Blog Tour ~ The Other Us by Fiona Harper

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be on the The Other Us Blog Tour

Published by HQ
4 May 2017

What's it all about..

If you could turn back time, would you choose a different life?

Forty-something Maggie is facing some hard truths. Her only child has flown the nest for university and, without her daughter in the house, she’s realising her life, and her marriage to Dan, is more than a little stale.

When she spots an announcement on Facebook about a uni reunion, she can’t help wondering what happened to Jude Hanson. The same night Dan proposed, Jude asked Maggie to run away with him, and she starts to wonder how different her life might have been if she’d broken Dan’s heart and taken Jude up on his offer.

Wondering turns into fantasising, and then one morning fantasising turns into reality. Maggie wakes up and discovers she’s back in 1992 and twenty-one again. Is she brave enough to choose the future she really wants, and if she is, will the grass be any greener on the other side of the fence?

Two men. Two very different possible futures. But is there only once chance at happiness?

I am delighted to share the author's own What ifs moments...

When reading the book you can’t help thinking of the ‘Sliding Doors’ moments I’ve had in my life. Is there one that sticks out for you? What was the decision? And did you pick the right path?!

There are definitely some things I’d wondered ‘what if?’ – particularly when it comes to career choices. I was keen on art and English and performing arts when I was at school, and it was a bit of a toss-up between whether I went to do a degree in dance or graphic design. I ended up choosing dance, which I loved, but there weren’t many jobs around when I left university, just as the recession of the early 90s hit. I’m not sure if I’d have been happier going the other path, but I definitely would have made more money! But then, if I’d chosen design, would I have ended up as a writer? Maybe not. And that would have been awful, because I love my job so much.

Even knowing this is the right career choice for me, there are other ‘what if’s’: I didn’t start writing novels until I was 35. Should I have tried when I was younger? If I had, maybe I’d have a very different career by now but, then again, I have a feeling I wasn’t ready to write a book in my twenties, so maybe I’d have crashed and burned, got disheartened and never given it another go.

We all have hundreds of these moments every day, probably without being aware of it. However, second-guessing every decision and pining for the path not travelled will probably not only send you quietly insane but is ultimately useless. No one can go back and undo the past; all we can do is use what we’ve learned along the journey we’ve already taken and step boldly into the future.

What did I think about The Other Us..

I am sure that we all have those 'what if'' moments where we wonder just what would have happened if we had turned the other corner or made a very different life choice. And that's just what happens to Maggie who wakes to find herself in a very different place. Instead of a being a forty something mum, married to Dan, on the eve of her University reunion, Maggie wakes to find that she is back at University, but as a twenty-one year old, with her best friend Becca, and with all her life ahead of her.

What then follows is a cleverly put together time travel/alternative life story which looks at all the opportunities of going in a different direction, and unlikely as the sliding door theory of life is, there is nothing more fascinating than wondering just what would happen if, in a parallel past life, things could change in a heartbeat.

The story flows well and the author does a really good job of threading together all the different strands. I had to concentrate at times, because sometimes Maggie’s life changes quickly, but I found each individual story interesting and I hoped that Maggie would make the right choices. What those choices are, I’m not going to reveal as I’m sure you would like to find out for yourself.

Warm and witty, wise and serious, The Other Us would make an ideal holiday read.

Best Read With...A glass of lukewarm Lambrusco and some cheesey nibbles..



More about Fiona...

Coming from two generations of journalists, writing was in Fiona Harper’s genes. As a child she was constantly teased for having her nose in a book and living in a dream world. Things haven't changed much since then, but at least in writing she's found a use for her runaway imagination! She loves dancing, cooking, reading and watching a good romance. Fiona lives in London with her family.

Visit her website

Twitter @FiHarper_Author

 Follow the Book #TheOtherUs

My thanks to the author for her guest post today and also to Rebekah at Midas for the invitation to be part of this Blog Tour.

Do visit the other stops on the tour for more fun content.

 Follow the Book #TheOtherUs

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Review ~ The House of New Beginnings by Lucy Diamond

Pan Macmillan
26th January 2017

A bit of blurb..

Number 11, Dukes Square, looks just like the other houses on the Brighton seafront: a Regency terrace with elegant sash windows, a winding staircase, and post piled up in the hall for its tenants. It might be part of the city's history, but it's also a place of brand new beginnings.

Georgie has followed her childhood sweetheart to Brighton but is determined to carve out a career for herself in journalism. Throwing herself into the city's delights is fun and exciting, but before she knows it, she's sliding into all kinds of trouble . . . 

