Florence unexpectedly inherits a campervan from her former teacher. She finds an opportunity to reconnect with her former best friend Rowena but can the past be forgotten or forgiven?
Us Two is a book about moving on from the past and has a positive message about the importance of forgiveness.
Florence is running away from her past and avoids thinking about it. Her former teacher Cassie leaves her a campervan in her will and Florence is compelled to confront her history. Cassie had her own friendship issues and wants Florence to learn from her mistakes. So, along with the campervan bequest, she arranges a scavenger hunt to help Florence reconnect with Rowena.
To be totally honest, I felt a bit frustrated by the slow pace. I was eager to find out about Florence’s current situation and wanted the mystery of the past to be revealed. However the non linear narrative structure with frequent flashbacks or reflections on the past didn’t really suit me although I enjoyed the premise of the plot and the character exploration.
There are some big emotions and life changes included in this book. I really felt sad when Cassie’s hope in the opening chapter is then swept away by her diagnosis. Florence has bottled up and denied her feelings about the past as they are too big for her to deal with. These emotional elements contrasted with some moments of humour which keep the tone lighthearted.
Us Two is a warmly toned book about the power of friendship.
Us Two
When Florence met Rowena, they knew for sure that they would always be friends.
Wayward parents, boring teachers, teenage crushes, first heartbreaks – anything and everything could be faced as long as Florence had Rowena by her side.
But then she didn’t.
And life had to be redrawn and reconsidered.
Being a grown-up has its perks, but as Rowena faces the biggest challenge of her life, and Florence wonders if it’s time to stop running away from hers, there’s a wise soul who knows the one thing that can help them both. Some friendships are meant to last forever, and it’s never too late for forever to start again.
Joyous and heart-breaking, laugh-out-loud funny, life-affirming and unforgettable, join Flo and Ro on a journey that will warm your heart and perhaps make you wonder about those old friends who knew you so well.
Author Bio –
Janet Hoggarth is the number one bestselling author of The Single Mums’ Mansion and the highly successful Single Mums’ subsequent series. She has worked on a chicken farm, as a bookseller, a children’s book editor, a children’s author, and as a DJ (under the name of Whitney and Britney!). She lives with her family in East Dulwich, London.
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At my first book club meeting, I had the surprise and pleasure of meeting a real life author (hi Lucy!) and she invited me to read her new book! I was a little nervous in case I had to be brutal but never fear, it was a fab read!
Alex is sent a mysterious machine which was created by her late father. She figures out that if she inserts a photograph the machine can locate the person. Her father created the machine to search for his little sister who went missing in the 1920s but he never managed to find her. Alex begins a mission to find a photo of Lillian to put in the machine…
The Finding Machine is a mystery novel with a really strong emotional thread running through it. The book is set just before the millennium and I felt that I was transported back in time!
Alex is bored with her dull admin work so is intrigued and inspired to break the monotony by using the machine. She has a wonderful flatmate and a terrible mother. I was almost pleading with Alex and Antony to get together as their affection and good natured banter makes their compatibility clear from the start.
Alex’s dad lost his sister when he was young and never gave up hope that she would be found. He invented the machine (there are some details about the construction but I didn’t really understand them) to locate his sister but he never had a photo of her. I have heard of the concept of a photo capturing a person’s soul so completely bought into the viability of the machine.
There are some dramatic moments as Alex tries out the machine to find missing pets before moving onto humans. The tension also grows as Alex gets closer to using the machine for its real purpose and finding her vanished aunt. The pace of the writing is pretty good and I was eager to keep reading to find out what would happen next to Alex, keeping my fingers crossed that she would succeed and resolve the family mystery.
The Finding Machine is a wonderful book: full of mystery, emotion and drama.
Book blurb
HER FATHER’S MYSTERIOUS INVENTION… A 1920s COLD CASE… CAN ALEX FOLLOW THE DOTS TO SOLVE IT?
