Book Synopsis:

The right words can change everything . . .

It had been a make-or-break holiday for their marriage, but Natasha and Rob’s rekindled romance is short-lived when their daughter’s beloved soft toy disappears on the journey home. As Natasha comforts her distraught child, she turns to social media for help. Miraculously, the toy is found, but it has become the lucky mascot of a man named Duffy, who is thousands of miles away trekking in Nepal.

When Duffy promises to keep Natasha updated with pictures, a correspondence begins that soon becomes more meaningful. Sometimes, Natasha feels this stranger half way across the world understands her more than the man lying next to her.

But as the weeks pass and Duffy heads deeper into the mountains, Natasha notices a change in him. Then one day, the messages stop. Too late, Natasha wonders why he had ever needed a lucky mascot at all.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author so I was incredibly excited to read this book which was perfect for snuggling up.

The story is told in three timelines -two in the present day following Natalie in the Cotswolds trying to cope with a toddler who’s lost her favourite toy and the other following Duffy as he treks across the Himalayas. There are also flash backs to four years previously which follows Natalie on her hen do.

I absolutely loved the fantastic characters the author has created and enjoyed following them throughout the book. The beautiful descriptions of Duffy’s trip through the Himalaya’s were startlingly vivid and often made me feel like I was actually there experiencing everything alongside him. I’m highly unlikely to trek the Himalaya’s anytime soon so I enjoyed learning more about what it would be like. As a mother myself I really sympathised with Rachel and the lack of sleep she experiences due to the loss of her daughter’s toy. I was blessed with three bad sleepers myself so I know exactly how she was feeling. I absolutely loved Natalie’s fantastic group of friends, especially the wonderful Kel who’d I’d love to have as a friend as she’s so supportive of Nat.

Overall I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. The story progresses at a good pace and was surprisingly suspenseful in places which I wasn’t expecting. Although I did guess the connection between the timelines early on I enjoyed watching the story develop and found the book hard to put down as I had to find out what happened next. My only slightly quibble would be that it ended rather suddenly but I’ve got everything crossed that this means there’s a sequel in the works.

Huge thanks to Chloe from Pan Macmillan for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Karen Swan is the Sunday Times Top Three and international best-selling author. Her novels sell all over the world and she writes two books each year – one for the summer period and one for the Christmas season. Her books are known for their evocative locations and Karen sees travel as vital research for each story. She loves to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots.

The Last Summer is the first book in her five-book historical series called The Wild Isle Girls, set around the dramatic evacuation of the Scottish island St Kilda in the summer of 1930. It was partly inspired by Karen’s Scottish roots: her father’s family came from Skye, moving to Fort William where Karen was christened and where many of her family still live. Her childhood memories are full of Christmases, Hogmanay and summer holidays spent in the Highlands and she was married there in 2001.

She lives in Sussex with her husband, three children and two dogs.

Visit Karen’s author page on Instagram @swannywrites, Facebook, and Twitter @KarenSwan1.

Good morning everyone I’m having a great week so far. I thought it was time for a quick reading update!

Physical Books:

The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan

I’ve nearly finished the fabulous The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan for my spot on the blog tour. I’ve really enjoyed this book and I’m going to be sad to leave the characters behind. I’ll then be starting My Husband’s Killer by Laura Marshall which I’m excited by as I always love Laura’s books.

Kindle Books:

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

I was lucky enough to be approved this book on Netgalley and I’m not far in yet but I’m really enjoying it already. Sally Diamond is an very interesting character and I’m very intrigued as to where it’s going.

Audiobook:

One Good Thing by Alexander Potter

I got this Audiobook in the Black Friday sale and had to start it immediately. I’ve been wanting to read this for ages as I loved this author’s first book so I’m excited to listen to this. It was a great distraction whilst doing housework yesterday.

What are you currently reading?

Book Synopsis:

The complete collection, first published in 1952 with exquisite illustrations by the celebrated artist Philippe Jullian, republished in a beautiful giftable edition.

