Her father, Sir Peter Lange, says she is a danger to herself and has been admitted to a private mental health clinic.
Her ex-husband, Finn, and best friend, Nell, say she has been kidnapped.
The media will say whichever gets them the most views.
But whose side are you on? #SaveMelanie #HelpPeter
Told via interviews, transcripts and diary entries, The Ugly Truth is a shocking and addictive thriller about fame, power and the truth behind the headlines.
My Review:
The Ugly Truth is an addictive, clever thriller that I really enjoyed.
The story is told from multiple points of view and through different media’s which I thought was very clever. Through interviews, YouTube videos and tweets a picture of Melanie and Peter’s lives is slowly built up, letting the reader see the history between them. It quickly becomes apparent that all is not right between them and I soon found the book hard to put down as I really wanted to find out the truth of what was going on.
It was very interesting to read about Melanie’s experience of fame and the reality of it. It must be hard being famous with all the press attention, the false stories and not knowing who to trust. I really felt for Melanie as she tries to negotiate all of this while still being a teenager but also found myself wishing she’d open her eyes and stop trusting some people who were clearly only out for themselves.
This book starts off a little slowly but soon picks up as the reader becomes more aware of everything that has been happening. The different point of view makes the book an easy, fast read and I loved the way clues are subtly dropped into the interviews. The book kept me guessing right the way through and I was unable to decide whose side I was on or what was going on until the end.
The ending was brilliant and I thought really helped to highlight how dangerous and manipulative the press can be, which must have such a detrimental affect on those on the receiving end.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
L.C. North studied psychology at university before pursuing a career in Public Relations. Her first book club thriller – The Ugly Truth – combines her love of psychology and her fascination with the celebrities in the public eye. L.C. North is currently working on her second novel, and when she’s not writing, she co-hosts the crime thriller podcast, In Suspense. L.C. North lives on the Suffolk borders with her family. L.C. North is the pen name of Lauren North. Readers can follow her on Twitter @Lauren_C_North and Facebook @LaurenNorthAuthor.
We recently had new carpets so all my books had to go into boxes for a few days. It was really weird not having them in the house so I was excited to finally get them back on the shelves. I’d seen lots of beautiful photos of colour coordinated bookshelves so thought I’d take the opportunity to try it for myself.
My kids and I love it with my daughter showing every visitor who comes to our house. My husband isn’t so sure but is going with it as the shelves are tidy at the moment. My only concern is having to rearrange them every time I get a new book but I guess I’ll work it out.
Good morning everyone I’ve been lucky enough to receive some fantastic bookpost recently. Huge apologies how late I am posting about some of these,my books have all been packed up in boxes as we had new carpets.
I’m a huge fan of Mike Gayle and Christina Courtenay so I’m very excited to receive a copy of their new books. My Life As A Chameleon and The Perfumist Of Paris both sound amazing and I look forward to reading them very soon. Mother’s Day is a book I’ve been hearing lots about so I can’t wait to find out what it’s like for myself.
What was the last book post you received?
My Life As A Chameleon by Diana Anyakwo
‘Exceptional . . . A story of empowerment, bravery and courage’ J P Rose
Lily is a sixteen-year-old living in Manchester. It is nearly five years since her father’s death, and she is soon to return to her birthplace in Nigeria to reunite with her mother and siblings for the anniversary. As cold rain thunders on the streets of Moss Side she looks back over her young life and wonders . . . how did she get here?
As a young girl in Lagos, Lily is the baby of her large family. The daughter of a Nigerian father and Irish mother, she lives in a dual reality: one where moments of bright colour and tenderness exist alongside a sense of danger just beneath the surface of her apparently idyllic life. This is a tension that nobody dares speak out loud and it teaches Lily an early lesson: always blend in, always play the right part.
But the truth cannot stay hidden forever. Things in Lagos itself, and within her family, soon reach breaking point. As her city and her family implode into chaos around her, and at school her skin colour marks her out from the crowd, Lily struggles to know how to blend in. And when her mother sends her away to school in England, Lily’s sense of identity is challenged in even more painful ways.