Charlotte's in the city for a new start, hoping to keep her head down and somehow get over the heartbreaking loss she's suffered in the past. But Margot, the stylish old lady on the top floor, has other ideas. Like it or not, Charlotte must confront the outside world, and the possibilities it still holds.

A terrible revelation sent Rosa running from London to start again as a sous chef. The work is gruelling and thankless but it's a distraction at least . . . until she comes up against the stroppy teenager next door who challenges her on her lifestyle choices. What if Rosa's passion for food could lead her to more interesting places?

As the three tenants find each other, it's as if a whole new chapter of their lives has begun.

My thoughts about the book..

What Lucy Diamond always does so well is to craft a story that could so easily be about people you meet every day, in fact, many people in real life could find themselves in the same sort of situations as the women who are the focus for The House of New Beginnings.  It's a story about finding your way when everything around you seems to be thwarted against you, but yet, you know that deep down with good friends you can survive and come through, and hopefully, at the end of it all be stronger and more prepared to face life than ever before.

The author writes with great understanding of what makes women tick and soon plunges her characters into the nitty gritty of life's problems and yet,  at the same time she keeps the writing warm and compassionate. There are some nice areas of light and shade, with moments that made me happy, but there are also some sadder recollections, particularly Charlotte's story, which made me want to make everything better for her. The other characters who flit into and out of the story add complexity and there some unexpected surprises along the way which help to make the story all the more thought-provoking.

I found much to enjoy in The House of New Beginnings, not just about the situations the three women find themselves in but also about living and working in Brighton, about sharing secrets and about starting life anew when it would be just as easy to carry on in the same old rut. This is one of those stories that you could comfortably read at any time of year. It would make a perfect holiday read but it's also one of those lovely books that you can just curl up with on a cold afternoon, preferably with a cup of hot chocolate close at hand.

Best Read With...One of Rosa's salted caramel muffin and a creamy cappuccino 

About the Author

Lucy Diamond lives in Bath with her husband and their three children. She is the author of the bestselling novels Summer at Shell Cottage, The Beach Cafe, The Year of Taking Chances and The Secrets of Happiness.

Website click here

Twitter@LDiamondAuthor

My thanks to  Jess at Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book

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Review ~ The House on Sunset Lake by Tasmina Perry

Headline Review
August 2016

A bit of blurb..

Casa D'Or, the mysterious plantation house on Sunset Lake, has been in the Wyatt family for over fifty years. Jennifer Wyatt returns there from university full of hope, as summer by the lake stretches ahead of her. Yet by the time it is over her heart will be broken, her family in tatters, her dreams long gone.

Twenty years later, Casa D'Or stands neglected, a victim of tragic events. Jennifer has closed the door on her past. Then Jim, the man she met and fell in love with that magical summer, comes back into her life, with a plan to return Casa D'Or to its former glory. Their reunion will stir up old ghosts for both of them, and reveal the dark secrets the house still holds close.

My thoughts about the book..

Casa D'Or is one of those places that as soon as you read the description you want to visit and there is no doubt that in this novel, the author succeeds in bringing the story of Casa D'Or completely to life, so much so, that I was completely enchanted by the house on sunset lake and the role that it plays in this fascinating story of love, loss and family secrets.

Twenty years separates the mystery at the heart of the story and both time frames sit very comfortably alongside each other. I enjoyed the different time aspects and felt that neither one outshone the other. Of course, inevitably I had favourite characters, and the handsome Jim Johnson was certainly up there with the best of them. As with all good  novels there is also to be found light and shade and I enjoyed discovering more about the mystery of what happened at The House at Sunset Lake during the heady summer of 1995.

I always enjoy the way that this author wraps the story around you, almost like a comfort blanket, so that you are completely at ease with the way the story progresses. There is fine attention to detail, and of course, the distinct trademark of good writing which this author always brings to her stories.

Overall, this is a perfect holiday read.

Best Read with ...A summer barbecue and a cool glass of peach iced tea..

About the Author

TASMINA PERRY is a Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author. She left a career in law to enter the world of women's magazine publishing, going on to become an award-winning writer and contributor to titles such as Elle, Glamour and Marie Claire. In 2004 she launched her own travel and fashion magazine, Jaunt, and was editing InStyle magazine when she left the industry to write books full time. Her novels have been published in seventeen countries. Tasmina lives with her husband and son in London, where she is at work on her next novel.