For nearly 150 years, the classic fairy stories of Oscar Wilde have been cherished by readers of all ages. Rediscover all nine of the stories first published in The Happy Prince and other stories (1888) and A House of Pomegranates (1891) in this beautiful new edition of Duckworth’s exquisite 1952 complete collection, featuring intricate illustrations by the celebrated twentieth-century artist and aesthete Phillippe Jullian, and an afterword by Wilde’s son Vyvyan Holland.

My Review:

The Complete Fairy Stories Of Oscar Wilde is a beautiful book that would be perfect for giving this Christmas. My little girl is immensely proud of her copy and has shown it to everyone who comes to our house! She has also taken to sleeping with it under her pillow, a sure sign that she loves it.

The cover is wonderful with a fantastic illustration and green glitter on it – always a favourite with children. There are many beautiful illustrations inside the book too which my little girl loved and spent ages looking at after we’d finished reading.

The book consists of 9 stories of which I’d only heard of 2 before reading this book so it was nice to discover new stories together. Our favourite was The Nightingale And The Rose but she enjoyed the other stories too. We tried to read a chapter a night which was doable as the stories aren’t overly long. I must admit I think some of the meanings behind the story were lost on her but, despite this, I felt there was lots to enjoy from the book. It was nice to read fairy tales that weren’t all doom and gloom but actually quite sweet sometimes.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for our copy of this book.

About The Author:

scar Fingall O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford where, a disciple of Pater, he founded an aesthetic cult. In 1884 he married Constance Lloyd, and his two sons were born in 1885 and 1886.

His novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), and social comedies Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), established his reputation. In 1895, following his libel action against the Marquess of Queesberry, Wilde was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for homosexual conduct, as a result of which he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), and his confessional letter De Profundis (1905). On his release from prison in 1897 he lived in obscurity in Europe, and died in Paris in 1900.

I haven’t got many blog tours for the rest of this year so I want to fit in some books that I’ve been meaning to read for ages! I’ve heard lots of great things about these 6 books so I have high hopes for them.

What books are you hoping to read before the end of the year?

The House By The Cerulean Sea by T.J Klune

I’ve heard so many great things about this book that I am very excited to read it! As a huge Harry Potter fan this sounds right up my street, so much so that my son is eyeing it up too but I think it might be too old for him at the moment.

Book Synopsis:

He expected nothing. But they gave him everything . . .

Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he’s spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages.

Then one day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment. He must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside, including the Antichrist. There, Linus must somehow determine if they could bring on the end of days. But their guardian, charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, will do anything to protect his wards. As Arthur and Linus grow ever closer, Linus must choose between duty and his dreams.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is an uplifting, heart-warming fantasy tale that’s become a New York Times, USA Today and Washington Post bestseller.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Ninth House is a book I keep seeing all over Tik Tok and I’m very intrigued about. The blurb sounds great and as I know there’s a sequel coming in January I want to read it soon!

Book Synopsis:

The instant SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestseller that Stephen King calls ‘Impossible to put down’.

Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. A dropout and the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved crime, Alex was hoping for a fresh start. But a free ride to one of the world’s most prestigious universities was bound to come with a catch.

Alex has been tasked with monitoring the mysterious activities of Yale’s secret societies – well-known haunts of the rich and powerful. Now there’s a dead girl on campus and Alex seems to be the only person who won’t accept the neat answer the police and campus administration have come up with for her murder.

Because Alex knows the secret societies are far more sinister and extraordinary than anyone ever imagined. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And sometimes they prey on the living . . .

The Spirit Engineer by A.J West

This book has been on my tbr for ages so I’m determined to finally read it before the years out. It sounds amazing historical and spooky just my sort of book.

Book Synopsis:

Belfast, 1914. Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, high society has become obsessed with spiritualism, attending séances in the hope they might reach their departed loved ones.