It’s 1998, and Alex Martin’s life is falling apart. She’s fast approaching the big 3-0, with her dreams of making it as an artist in shreds. Her handsome housemate Antony’s moving on to better things while she’s stuck in a dead-end job, touch-typing for a living like a 1950s pool secretary.
Then, one grey winter morning, Alex inherits a mysterious invention from her late father that changes everything. The Finding Machine solves mysteries. But the biggest mystery of all lies deep within its wiring — the unsolved disappearance of a little girl, dating back seventy years.
What happened to the girl, all those years ago? Who was she?
Alex is going to need Antony’s help if she’s to join the dots and solve the case. But as dark family secrets are revealed, will the Finding Machine bring them together…or push them further apart?
Full of twists and turns, the Finding Machine is an unputdownable mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Buy now, and join Alex on the adventure of a lifetime!
Lost your loved one? Lost all hope? You need… THE FINDING MACHINE!
About the author
Lucy Lyons worked in London as an editorial illustrator before realising she loved writing novels so much, she wanted to do that full-time.
She now lives in leafy Surrey with her illustrator husband, two grown-up boys and a bearded dragon called Pancake. When she’s not at her desk writing, she loves to escape into the garden and other worlds.
Lucy writes page-turning mystery novels with a sprinkling of magic.
I have experienced my first audiobook! This was the choice for my local book club and the paperback sat there unloved for a month before I had to return it to the library so I decided to try the audio version…
Nora decides her life isn’t worth living. Her dreams have all faded to nothing and now she is ready to give up completely. Instead, she is swept away to the Midnight Library where her former mentor Mrs Elm is waiting for her with an infinite number of books that each contains an alternative life. Will Nora find a life worth living…?
The Midnight Library is an incredibly deep and thought-provoking book. Nora wants to die and thinks her life is worthless. She is taken to the Midnight Library where she is allowed to choose a different life. But each time she becomes disenchanted she moves onto the next book of life. There are deep philosophical quotes and ideas which I found fascinating.
However, at its core, this book is about a woman searching for the meaning of her existence and finding that happiness is a choice, not a predetermined right. There are some deeply emotional moments as she compares and contrasts the new versions of her life with her original. The messages are not subtle but this does not stop them from being profound or uplifting.
I enjoyed my first audiobook experience. I did speed up the book to 1.5x but felt this did not affect the emotion or intensity of the content. The narrator clearly gave Nora’s perspective and I found myself fully immersed in the story. The plot strands were easy to follow as Nora tries out alternative lives.
The Midnight Library is a wonderfully thought -provoking book and a reminder to be grateful for our experiences even the bad ones.
Book blurb
Between life and death there is a library. When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change. The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t
About the Author
Matt Haig has written a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction. This includes the novels The Humans, How to Stop Time and The Midnight Library, several children’s books and most recently the self-help book The Comfort Book.
@matthaig1 | @mattzhaig | matthaig.com
Katie’s fiance Chad has been missing for a month and she is frantic. Her colleagues distract her with a serial killer case but could there be a connection with Chad’s disappearance?
Her Dying Kiss is the 10th book to feature Katie Scott, her K9 companion Cisco and the rest of the police team.
Katie is distraught when Chad disappears, leaving behind a blood splash. She has tracked down every lead but they have all come to nothing and now she is sat at home wallowing in self pity and fear. Her boss (and uncle) convinces her to join the search for a copycat serial killer but one clue relates to Chad.
The case is intensely personal for Katie as she frets about her lover. Her serial killer case is complex as she finds links between a killer in prison and the new murders. She is ably assisted by her partner McGaven and her old military mentor and his dog are on hand to help with Chad’s disappearance.
There is plenty of forensic detail about the bodies but it is handled in an objective and scientific way which defuses the graphic content. The emotion comes from Katie’s personal involvement and her fears about Chad’s safety. She finds the lack of clues frustrating and demoralising especially given her occupation and success rate! Once again, Katie is put into extreme danger and the action sequences are tense and dramatic.