My Life as a Chameleon is a powerful story of resilience and belonging, about family secrets and how they can destroy even the deepest bonds. It is a story about finding your place in the world and realising you deserve to be there.
Mother’s Day by Abigail Burdess
The last thing Anna needs is a baby. Abandoned, adopted and living hand to mouth, she never dreamt of having a real family.
But when she meets her birth mother, everything changes – because the same day, she learns she’s going to be a mother too.
Marlene is eccentric, generous with her considerable fortune and overjoyed to become a grandmother. Anna’s living the dream. But is it her dream, or someone else’s?
Now she will have to decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for a real family – her future, her freedom, even her unborn child.
Promises Of The Runes by Christina Courtenay
He travelled through time to capture her heart.
Ivar Thoresson is desperate for adventure. As an archaeologist specialising in Viking times, he wants nothing more than to travel back to the ninth century as his loved ones have done, to learn everything he can about the era which fascinates him. And whilst his adopted family have always made him feel loved, the chance to meet a true ancestor, the warrior Thorald, is a temptation he cannot resist.
But while Ivar is preparing to go, he uncovers an amulet which shows him a vision of an arresting woman with red-gold hair. Clearly in distress, she is pleading for help. Convinced of the power of the charm and its message, Ivar’s journey takes on a new purpose. He steps back in time determined to follow his destiny – and find the woman who has called to his heart.
The Museum Of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle
Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she’s ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold.
But when in the process Jess stumbles across the mysterious Alex, together they become custodians of a strange archive of letters, photographs, curios and collections known as The Museum of Ordinary People.
As they begin to delve into the history of the objects in their care, Alex and Jess not only unravel heartbreaking stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long buried secrets that lie much closer to home.
Inspired by a box of mementos found abandoned in a skip following a house clearance, The Museum of Ordinary People is a thought-provoking and poignant story of memory, grief, loss and the things we leave behind.
The Perfumist Of Paris by Alka Joshi
From the author of THE HENNA ARTIST. The final chapter in Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy takes readers to 1970s Paris, where Radha’s budding career as a perfumer must compete with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past.
Paris, 1974. Radha is now thirty-two and living in Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters. She still grieves for the baby boy she gave up years ago, when she was only a child herself, but she loves being a mother to her daughters, and she’s finally found her passion–the treasure trove of scents.
When her friend’s grandfather offered her a job at his parfumerie, she quickly discovered she had a talent–she could find the perfect fragrance for any customer who walked in the door. Now, ten years later, she’s working for a master perfumer, helping to design completely new fragrances for clients and building her career one scent at a time. She only wishes Pierre could understand her need to work. She feels his frustration, but she can’t give up this thing that drives her.
Tasked with her first major project, Radha travels to India, where she enlists the help of her sister, Lakshmi, and the courtesans of Agra–women who use the power of fragrance to seduce, tease and entice. She’s on the cusp of a breakthrough when she finds out the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her–upending her carefully managed world and threatening to destroy a vulnerable marriage.
Tekebash & Saba is a celebration of the food of Ethiopia’s northernmost state Tigray, interweaved with the compelling story of author Saba Alemayoh and her mother Tekebash Gebre.
In this stunning cookbook, the chapters are divided by the different stages of Tekebash’s life journey, from growing up in Tigray to making a new life for herself in Australia. The food in these chapters are defined by the stages of that journey, from the first dish that Tekebash learned to make (Chickpea stew), fleeing Tigray (Shredded flatbread with tomato sauce), and marriage (Red lamb stew), to becoming a new mother (Tigray-style gnocchi), famine (Sauteed mushrooms) and opening a restaurant with Saba (Fried cauliflower).