William Jackson Crawford is a man of science and a sceptic, but one night with everyone sitting around the circle, voices come to him – seemingly from beyond the veil – placing doubt in his heart and a seed of obsession in his mind. Could the spirits truly be communicating with him or is this one of Kathleen’s parlour tricks gone too far?

Based on the true story of Professor William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher, and with a cast of characters including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, The Spirit Engineer conjures a haunted, twisted tale of power, paranoia and one ultimate, inescapable truth…

The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Seven Husband’s Of Victor Hugo is another book I can’t believe I’ve not read yet. It’s a book I’ve been seeing everywhere and I have high hopes for it.

Book Synopsis:

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ’80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a mesmerizing journey through the splendour of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means and what it costs to face the truth.

The Dazzle Of The Light

by Georgina Clarke

I’m a huge fan of this author’s Lizzie Hardwick books so I’m excited to read something different from her- plus the lovely Nina from Prima magazine has it has her book of the month this month so you know it’s going to be great!

Book Synopsis:

A sparkling new historical novel set in the 1920s, inspired by the notorious all-female crime syndicate known as the Forty Thieves who operated out of the slums of south London.

Ruby Mills is ruthlessly ambitious, strikingly beautiful – and one of the Forty Thieves’ most talented members.

Harriet Littlemore writes the women’s section in a local newspaper. She’s from a ‘good’ London family and engaged to an up-and-coming Member of Parliament – but she wants a successful career of her own.

After witnessing Ruby fleeing the scene of a robbery, Harriet develops a fascination with the elusive young thief that extends beyond journalistic interest. As their personal aspirations bring them into closer contact than society’s rules usually allow, Ruby and Harriet’s stories become increasingly intertwined.

Their magnetic dynamic, fraught with envy and desire, tells a compulsive, cinematic story about class, morality and the cost of being an independent woman in 1920s London.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

I’ve been hearing a lot about this book and as one of my best reading friends rated it I know it’s going to be good. It’s another magical read which I always love, plus I think that covers amazing.

Book Synopsis:

Hidden among us is a secret government department of witches known as Her Majesty’s Royal Coven.

They protect crown and country from magical forces and otherworldly evil, but their greatest enemy will come from within…

There are whisperings of a prophecy that will bring the coven to its knees, and four best friends are about to be caught at the centre.

Life as a modern witch was never simple … but now it’s about to get apocalyptic.

Prepare to be bewitched by Juno Dawson’s first adult series. A story of ancient prophecies and modern dating, of sacred sisterhood and demonic frenemies.

Good morning everyone today I have a book spotlight for a book I’m so excited to read. River Sing Me Home is a book I’ve been hearing lots about so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for it by the lovely Anne Cater. I think it’s going to be a sad one but I’ve heard it’s utterly beautiful too.

Out 19th January 2023.

Book Synopsis:

We whisper the names of the ones we love like the words of a song. That was the taste of freedom to us, those names on our lips.

Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the names of her children. The five who survived, only to be sold to other plantations. The faces Rachel cannot forget. It’s 1834, and the law says her people are now free. But for Rachel freedom means finding her children, even if the truth is more than she can bear. With fear snapping at her heels, Rachel keeps moving. From sunrise to sunset, through the cane fields of Barbados to the forests of British Guiana and on to Trinidad, to the dangerous river and the open sea. Only once she knows their stories can she rest. Only then can she finally find home.

About The Author:

Eleanor Shearer is a mixed race writer from the UK. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate on the coast of Kent, so that she never has to go too long without seeing the sea.As the granddaughter of Caribbean immigrants who came to the UK as part of the Windrush Generation, Eleanor has always been drawn to Caribbean history. Her first novel, RIVER SING ME HOME (Headline, UK & Berkley, USA) is inspired by the true stories of the brave woman who went looking for their stolen children after the abolition of slavery in 1834.The novel draws on her time spent in the Caribbean, visiting family in St Lucia and Barbados. It was also informed by her Master’s degree in Politics, where she focused on how slavery is remembered on the islands today. She travelled to the Caribbean and interviewed activists, historians and family members, and their reflections on what it really means to be free made her more determined than ever to bring the hidden stories of slavery to light.

