#BookReview THE SIGHT OF YOU by HOLLY MILLER

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Light We Lost meets How to Walk Away in this romantic and page-turning American debut that poses a heartbreaking question: Would you choose love, if you knew how it would end?

Joel has sworn off falling in love. But when he meets Callie, he can’t help being drawn to her. In Callie, he sees a second chance at life. And in Joel, Callie discovers the kind of love she’d always hoped was real. They challenge one another to take chances, to laugh, and to trust that no matter how hard each falls, the other will be there to catch them.

But Joel has a secret. He dreams about the people he loves, and these dreams always come true. One night, Joel has the dream of Callie he’s feared the most, and each must decide: Can Callie stay, knowing her fate? And if her days must be numbered, is there a life she is meant to live?

Told in Joel and Callie’s voices, The Sight of You is a sweeping, romantic, and unforgettable American debut, about the bravery it takes to love, especially when we think we know how the story will end. 

PUBLISHED BY  HODDER & STOUGHTON

PUBLICATION DATE – 11TH JUNE 2020

PRE-ORDER LINKS

Amazon
hive.co.uk

blackwell’s 

MY REVIEW

Just wonderful! It broke my heart and made me ugly cry but I absolutely adored the story of Joel and Callie and how the power of being able to see the future can make such an impact on the decisions you take and the path you follow.

They are both very special characters – Joel especially – as he has always had dreams of loved ones where he can see their future, and this has led him to vow never to fall in love as it becomes too much of a burden for him to deal with.

That is about to change when he meets Callie. A sweet soul, who lives life sticking to what she knows. She’s plagued by self doubt and finds herself living someone else’s dream when her friend Grace passes away, so Callie tries to carry out Grace’s legacy – whether that makes her happy or not doesn’t seem to come into the equation for her.

This story is set over 6 years and told from alternating points of view, so we get to share the magic of their friendship and relationship as it evolves. Callie encourages Joel to open up about what is troubling him but when she finally moves in with him, it’s not long before she notices a change in him…….. does she want to know the details? Would you want to know??

This was a truly absorbing and enthralling storyline – the connection you feel towards both characters, the heartbreak, the little moments of utter joy and how their lives map out after decisions are made for what seems the right reasons at the time. This is a book that will live with me for a very long time, so I highly recommend it! I just hope there’ll be a film!!

★★★★★

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#BookReview THE CONSTANT RABBIT by JASPER FFORDE

ABOUT THE BOOK

Peter Knox lives quietly in one of those small country villages that’s up for the Village Garden of the Year award. Until Doc and Constance Rabbit move in next door, upsetting the locals (many of them members of governing political party United Kingdom Against Rabbit Population), complicating Peter’s job as a Rabbit Spotter, and forcing him to take a stand, moving from unconscious leporiphobe to active supporter of the UK’s amiable and peaceful population of anthropomorphised rabbits

PUBLISHED BY HODDER & STOUGHTON

PUBLICATION DATE – 2ND JULY 2020

PRE-ORDER LINKS

Amazon £20

Goldsboro Books – signed first edition £20

hive.co.uk  £16.05

MY REVIEW

A satirical book about adult sized rabbits?! Yes please! And it didn’t disappoint as Jasper Fforde writes in a way that only he can, throwing our human world and all its’ issues under the bus, so to speak, to shed light on the prejudices and nimbyisms that affect us all!

50 years ago The Event happened, where 18 rabbits became semi human, and now there are 1.2 million of them as they have been breeding, well, like rabbits! This has upset many of the ‘human’ population and the rise of the UK Anti Rabbit Party ( I can’t think WHO they are based on!) means that life for the rabbit population is unpleasant.

The story is told through the eyes of Peter Knox, a human rabbit spotter, who just wants to get on with everyone in the small community he lives in. When new neighbours arrive, Doc and Constance Rabbit, the majority of the locals do all they can to get them to move on, forcing Peter to take a stand and become a prominent supporter of the rabbits who just want to live their lives peacefully.

There is so much humour in this book that I often found myself chuckling at the absurdities and similarities to the world we live in! Even the library cuts in our world are mentioned wonderfully in this book as the locals find themselves just having 6 minutes to borrow books due to the cuts in staff! There’s so many subtle digs at society that it was fun to see what would be mentioned next! There are rules for rabbits to live by, the issues facing humans and rabbits which are mostly the same and the discriminations facing them as they go about their business.

I have to say it did take a while for me to get in the flow with this story, as others have said in their reviews, but when it clicks it just becomes a fun, sarcasting and cutting read – the footnotes are always a joy to read and add even more humour to the proceedings!