Intertwined with Tigray culture and stories, Tekebash and Saba is a cookbook whereby food is not only the familial cord that binds Tekebash and her daughter together, but one that ties them to their home. This cookbook is a window into their story and that of Tegaru. It’s their story, and it’s Saba’s tribute to her mother. But it is also a story that will resonate with anyone who knows the unceasing pull of a distant homeland and the comfort of its food.
Perfect for fans of Ethiopia by Yohanis Gebreyesus, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen by Zoe Adjonyoh and Hibiscus by Lopè Ariyo and Big Zuu’s Big Eats.’
My Review:
My husband and I love trying out new recipes so I was very excited to receive a copy of this book. He enjoys the cooking and I enjoy the sampling so together we make a great team!
The cookbook was well set out and contains some very interesting, unusual recipes which are different from those found in a normal cookbook of its kind. We loved flicking through them and deciding what to cook. All the recipes are accompanied by lovely, eye catching pictures showing the finished food or spices used. I loved looking at these and seeing how they had arranged it or, in one recipe, how it was meant to look.
Interspersed in-between the recipes where some fascinating stories of Saba and her mother’s life in Ethiopia which included some of the history of the country. I knew a little about the history of Ethiopia but found it very interesting to learn a little bit more about it especially through people who had lived through it. These are also accompanied by some brilliant pictures, some of them full page spreads, that helped to bring the stories to life.
Overall I really enjoyed trying out some of the recipes in this book and look forward to trying more in the future. The recipes are easy to follow and very varied with something for everyone to enjoy. My only slight niggle was that some of the ingredients were a little difficult to find but we did manage to get some from a specialist shop we found and didn’t actually know about before.
If you have a friend or loved one who loves cooking and trying new food I highly recommend this book.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Born in Sudan, to Ethiopian parents, Saba arrived in Australia in 1999 with her mother when she was nine. After finishing school, Saba joined the Australian Army and was a part of the first era of women in the Australian Army to go into combat. After the army, Saba opened an eponymous restaurant in Melbourne’s Fitzroy. She worked front of her house while her mother, Tekebash Gebre cooked the food of her homeland by memory, taste, and instinct in the kitchen. Tekebash was born in Tigray, under the rule of the last Ethiopian emperor, who was overthrown in 1974 by a communist military government backed by the Soviet Union. She became a refugee in Sudan at the time of the rebellion during the transition in the 1990s from communism to a democratic government. After the closure of the restaurant, Saba relocated to Lagos, where she works in music and arts events and curates art shows.
Yay it’s finally here! I’ve been excited for this book since I first heard about it so I’m thrilled to finally have a copy! It sounds so good and I absolutely love the wonderful cover and beautiful spredges.
Have you read this book or is it on your radar?
Book Synopsis:
From NYT bestselling author comes a haunting, high-octane contemporary fantasy for fans of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Winnie Wednesday fights to take the deadly Luminary hunter trials in Hemlock Falls’ nightmare-filled forest.
Hemlock Falls isn’t like other towns. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you…
Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie’s town―and the rest of humanity―from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night. Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal―and restore her family’s good name. Or die trying.
But in order to survive, Winnie must enlist the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.
Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.
About The Author:
Susan Dennard is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series (now in development for TV from the Jim Henson Company). She also runs the popular newsletter for writers, the Misfits and Daydreamers. When not writing or teaching writing, she can be found rolling the dice as a Dungeon Master or mashing buttons on one of her many consoles. Tweets @stdennard
For a moment she closed her eyes and imagined she was perched on the diving board at the Piscine Molitor, the sun beating down on her bare shoulders and the sound of Parisians at play beneath her. All she had to do was jump.’
1941. Darkness descends over London as the sirens begin to howl and the bombs rain down. Devastation seeps from every crack of the city. In the midst of all the chaos is a woman gripping a window ledge on the first floor of a Baker Street hotel. She is perched, ready to jump. And as flames rise around her, she is forced to take her chances.