Book Synopsis:

Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend.

Lily also knows what it feels like to start over – when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn’t help falling for each other, and Lily feels happy for the first time. But can she trust him completely?

Then Olivia gets a phone call – Lily is dead, and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he’s shared with her. And Olivia knows firsthand that the secrets we keep reflect the past we want to leave behind ­­- and that we rarely know the people we love well as we think we do.

My Review:

Mad Honey is a gripping, compelling and thought provoking read that I really enjoyed.

The book starts off slowly but soon picks up pace and becomes incredibly gripping. The story is told from the point of view of Olivia, Asher’s mum, which covers events after the murder and Lily, the victim, which takes the reader through events before the murder. I found this very interesting as it was intriguing to see the history behind Lily and Asher’s relationship. Jodi is known for her great court room dramas and the scenes in court were some of the best in the book in my opinion as they were very gripping indeed. My heart was in my mouth as I watched everything unfold and waited to see what would happen.

All of the characters were fantastic creations that I enjoyed following throughout the book. I loved that there were two strong female characters in this book in the form of the two mum’s. Both of them were very strong ladies who had escaped from bad marriages and were determined to do what’s best for their children. As a mum myself I found myself torn as I felt a lot of sympathy for both of them. I’ve no idea how I’d act in a similar situation but I know I’d do everything I could for my kids.

There are lots of important subjects discussed in this book , some of which might not be to everyone’s taste. I have seen some discussed in other reviews for this book and I would suggest going in cold as I found myself wondering where they would fit into the story. I think this book would make a great book club read as I think there would be lots to discuss.

Overall I enjoyed this book and will be be recommending to others. There were lots of twists that kept me guessing and lots of drama to keep me reading far too late into the night. It was one of those books that at times I found I just couldn’t put it down as I was desperate to find out what happens next.

Huge thanks to Eleni, Katie and Hodder Books for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.

Her next novel, Mad Honey, co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available on October 11th.

Follow Jodi Picoult on Intagram, Twitter, and Facebook: @jodipicoult

Jennifer

Jennifer Finney Boylan is the author of sixteen books, including GOOD BOY: My Life in Seven Dogs. Since 2008 she has been a contributing opinion writer for op/ed page of the New York Times; her column appears on alternate Wednesdays. A member of the board of trustees of PEN America, Jenny was also the chair of the board of GLAAD for many years. She is currently the Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence and Professor of English at Barnard College of Columbia University.

Jenny is a well known advocate for human rights. She has appeared five times on the Oprah Winfrey Show and has also been a guest or a commentator on Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and The Today Show. She is also a member of the faculty of the Breadloaf Writers’ Conference of Middlebury College as well as Sirenland, in Positano, Italy.

She lives in Maine with her wife Deirdre. They have two children.

Eek I actually squealed when I open this fabulous bookpost. I absolutely love Greek mythology retellings and I’ve been hearing lots of great things about this book. Plus look how beautiful it is! I love the striking cover with the black, red and gold foil writing. I’ll definitely be keeping this one facing out so I can look at it. I can’t wait to read soon!

What’s your favourite Greek Mythology retelling?

Clytemnestra is out 02 March 2022.

Book Synopsis:

Huntress. Warrior. Mother. Murderess. Queen.

You are born to a king, but marry a tyrant. You stand helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore and comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own.

You play the part, fooling enemies who deny you justice. Slowly, you plot.

You are Clytemnestra.

But when the husband who owns you returns in triumph, what then?

Acceptance or vengeance – infamy follows both. So you bide your time and wait, until you might force the gods’ hands and take revenge. Until you rise. For you understood something that the others don’t. If power isn’t given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

A blazing novel set in the world of Ancient Greece and told through the eyes of its greatest female protagonist, this is a thrilling tale of power and prophecies, of hatred, love, and of an unforgettable Queen who fiercely dealt out death to those who wronged her.