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#BookReview Three Days in Florence by Chrissie Manby

When a mini-break becomes make or break…

Kathy Courage has never visited the famous Italian city of Florence before, so she’s thrilled when she and her boyfriend Neil are invited there for a wedding. Unfortunately, with Neil’s constant complaining and his teenage children in tow, it’s not exactly the romantic break Kathy was hoping for.

But when a mix-up with her flights leaves Kathy stranded in the city, she decides to embrace the unexpected and stay on alone.

What follows is a life-changing few days in the Tuscan sun, as Kathy begins to question the choices that have led her here. With the help of the colourful Innocenti family, who offer Kathy a place to stay, she gradually begins to realise that there’s a much bigger world out there, if only she can be brave enough to explore it.

Could Italy hold the answers to her future happiness? Or is Kathy destined to return to her old life? 

published by Hodder & Stoughton

MY REVIEW

This was a really fun and charming read, as we get to spend time in the company of Kathy and, unfortunately, her long term boyfriend and his kids (all of them are brats!!), as they are in Florence for his brothers’ wedding. It’s been a dream of Kathys for years to spend time in Italy and she’s hoping to make the most of her time there – shame Neil and his children seem to just want to make her life hell, and I found myself shouting at Kathy so many times to dump them and have fun on her own! The woman was a bloody saint for being so nice to them!!

And that’s what happens when there is a mix up over the flights home, and Kathy has to stay behind. Neil is very uncomfortable about leaving her behind as it’s messing his plans up and he even has to deal with his own bratty kids while she’s there – good!! Thankfully Kathy meets a lovely family who invite her into their home/hotel after a bad experience she has, and this time seeing the good in people really helps Kathy see what she is missing and she gets to explore and experience Florence in her own time – and without the constant moaning of Neil who is still trying his best to get her back home ASAP as he finds it a massive inconvenience. The more you read about Neil, the more you wonder what she ever saw in the man!!

I adored the setting, and just loved seeing Kathy get to spread her wings and stand on her own two feet – she’s always been a bit too happy to follow what others wanted but that never made her happy so when she finally starts doing what she likes, she discovers how much happier life can be! This was a real feel good story and I could have happily spent more time with Kathy in Florence!

★★★★

#BookReview The Scarlet Nightingale by Alan Titchmarsh

                                                                

About the book

As war rages across Europe, one young woman is torn between love and loyalty.

Set in wartime London and occupied France, this is a thrilling story of love, danger and sacrifice from bestselling novelist Alan Titchmarsh.

It is the late 1930s when seventeen-year-old Rosamund Hanbury leaves behind the endless summers of her coastal Devonshire home for the fast pace of high society London.

Under the expert guidance of her formidable aunt, the country mouse learns how to act like a lady, hosting dinner parties and rubbing shoulders with Britain’s most influential. And when the enigmatic Harry Napier sweeps her off her feet at London’s famous Café de Paris she could almost forget that Britain has declared war.

But the Phoney War ends. Harry is posted, London reels from the first bombings of the Blitz and Rosamund suffers a devastating personal loss that leaves her all the more determined to do her bit for the war effort.
Joining the Special Forces she is sent to work alongside the Resistance on a top secret mission in France.
It is here that her courage and loyalty are truly put to the test. And where she learns that no one is what they seem: at home or abroad … 

Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Purchase Links

hive.co.uk  £14.29

waterstones  £15.99

Foyles

MY REVIEW

I found this to be a wonderful read from one of my favourite authors! 

 

It’s a fascinating look back over an extraordinary life after Rosamund, an author, passes away. She never spoke much of her past but when she dies she leaves behind a finished novel and a ragged envelope full of letters and keepsakes – an imaginative way to tell her story.

 

It was lovely to hear her story through her words as she looked back – the idyllic childhood in the countryside, the governess she adored, the friends she met, and then how she dealt with the tragedy of losing her parents and what that meant for her life, as it all changed so quickly.

 

The time period is set just before the War so the threat is always close by, and when she moves to London to live with her Aunt, it becomes even more of a reality and she is eager to ‘do her bit’ but is unsure how she can help. She isn’t afraid of a challenge though and she soon finds herself closer to the action than she could have ever imagined – part of a team who are in France to follow orders.

 

I love the relaxed style of storytelling throughout – scenes are beautifully set, characters are brought to life with their strengths and flaws and in Rosamund is a really intriguing character. So headstrong and inquisitive, but often naive and watching her blossom from childhood to adulthood is a wonderful journey that we get to share in. She isn’t content to sit back and enjoy a luxurious life, even if it means putting herself in danger. She is also aware of those she meets risking their lives too and that adds a real emotional element to the storyline as she faces so many obstacles.

 

I loved how it showed that people find strength when facing adversity and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment!

 

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