1997. Amy Novak has lost the two great loves in her life: her husband, Michael, and her first love, music. With the first anniversary of Michael’s death approaching, Amy buries herself in her job as an archivist. And when a newly declassified file lands on her desk, she is astonished to uncover proof that ‘Agent Colette’ existed – a name spoken only in whispers; an identity so secret that it has never been verified.
Her discovery leads her to MI6 ‘godmother’ Verity Cooper – a woman with secrets of her own – and on to the streets of Paris where she will uncover a story of unimaginable choices, extraordinary courage and a love that will defy even the darkest days of World War Two .
My Review:
Sarah Steele is one of my favourite historical fiction writers so you can imagine my excitement when I found out she had a new book coming out. Once again she has written a fascinating, gripping and emotional story that will stay with me for a long time.
The story is told from the point of view of Agent Colette in 1941 as we follow her brave exploits during the war and Amy in 1997, an archivist who wants to find out more about Colette. I really enjoyed following the two timelines and learning more about Agent Colette ‘s missions in Paris but also found it fascinating to follow Amy as she tries to unravel what happened to Colette. It was interesting to discover how similar in some respects the two women were both having experienced lost and having other interests in common. I’ve always loved how the author writes her characters so you feel like you are experiencing everything through their eyes, meaning you grow fond of them and want to keep reading to find out what happens to them.
I thought the story was quite fast paced and there always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest. Colette’s story always had an air of danger to it and, being set in occupied Paris, you never quite knew what was going to happen next. The two storylines complimented each other nicely and I liked how Colette’s secrets are gradually revealed in a realistic way. The author’s fabulous descriptions of Paris made the story come to life so the fear and desperation seemed almost palpable at times. My heart was definitely in my mouth in some bits and I was in awe at how brave ordinary people were during this time.
The ending was very emotional and I closed the book sad to have to leave the wonderful characters behind. This is definitely a story that will stay with me. If you’re a fan of history fiction or dual timeline books then I highly recommend this book.
Huge thanks to Rosie from Headline for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.
About The Author:
Sarah Steele trained as a classical pianist and violinist before joining the world of publishing as an editorial assistant at Hodder and Stoughton. She was for many years a freelance editor, and now lives in the vibrant Gloucestershire town of Stroud. Her debut novel The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon was published by Headline.
In my bid to try and not buy too many books I visited my local library this week. I’ve always been a huge fan of the library but it’s been more difficult to visit it with kids in tow and I’ve sadly got a few fines as I forget to renew them or take them back.
I only actually meant to get one book and somehow managed to come out with five as I kept seeing great books on the shelves. All of these are books I’ve heard lots of great things about though I might have just picked up Fingersmith because one of my favourite authors, Jack Jordan, said it was one of his favourite books.
Do you use your local library?
The Left- Handed Booksellers Of London by Garth Nix
A girl’s quest to find her father leads her to an extended family of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World of England when it intrudes on the modern world. From the bestselling master of fantasy, Garth Nix.
In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn’t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.
Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops.
Susan’s search for her father begins with her mother’s possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.
Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan’s. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New.
The Dictator’s Wife by Freya Berry
ONE WOMAN KNOWS THE TRUTH. CAN YOU TRUST HER TO TELL IT?
Laura flies to her parents’ homeland for the defence case of her life. Facing trial is Marija Popa, ‘the Black Widow’; a constant at her husband’s side until the day his people rose up and executed him. Beautiful and beguiling, Marija insists she knew nothing of her husband’s dark affairs.
For Laura, the case has a personal meaning. Her mother has never spoken of the horrors she witnessed under the old regime, and remains a shadow of the woman she used to be. As Laura prepares for the trial, she realises that to find the truth, she must enter the web of the dictator’s wife. But what secrets lie within?
The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn
In Regency England, marriage is everything. For young widow Sybella Lovatt, the time has come to find a suitable husband for her sister and ward Lucie. Male suitors are scarce near their Wiltshire estate, so the sisters resolve to head to London in time for the Season to begin.
