#Blogtour Seven Summers by Paige Toon

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Seven Summers by Paige Toon. - Two epic love stories. One impossible choice. 

About the Author

Paige Toon is the Sunday Times bestselling author of eighteen books that have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Paige writes sweeping, emotional love stories - filled with characters you'll never forget and incredible settings - that take you on a unique journey. She tells nuanced stories with big, thought-provoking themes at their heart which leave you uplifted and believing in the power of love. She writes her novel from a converted camper van in the garden of her Cambridgeshire home.

You will laugh, cry and feel like you've become part of a new family. Get ready to feel it all with Paige Toon! Follow @PaigeToonAuthor on X,

About the book

Six summers ago - Liv and Finn meet working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn's life is in LA with his band, and Liv's is in Cornwall with her family - so they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single they will spend the summer together.

This summer - Liv crosses paths with Tom - a mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isn't broken every year.

Review

Such perfect pulling of the heartstrings, a tug here or a sharp pull - it's a constant whirlwind of place, time and people. At the very core lies the conundrum of one heart wants and loves two, the question is whether it can. Can Liv make a choice, is there even a right choice?

Snuggled deftly underneath is subtle smorgasbord of what family means and how the constellation can differ from the status quo. Equally how each relationship we water and feed can sustain us when the going gets tough. Liv's story is one connected with beauty, with the scenery and deeply embedded in the lives of the local community.

A part of her wishes Finn would accept that he is part of that, perhaps she underestimates the trauma he carries around with him. In a way their connection has a superficial element to it, despite the way they connect on a physical level. With Tom she explores the more spiritual level, especially the way her art is part of her soul and expression. It's what the two of them share. How can she choose between the man who has held her heart in a grip for over half a decade or the man who understands what she is made of.

It's a beautiful story, one which has the flow of a slow river, but the temperament of an ocean. The tide is the coming and going of the love Finn and Liv carry for each other, and yet when the waters calm the space between them makes the vulnerabilities more obvious. I would definitely recommend this, especially to readers who love to have their hearts teased.

Buy Seven Summers at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Century PRH UK, pub date 28th March | Paperback Original |  £8.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon.

About the Author

Paige Toon is the Sunday Times bestselling author of eighteen books that have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Paige writes sweeping, emotional love stories - filled with characters you'll never forget and incredible settings - that take you on a unique journey. She tells nuanced stories with big, thought-provoking themes at their heart which leave you uplifted and believing in the power of love. She writes her novel from a converted camper van in the garden of her Cambridgeshire home. Follow @PaigeToonAuthor on Twitter

About the book

A love story with an earth-shattering secret at its core, this is without doubt Paige Toon's most moving and heart-breaking novel yet.

Neither of them expected to fall in love. But sometimes life has other plans. When Wren realises her fiancé is in love with someone else, she thinks her heart will never recover. On the other side of the world, Anders lost his wife four years ago and is still struggling to move on.

Wren hopes that spending the summer with her dad and stepfamily on their farm in Indiana will help her to heal. There, amid the cornfields and fireflies, she and Anders cross paths and their worlds are turned upside-down again.

But Wren doesn't know that Anders is harbouring a secret, and if he acts on any feelings he may have for Wren, it will have serious fall-out for everyone. Walking away would hurt Wren more than she can imagine. But, knowing the truth, how can she possibly stay?

Review

Was I the only one who caught an earworm because of the title of the book? Every time I read the title I can hear Paloma singing away in my ear. I wonder if the emotional honesty of these lyrics inspired the heartbreak of this story.

Saying that, the author gives the reader a good run for their money when it comes to the rollercoaster we call life. It can be exhausting, both emotionally, mentally and physically. Then equally life can be filled with moments of beauty and pure joy. This strange balance is what keeps us going and this book captures that really well. 

More importantly perhaps the story also speaks to how fast our truths and lives can change. One moment you're expecting to spend the rest of your life with the man you love and the next minute you are wondering how you ended up heartbroken and alone. Then the emotional turmoil Anders experiences and causes in equal measure - loyalty and a sense of honour can be a burden and something to celebrate. Wren copes with this struggle extremely well.

It's a great read - this author always manages to bring a realistic story with all the complications of relationships, tragedies and people just trying to live life without breaking every time an unexpected twist tries to bring you to your knees.

Buy Only Love Can Hurt Like This at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher  : ‎ Penguin - Century PRH UK; pub date 27 April 2023 | Paperback Original | £8.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Daughter-in-Law by Fanny Blake

 It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Daughter-in-Law by Fanny Blake.