Connect with the author

Facebook

Twitter @tasminaperry

My thanks to Caitlin Raynor at Headline for my review copy of this book.

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The Summer Six ~ Review ~ Giveaway ~ In A Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Dead Good Books launches it's Summer Reading Campaign with the Summer Six

Six books that they're recommending as fab page turners and real holiday suitcase space worthy!

You can join in with the fun on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram from 25th July using the hashtag #SummerSix

Tweet  @DeadGoodBooks which of the books you’d recommend to a friend using #SummerSix or snap a written version of your recommendation on Instagram with the hashtag and you’ll automatically be entered into a draw to win a set of all six books and an additional set to gift on to a friend.

Running out of space in your suitcase? Never fear – Dead Good Books are also giving you the chance to win a Kindle Paperwhite too so you can take loads of wonderful books with you!

Find out more on the Dead Good Books Website

For your delectation

~** Here are the Summer Six**~

  

  

I was lucky to be invited to be one of the bloggers given the chance to read one of the books 
In A Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware.


 Here are my thoughts plus the chance to win a copy of the book in my UK only giveaway.

The Blurb

In a dark, dark wood

Nora hasn't seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back. 

There was a dark, dark house

Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her

And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room

But something goes wrong. Very wrong.

And in the dark, dark room...

. 

Some things can’t stay secret for ever

My thoughts about In a Dark Dark Wood

If you go down to the woods tonight be sure not to go alone otherwise you may get tangled in this very cleverly controlled story of revenge and retribution.  What starts off as a group of alleged friends gathering in a secluded house in the woods for a hen party, rapidly becomes something far more sinister, and as old secrets come to the surface, so the fickle finger of fate starts to intervene with disastrous consequences.

Leonora Shaw has been invited to the hen party of a friend she hasn't seen in over ten years, she is puzzled as to why she has been contacted after such a long time but, as with all things, just sometimes, against your better judgement, you go along with an event even though you know that deep down it just feels wrong to do so.

I read the book quickly over the space of a few hours and I found the first person narrative, the story is told from Leonora's point of view, quite compelling.  There is much to take in and the pace is really fast and even though there were times when I questioned whether the characters would act the way they did, I couldn't stop myself from powering through the book at top speed in order to find out just what was going on with this disparate gathering of odd bods.

In a dark dark wood is a complex and multi-layered psychological suspense story which gives rise to the notion that we never really know what makes our friends tick and the old adage of keep your enemies close couldn't be truer. The author writes with great conviction and keeps control of a complicated plot whilst at the same time cranking up the tension. The added bonus of putting so many unstable narrators into one place makes it a real challenge to know who is telling the truth and why they are acting in the way they did but I enjoyed rising to that challenge. Throughout the story there is a real sense that this hen party is not going to end well, of course whether it does or not, you'll have to find out for yourselves.

Written with a fine eye for detail, In a dark dark wood is deliciously sinister, with more than a hint of ice cold terror, it’s a perfect holiday read and I loved it.

Best Read with …Pepperoni pizzas and ice cold tequila slammers.

Leave us a lovely comment after this blog post to be in with a chance of winning a copy of  In A Dark Dark Wood and of course, leave us a contact email or we won't be able to find you again and that would be disastrous if you're the winner.
UK addresses only.

I'll put all the entries into Jaffa's hat and pick a winner by Sunday 31st ..so go...go

**Good Luck**

Vintage
2015

 Happy Summer Reading

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**~~ And the Winner is~~**

Ali 

Well done 

Review ~ coffee tea The Caribbean & Me by Caroline James

Add caption

Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me is the second book in the Coffee Tea series which began with Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me, and which now continues the story, several years later, of Jo and her best friend Hattie. In this book , the story begins with Jo trying to rebuild her life after a devastating loss, and for those who haven't read the first book, I won't spoil anything here by revealing too much. Suffice to say, Jo and Hattie both need time away from Kirkton Sowerby and where better than to visit the Caribbean, ostensibly to visit Jo's son, Jimmy, who has recently relocated to Barbados, but also gives them time to mend their wounds and to take stock of their lives.

What then follows is a lovely story about the power of friendship, of comfortable days spent in the sun, of eating glorious food and drinking far too many cocktails, and enjoying light hearted flirtations. And yet there's also a lovely inclusion into the story of other characters especially Jo's other son. Zach, who is a talented , and it must be said, rather handsome Michelin starred chef. The author fills her characters with such warmth and wit and their delightful personalities shine through onto the pages of the story. I really liked spending time with them and thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the story eventually played out.

