of. The present story arc, which took place over the three-day retreat weekend – Opening Night, The Day Before the Solstice, The Day of the Solstice – via four POV’s. Then there were flashbacks to the summer of 2010 in the form of italicised journal entries narrated by a teenage girl, as well as flash forwards to The Day After the Solstice beginning with the discovery of the fire and an unidentified body. There was also a spooky, foreboding prologue titled, The Woods. The summer journal was the standout for me, that is until the last 25% when every moment was my favourite.
Now I can’t decide which Lucy Foley book is my favourite, this one, or The Guest List. I think I love them both equally.
P.S. As a teenage I also devoured Bella by Jilly Cooper, as well as the other books in the series, Harriet, Octavia, etc.
I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Harper Collins UK, and Lucy Foley for the e-ARC.
Take note of the release date, 6th June 2024, as The Midnight Feast is a must-read thriller....more
My top read for 2024, so far that is. Every aspect of the plot completely worked for me. The sarcastic humour saw me laughing out loud several times bMy top read for 2024, so far that is. Every aspect of the plot completely worked for me. The sarcastic humour saw me laughing out loud several times but it was never silly nor in bad taste - the mystery/crime storyline was serious, tense, and emotional. I relished being in Lucy’s head, and the Podcast was riveting. Characters, their interactions, and dialogue were top notch, and I’m always ready for a small town murder - particularly when it involves a cold case. I loved every minute of reading this - couldn’t put it down, and I will be recommending this thriller and singing this author’s praises left, right, and centre....more
Bodie Kane doesn’t like to dwell on her time spent at Granby – a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire. HowMy reading year started with a bang!
Bodie Kane doesn’t like to dwell on her time spent at Granby – a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire. How, from the ages of 14-18, she was the outcast, the misfit, the poor kid from Indiana, bullied mercilessly by rich, entitled misogynous boys, and mean girls. Then, to top it all off, the murder of popular student, Thalia Keith, the spring of Bodie’s senior year. Soon after, the 23 year-old athletics coach was arrested and charged, sent to prison for the remainder of his life.
Case closed, or was it?
Now, it’s 23 years later, and Bodie is returning to Granby for two-weeks to teach a couple of classes. When one of her students chooses the subject of Thalia Keith for her podcast assignment, Bodie is at first uneasy, but soon finds herself unwittingly assisting, as memories that she has successfully spent years blocking out slowly begin to re-surface, causing her to realise just how wrongly she interpreted so many things that happened back then – including Thalia Keith’s murder.
You all know how much I adore a mystery set in a boarding high school environment – not to mention it was a cold, closed one. 90’s nostalgic, yeah! And, I was so there for those gothic vibes, as naturally Granby had it’s share of old buildings and secret nooks and crannies, a tragic history, and, of course, it was situated in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods. Plus, the snowy weather contributed to the cut-off-from-the-world mood. But, it was just as contemporary and modern as it was gothic. So, crime/mystery/gothic/academia/coming-of-age/teen angst, and drama, including courtroom drama, even though there were no scenes in an actual courtroom. Huh? you ask, and to that I answer – read it, and find out.
I thought Rebecca Makkai did a phenomenal job of showing that when you’re in so much pain yourself (especially as an adolescent), you feel utterly alone, so alone that you fail to notice that those around you are in just as much pain. Bodie was a fascinating character – strong and resilient, yet vulnerable and flawed, scarred by tragedy and neglect.
You might be questioning that if I loved this so much, why it took me six days to read? Well, for one, the book length was 448 pages. Two, the novel was light on dialogue compared to what I normally read, and I tend to find that books with less dialogue take me longer to both read and absorb. It also should be noted that I prefer reads that are dialogue-heavy, a further testament to how amazing I Have Some Questions For You was. My third reason, the beautiful, lyrical, descriptive, detailed prose had me frequently stopping to marvel over how amazing it was. I read an e-Arc, but I definitely plan on acquiring the audiobook when it’s released, so I can relive the exceptional writing.
The narration was a bit different, in that the protagonist, Bodie, was speaking directly to Granby’s former music teacher, Denny Bloch, (a teacher that mentored her when she was a student there) regarding the events that unfolded during the course of the novel. And, as the title states, she has some questions for him. I debated over whether to include this information, wondered if it was too much of a spoiler, but ultimately I concluded it was something that I would’ve preferred to know going in, rather than spending the first 30 or so pages being confused as hell over who this Mr. Bloch was.
Not only was that initially confusing, but I feel I should also mention the ever-changing timeline, as that was another thing that stumped me at the beginning, as you had a forty-four-year-old Bodie in the present, 2022, but then the next minute you’re in 2016, and then 2018, where the bulk of the novel took place. Additionally, there are multiple flashbacks to Bodie’s four school years at Granby (1991-1995), and a few from her childhood. And, these flashbacks and flashforwards switched at the drop-of-a-hat, with some marked by paragraph or chapter breaks, but a lot were inserted in the middle of a scene, a scene that triggered something from Bodie’s past, and then she’d drift off, relaying that memory, usually for several pages before returning to the present. Once I got into the groove though, I loved it.
Now for those trigger warnings. Without going into too much detail, pretty much every social issue a teenager could potentially face – everything from inappropriate sexual comments and behaviour through to physical and sexual violence, suicide and murder, and more... Also, a further warning for racial discrimination and bias. I definitely experienced some emotional moments while reading. I haven’t marked it as YA, because it wasn’t, but given how much of the storyline involved adolescent culture, and given there wasn’t anything too graphic, I would deem this one as suitable for older teens 16 plus.
One last thing – there were a lot of characters, and I mean a lot. I’m actually a fan of a zillion characters as to me it’s more realistic, as no man is an island, people are surrounded by people, and given that the majority of this took place in a boarding school setting, it made perfect sense considering all the students, teachers, and faculty.
In conclusion, my first book for 2023 was a smash hit, which I’ve added to my favourite list. I will definitely be reading more by Rebecca Makkai very soon. Wow!
I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Little Brown Book Club UK, and Rebecca Makkai for the e-ARC.
Mark your calendars for the 23rd February, 2023. You won’t be sorry you did....more
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