About The Author:

Costanza was born in Texas in 1995, grew up in a village in Northern Italy and lived in the UK for five years. Before moving to London, she attended a classical Liceo in Italy, where she studied Ancient Greek, and Ancient Greek literature, for five years. Costanza is a graduate of the Warwick Writing MA programme, where she studied under Sarah Moss, and currently works as a freelance journalist and screenwriter. She is passionate about ancient history and wants to make its heroines accessible to the present.

Book Synopsis:

Can three sisters stitch their family back together?

Loretta loves running the little village sewing shop in Butterbury. Some of her most precious memories are sitting with her three daughters Daisy, Ginny and Fern, stitching together pieces of material – and their hopes and dreams.

But this Christmas the family is coming apart at the seams: Fern feels like she’s failing at motherhood and marriage, Ginny’s passion for her job as a midwife is fading, Daisy is desperate to prove she ‘ s changed since her wild younger years – and most of all, Loretta seems to be hiding something…

As they come together to create a new festive quilt, the bond between the sisters begins to heal. But when Loretta reveals the real reason she’s brought them all home, can the sisters mend the quilt, and their family, in time for Christmas?

Full of kindness, community and festive magic, this is a treat to curl up with this Christmas! Perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Jenny Colgan and Ali McNamara

My Review:

Christmas At The Village Sewing Shop is a beautifully written, emotional but uplifting book that makes a fantastic Christmas read.

Firstly I absolutely loved the setting for this book and wished I could visit the sewing shop in real life. There is just something so lovely about a small village setting where all the characters seem to know each other and look out for each other. It made the village seem like a really great place to live and made me wish I lived there too. The descriptions of the sewing shop was great to read about and has made me want to start sewing again soon as I’ve had lots of inspiration from this book.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about the sisters, their lives and discovering some of their secrets. They’ve all been affected by loss and it was interesting to see how they were coping with this. All three deal with it in different ways and it was lovely to see them all come together eventually, discovering a bit about themselves on the way.

This was a perfectly paced, absorbing book which I found very difficult to put down as I really didn’t want to leave the village. There was lots of action, drama and twists to keep me glued to the story. I loved the subtle message behind this book about how you didn’t need to try to be perfect all the time, it’s ok to make mistakes. This is definitely a book that will stay with me.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Helen Rolfe writes contemporary women’s fiction and enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and relationships. Characters often face challenges and must fight to overcome them, but above all, Helen’s stories always have a happy ending.

Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen’s books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries around the world. So far, locations have included Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Connecticut, Bath and the Cotswolds. She also loves creating village settings or places with a small-town feel and a big sense of community.

Born and raised in the UK, Helen graduated from University with a business degree and began working in I.T. This job took her over to Australia where she eventually turned her attentions back to the career she’d dreamt of when she was fourteen. She studied writing and journalism and wrote articles for women’s health and fitness magazines. Helen began writing fiction in 2011 and hasn’t missed the I.T. world one little bit… in fact she may just have found her dream job!

Book Synopsis:

Very few people get to stay here. And some don’t get to leave …

Zoey doesn’t remember anything about last night. But she knows something went badly wrong. For she is no longer in New York. She’s woken up in the desert, in a white building she doesn’t recognise, and she’s alone.

When she discovers she’s been admitted to The Sanctuary, a discreet, mysterious, isolated refuge from normal life, to avoid jail, she is stunned. She knows she has secrets, troubles, but she thought she had everything under control. But as she spends more time with other residents, she begins to open up about what she’s running from. Until she realises that not everyone in The Sanctuary has her best interests at heart, and someone might even be a killer . . .

My Review:

Wow I absolutely loved this gripping, claustrophobic thriller which I managed to finish in a couple of days.