The very nature of Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me lends itself to a continuation, however, the story also sits comfortably on its own merits and can be read as a standalone. It's a perfect read for a sunny afternoon in the garden or leisurely reading on a hot afternoon by a poolside, preferably, somewhere exotic.

Best Read with.. Tall glasses of ice cold Pina Colada, heavy with white rum and a seafood lunch, of snapper, conch and pickled shrimp...

About the Author

Caroline James was born in Cheshire and wanted to be a writer from an early age, she trained, however, in the catering trade and worked and travelled both at home and abroad. Having lived in Cumbria for many years Caroline owned and ran a pub in Appleby followed by a country house hotel, south of Penrith and says that her time in Cumbria was the inspiration that led to her writing path.

Caroline's debut novel, Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me shot to #3 on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun newspaper. Her second novel, So, You Think You're A Celebrity… Chef? has been described as wickedly funny: 'AbFab meets MasterChef in a Soap…' The manuscript for Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me was a Top Ten Finalist at The Write Stuff, London Book Fair 2015 and the judge’s comments included: “Caroline is a natural story-teller with a gift for humour in her writing.” Her next novel, Coffee Tea The Boomers & Me will be published autumn 2016.

Website

Facebook

Twitter @CarolineJames12

Amazon UK

My thanks to the author for sharing her novel with me.

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Review ~ A Rose for St Amelia by Jack Nesbitt

Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie
November 2015

After twelve years of marriage and a particularly troublesome divorce, Rose escapes to her holiday hideaway in Southern Spain. In Malaga, Rose is able to nurse her wounded spirit in a place where happy memories abide and where she feels that recuperative time spent in this tranquil spot may just bring her the peace she needs. When she meets the enigmatic Antonio in a museum, she is attracted by his good looks and charming nature and before too long they become a couple sharing a passionate romance. However, Antonio has secrets that he is unable to share with Rose and as the story progresses we start to see that all is not comfortable in this idyllic Spanish paradise.

I found this book really enjoyable. It's a quick read, coming in at just under 150 pages, so I was able to read it comfortably in one sitting. The warm Spanish atmosphere gives the story a languid quality and so descriptive is the narrative that Malaga easily becomes another character in the novel. There is a good blend of light and shade, and the romance between Rose and Antonio is nicely explored. The mystery at the heart of the novel could perhaps have been allowed more depth, as it all seemed to wrap up fairly quickly, but that's just my own personal observation. Having said that, the story concludes nicely and there is a surprise twist which I didn't see coming.

A Rose for St Amelia would make an ideal holiday read and I’m sure that it would comfortably pass the time between applying sun screen and restorative dips in the swimming pool.

Best Read with ...platters of  smoky paella, heavy on the chorizo, and jugs of ice tinkling Sangria, laden with fruit..

About the Author

Visit the author's website

Follow on Twitter @kilojax

My thanks to the author for sharing his book with me.

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Review ~ Sophia's Secret by Julie Ryan

A Greek Island Mystery

After an absence of over twenty years, Kat returns to Greece, with her own small daughter, ostensibly, for her mother’s funeral. Kat has painful memories of her childhood and struggles with the unsolved mystery of why she was sent, aged seven, to live with her aunt Tigi, in England. Never seeing her mother again has been painful for Kat, and the Greek island of her childhood, where she grew up, is filled with memories of a past she can barely remember. And yet , returning to the island, Kat finds that some secrets, long buried, need to be revisited, and as her grandmother starts to share her memories of the past, Kat discovers things about her family and friends that she could never have imagined.

This is a story about Greek island life and of the convoluted mysteries which can linger for generations, the repercussions of which, all too often, reverberate down through time. The story is allowed to evolve slowly and as the hidden secrets of the characters start to emerge, so the appeal of the place and its people come alive in the imagination. The clandestine feelings of long buried secrets linger throughout the novel and there are more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you entertained right to the end.

I think that it’s a lovely book to load onto your Kindle to pack away in your suitcase – I can almost  taste the retsina, hear the cicadas and smell the bougainvillea.. 

It's worth noting that this is the second book in the Greek Island Mysteries and whilst there is some overlap of characters from Jenna's Story, Sophia's Secret can be comfortably read as a standalone novel.

Amazon UK

Follow the author on Twitter @julieryan18

My thanks to the author for sharing her work with me. 

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