Her Dying Kiss is a tense and exciting thriller with a personal edge.
Book Description:
She wakes to the dawn light streaming through the window and rolls over to whisper good morning to her fiancé. But panic floods her veins. His side of the bed is empty and cold. Blood trails towards the open door. All trace of him is gone…
It’s been one month since Detective Katie Scott’s fiancé, Chad, went missing without a trace. Devastated Katie is still working tirelessly day and night to track down the love of her life, barely sleeping and chasing every new lead. But now the case has gone cold.
When the body of beautiful Gina Hartfield is discovered among the pine needles in a clearing on Lookout Ridge, Katie swallows her own pain and knows she must focus on finding Gina’s killer. The young woman was found with a pink velvet blindfold shading the hollows where her eyes had been removed. Katie is certain she is chasing a sadistic individual who will soon take another life…
But the autopsy reveals Gina’s body was washed before being abandoned, leaving no trace of evidence behind. And with no witnesses to Gina’s disappearance, the women of Pine Valley are terrified to go out alone.
Desperately combing the crime scene, when Katie sees a newspaper article about her previous cases pinned to a nearby tree, she is certain Gina’s murder is personal. Then tire tracks found in the forest are matched to a truck seen following Chad in the days leading up to his disappearance. Katie’s blood runs cold.
Is there a link between Chad’s disappearance and Gina’s brutal murder, or is the killer playing a twisted game with Katie? Can she find out the truth before they take another life?
A totally gripping serial killer thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh. Prepare to stay up all night with this nail-biting rollercoaster ride from USA Today and Amazon bestseller Jennifer Chase!
Author Bio:
Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and best-selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells.
In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers.
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Nicky has been grieving for her husband whilst raising their two daughters. Her friend offers her a chance to be on TV and rediscover her interior design skills. But the hotel in France is a little worse for wear, the budget is halved, and Nicky has a big task in front of her…
A Month in Provence is a warm novel about fresh starts and new chances at happiness. I think it would be perfect for a holiday read as there is a light hearted tone and a foreign setting.
Nicky has had her fair share of heartache and is ready to start emotional healing. She is offered the chance to feature in a refurbishment programme but finds the boundaries keep changing. She befriends the owner Robert despite a prickly start and also has a potential spark with the cameraman Tom.
The grief that Nicky feels could have darkened the tone of the book, but instead the couple’s love shines through despite the tears. The overall tone is lighthearted and warm as Nicky negotiates new friendships, considers relationships and rediscovers herself as a person not just a mum. There is plenty of fun and laughter along the way as Nicky and Robert try to revamp the hotel and themselves ready for the TV.
A Month in Provence is an enjoyable, light hearted read and I was transported to France for the whole book.
A Month in Provence
Interior designer Nicky always used to know how to make the best of things. Ever since she lost her husband though, things haven’t been easy. She’s had to raise her two daughters alone and she’s so proud to see them all grown up, and she knows that’s down to her. But she can’t help but feel like she doesn’t know what to do with her life now…
But then her best friend begs her to help out. Jenny is a TV exec and her new renovation show is in peril. Only Nicky can help.
The catch – Nicky needs to fly to Provence… tomorrow. To renovate a tumbledown B&B. Jenny doesn’t mention the fact that the grumpy B&B owner Robert seems to need a makeover too. Or that the budget is next to nothing…
Will Nicky be able to turn the B&B’s fortunes around, save her friend’s job, and maybe even find some happiness for herself, under the blazing hot French sun this summer…?
Author Bio –
Gillian Harvey is a freelance journalist and the author of two well-reviewed women’s fiction novels published by Orion. She has lived in Limousin, France for the past twelve years, from where she derives the inspiration and settings for her books. Her first title for Boldwood, A Year at the French Farmhouse, was published in September 2022.
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