I was immediately pulled into the story and into the weird situation Zoey finds herself in. I think I’d have completely freaked out if I’d woken up in the desert with no memory of how I got there but, although obviously scared too, I loved how Zoey fought back and didn’t just accept her situation.

The setting of the desert in this book is brilliant and helps create a locked room environment which I always enjoy. The heat helps add to the claustrophobic atmosphere and I almost felt like I could feel it myself at times. There are only a few characters in this book so it was easy to remember them. Some I liked instantly and some made my skin crawl as I really wasn’t sure about them.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book. It quickly becomes clear that things aren’t as tranquil as they first appeared and I loved following Zoey as she tried to unravel all The Sanctuary’s secrets. There were lots of twists and the tension slowly increases until it becomes almost unbearable. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Huge thanks to Jenny Platt for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Emma Haughton grew up in Sussex; after a stint au pairing in Paris and a couple of half-hearted attempts to backpack across Europe, she studied English at Oxford University then trained in journalism. During her career as a journalist, she wrote many articles for national newspapers, including regular pieces for the Times Travel section.

Following publication of her picture book, Rainy Day, Emma wrote three YA novels. Her first, Now You See Me, was an Amazon bestseller and nominated for the Carnegie and Amazing Book Awards. Better Left Buried, her second, was one of the best YA reads for 2015 in the Sunday Express. Her third YA novel, Cruel Heart Broken, was picked by The Bookseller as a top YA read for July 2016.

The Dark, Emma’s chilling new thriller for adults, was published by Hodder in August 2021.

Book Synopsis:

The answers to her past and present lie far across the ocean…

December 1913. Clara Thornton won’t allow being jilted at the altar to squash her spirit. Against the wishes of her aunt and uncle, Clara decides to travel to Madagascar to learn more about the tragic shipwreck that took the lives of her missionary family, and marked her forever.

Clara is escorted abroad by Xavier Mourain, a handsome young merchant who works with her uncle. The two of them start off on the wrong foot, but Clara can’t help but be drawn to the mysterious Frenchman who helps her unravel the mystery that has always haunted her. But as their love blossoms, war begins. And the world will never be the same again.

For Clara, all the answers seem to lie far across the ocean. But some of them might be closer than she thinks…

My Review:

Far Across The Ocean is a compelling, emotional read from a new author for me.

I was immediately drawn into the book and thrown into the action with the family’s dramatic exit from Madagascar as they escape from the French uprising. This was a period of history I knew nothing about so I loved learning more about this period and looking up more about it on line. The author does a great job of setting the scene here so I felt that I could really picture life in Madagascar at that time. Suzie has clearly done her research and I loved all the little details that made the period come to life and the story more realistic.

I was expecting this book to be just a romantic read so I was pleasantly surprised to discover there was lots more to it then that. Yes there is a wonderful romantic storyline but there was also some drama and some very emotional, harrowing moments too. Clara was an absolutely wonderful main character and I loved following her throughout the book. She was such a brave, determined character that you couldn’t help but admire her. I enjoyed following her search for her family and watch her romance with Xavier blossom, particularly as I felt she deserved some happiness after all she’d been through.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author soon. There were lots of different elements to the story that I enjoyed watching coming together and lots of action that ensured I couldn’t put the book down. There were a few twists in the story to keep me guessing and took the story in an unexpected direction.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Award winning author Suzie Hull lives in Northern Ireland with her family and numerous rescue cats.

As a child she dreamt of being a ballet dancer but instead trained as a Montessori Nursery teacher and has spent the last thirty years working with children in a variety of settings. Suzie has always had an enduring passion for reading and history.

In This Foreign Land won the RNA Joan Hessayon Award 2022.

Far Across the Ocean is due to be released in Autumn 2022, set in Madagascar and France on the eve of #WW1.

Suzie is always keen to hear from readers and can be found on twitter: @SuzieHull1 Instagram: @suziehull1 and Facebook.