Once ensconced at the Mayfair home of Lady Godley, Lucie’s godmother, the whirl of balls, parties and promenades can begin. But the job of finding a husband is fraught with rules and tradition. Jostling for attention are the two lords – the charming and irresistible Freddie Lynwood and the preternaturally handsome Valentine Ravenell, their enigmatic neighbour from Shotten Hall, Mr Brabazon, and the dangerous libertine Lord Rockliffe, with whom the brooding Brabazon is locked in deadly rivalry.
Against the backdrop of glamorous Regency England, Sybella must settle Lucie’s future, protect her own reputation, and resist the disreputable rakes determined to seduce the beautiful widow. As the Season ends, will the sisters have found the rarest of things – a suitable marriage with a love story to match?
The Locked Attic by B. P. Walter
There’s something in my neighbour’s attic.
Something steeped in shadows. A secret to everyone. Seen by no one…
He stands sometimes at the window. Hidden in the corner of my eye.
I know he’s there. I know he’s watching.
Now my son is dead. My neighbour is not.
And I’m going to find out why.
From the author of the Sunday Times bestseller, The Dinner Guest, comes THE up-all-night thriller of 2022. For fans of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell and T.M. Logan.
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Booker Prize
London 1862. Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves – fingersmiths – under the rough but loving care of Mrs Sucksby and her ‘family’. But from the moment she draws breath, Sue’s fate is linked to that of another orphan growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away.
The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn’t feel fair that she’ll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams. And now, she’s still … here – wherever here is – watching the ripple effect of her death on the lives of those she loved the most.
Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend’s death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie’s life in directions she’d never let herself imagine possible. Ways, perhaps, even those closest to her had long since given up on.
If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of that one moment in time, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?
My Review:
One Moment is a beautiful, emotional book with a wonderful meaning behind it.
The story is told from the point of view of both Evie and Scarlett, best friends whose lives are altered forever when Scarlett is sadly killed in a fatal accident. One timeline follows Evie as she tries to cope with life without Scarlett and tries to deal with a diagnosis of MS on her own, the other follows Scarlett as she watches Evie continue life without her. I liked the two storylines equally, especially how we slowly get to discover more about the characters through the perspective of the other. I thought the MS storyline was well done and felt very realistic. I really sympathised with her with all the feelings that consume her when she gets the news, made worse by not having her best friend to help her. I really wished I could reach into the book and give her a huge hug.
I thought this story was really beautiful with some very emotional, poignant moments that had me sobbing as I read. It has definitely made me appreciate all my friendships and want to make the most of them whilst I have them. It was interesting watching Evie getting closer to Nate , though I found it a bit nerve-wracking reading this part as I wasn’t sure how it would develop. The ending was beautiful and I closed the book very sad to leave the wonderful characters behind.
This unbelievably is the author’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future. Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Becky Hunter lived and worked in London for several years before moving to Mozambique to volunteer with horses and try her hand at writing. A few years, a few destinations, and a few jobs later she had the idea that would become One Moment. Alongside writing, she now works as a freelance editor and publicist, splitting her time between Bristol and London, and constantly trying to plan the next adventure.
Tracy Whitwell’s second novel Gin Palace picks up with the main character, Tanz, from The Accidental Medium, as she grows accustomed to her rather unusual gift . . .
Tanz can talk to ghosts, although she’d prefer it if she couldn’t. Struggling to make ends meet as an actress and wholly unsuited to supply teaching, Tanz is only one bad day away from a meltdown. And the babbling ghosts aren’t helping.
So when Tanz is offered a paid acting gig in her hometown, things start to look up. But Newcastle’s dead won’t stay quiet for long, and soon Tanz becomes haunted with visions of a mysterious Gin Palace guarded by a sinister figure. As Tanz starts to piece together a terrible tragedy, it becomes clear there’s no limit to what the poltergeist will do to keep his secrets his own.
Unfortunately, he’s never met anyone quite like Tanz before . . .
My Review:
The Gin Palace was a funny, quirky mystery from a new author for me.
I absolutely loved Tanz who I’d happily be friends with in real life. She’s such a wonderful, larger than life character who was a joy to follow throughout the book. She had me laughing out loud with her observations one moment and then sobbing the next as she passed on messages from people who had passed. Her work as an actress also gives the reader an insider glimpse of the film industry too which I found very interesting.
The plot of this book is quite fast paced and very action packed as there always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest. I found it very heartwarming to see how her work touched the people she helped and think I went through every emotion whilst reading , even fear as some parts were a bit more scary then I anticipated. The mystery side of things was very intriguing so I enjoyed trying to solve it alongside Tanz and her fabulous friends.
The ending was brilliant, very exciting but poignant too. This is the second book in the series and I’d definitely recommend reading the books in order. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and hope there is more to come in this series.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Tracy Whitwell was born, brought up and educated in Gateshead in the north-east of England. She wrote plays and short stories from an early age, then had her head turned, and like the ungrateful wretch she’s always been, she ran off to London to be an actress. By 1993 she was wearing a wig and an old-fashioned dress and pretending to be impoverished on telly in a Catherine Cookson mini-series, whilst going to see every indie/rock band she could afford.
After an interesting twelve years messing about in front of the camera and traveling the world, Tracy discovered she still loved writing and completed her first full length play KABOOM! A son, many stage plays, screenplays and a music video followed, until 2012 when she realized she was finally ready to do the one thing she’d longed to do since she was six. She wrote her first novel, The Accidental Medium – a crime/horror/comedy tale about an alcohol-soaked, gobby, thrill-seeking actress who talks to ghosts. (Who knows where the inspiration came from . . .)
Tracy now lives in north London, is working on screenplays and making her own short films, and has written more novels.
Imagine a world without trees. A world that is in many ways like our world, but where magnificent canopies, tree climbing and leaves rustling in the breeze are now only distant memories.
Until a young girl comes along, a girl who is brave and spirited and willing to follow where her imagination takes her. Through Olive’s adventures in the world of trees we are reminded of nature’s extraordinary power and beauty, and her actions ultimately sow the seeds of new life in her own world.
From the mind and pen of bestselling author Luke Adam Hawker, The Last Tree is a powerful evocation of the fragility of our natural world and a magnificent celebration of its beauty.
My Review:
The Last Tree is a beautiful, magical, thought provoking book that I’m sure will be loved by adults and children alike.
Olive’s story is an interesting one that my children and I enjoyed following. There aren’t many words in the book but the story is still able to pack a punch. There are a few different themes going through this book, though some aren’t obvious straight away. Judging by my kids reaction I think the book is going to impact children in different ways.
My children picked up on the magical adventure first, seeing it as her journey back to her father with the help of some magical friends which they loved. My daughter immediately wanting to go into the woods near us to see if she could find deer to befriend. The environmental theme was sadly lost to them until mentioned by me but led to some wonderful discussions about the environment and how we could help it. A theme that they took into their school with them after my youngest dramatically exclaimed that we were going to lose all our trees if we don’t do something now!
This book is beautifully illustrated with some stunning drawings that my daughter loved looking at. There is lots of beautiful details in the pictures which seemed very true to life, like you were looking at the actual scene rather than a picture. I loved the way the drawings are all so different and the way the author uses them to tell the story rather then relying on the text. It would be lovely to have prints of these illustrations to put on the kids walls.
Overall I thought this was a brilliant book and one I will be recommending or buying for others as presents. Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Luke Adam Hawker worked as an architectural designer before becoming a full time artist in 2015. He sells his signed and limited edition prints to fans throughout the UK and the rest of the world. He has also been commissioned by brands such as the Soho House Hotel Group, and has an artwork hanging in the Parliamentary Art collection.
Luke’s first book, Together, was a Sunday Times bestseller. It has sold over 130,000 copies worldwide to date, and has been translated into nine languages.
Luke lives with his wife, son and dog Robin in Surrey, England.
Over The Rainbow Blog 