About the Author

Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing both fiction and non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written various non-fiction titles, as well as acting as ghostwriter for a number of celebrities.

She regularly reviews fiction in the Daily Mail and has been a judge for the Costa Novel Award, the British Book Awards and the Comedy Women in ~Print Award among others. She was the commissioning editor for Quick Reads, a series of short books by well-known authors. She has written ten novels, including An Italian Summer and A Summer Reunion. Follow her on Twitter @fannyblake1 and @fannyblake1 on Instagram

About the book

When Hope's only son Paul met and married Edie, Hope was delighted that he had found love and was settling down to make his own family. Hope loved being a mother and is happy to help out now and again as a grandmother but she worries about overstepping the line.

Edie thought that having children with Paul would fulfil her as much as her busy job as a barrister has. But the reality is far from her dream. And with her mother-in-law Hope constantly interfering she finds herself frustrated and alone.

Both women could be each other's greatest ally, but both have secrets that could ruin their relationship. Secrets neither wants Paul to uncover...

Review

I enjoyed the way the author captures a life lesson of sorts - one that tends to lend itself to relationships between sons and mothers more so. It's slightly different when mothers and daughters navigate difficult boundaries of the next generation. In the constellation of a son creating a new family with another woman the priorities change.

It can be difficult for the mother who becomes the second most important woman instead of number one. Relationships can become strained when grandchildren come along, because respecting boundaries isn't always a given.

I think respecting boundaries is the most important element of the story - learning to take a step back to let your grown children make their own choices and mistakes. Respecting and supporting instead of taking over, especially when it comes to grandchildren.

The other poignant theme is motherhood versus career and the way society still thinks women have to make a choice, and if they do they are condemned for doing so. Stay at home mothers are considered lazy ( dumbest take ever ) and the career woman is considered cold, heartless and unable to fulfil their role. Those points of view meet for a duel at dawn in this book, which is an emotional battlefield of modern family life.

It's the kind of read that will make you nod and shake your head in equal measures. It hits the core of reality frequently enough to leave a lasting impression.

Buy The Daughter-in-Law at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Simon & Schuster UK, pub date 16 Feb. 2023. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Simon & Schuster Uk.

#BlogTour Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard.

About the Author

Joyce Maynard is the author of nine previous novels and five books of nonfiction, as well as the syndicated column, “Domestic Affairs.”

Her bestselling memoir, At Home in the World, has been translated into sixteen languages. Her novels To Die For and Labor Day were both adapted for film. Maynard currently makes her home in New Haven, Connecticut. Follow @joycemaynard on Twitter, Visit joycemaynard.com

About the book

In her most ambitious novel to date, New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard returns to the themes that are the hallmarks of her most acclaimed work in a mesmerizing story of a family—from the hopeful early days of young marriage to parenthood, divorce, and the costly aftermath that ripples through all their lives Eleanor and Cam meet at a crafts fair in Vermont in the early 1970s. 

She’s an artist and writer, he makes wooden bowls. Within four years they are parents to three children, two daughters and a redheaded son who fills his pockets with rocks, plays the violin and talks to God. To Eleanor, their New Hampshire farm provides everything she always wanted—summer nights watching Cam’s softball games, snow days by the fire and the annual tradition of making paper boats and cork people to launch in the brook every spring. If Eleanor and Cam don’t make love as often as they used to, they have something that matters more. Their family.

Then comes a terrible accident, caused by Cam’s negligence. Unable to forgive him, Eleanor is consumed by bitterness, losing herself in her life as a mother, while Cam finds solace with a new young partner.

Over the decades that follow, the five members of this fractured family make surprising discoveries and decisions that occasionally bring them together, and often tear them apart. Tracing the course of their lives—through the gender transition of one child and another’s choice to completely break with her mother—Joyce Maynard captures a family forced to confront essential, painful truths of its past, and find redemption in its darkest hours.

A story of holding on and learning to let go, Count the Ways is an achingly beautiful, poignant, and deeply compassionate novel of home, parenthood, love, and forgiveness.

Review

I can imagine this story will resonate in a completely different way with readers, some will experience this as a tale of the complexities of love, relationships and family dynamics. To others it will be the autopsy of a marriage and of family life.

For me it didn't evoke feelings of love, nostalgia or understanding, but rather very much the opposite. When a relationship has borne the fruits of many years of intimacy, friendship, love, laughter and birth, slowly disintegrates into ashes made up of resentment and disillusionment - the result can be a harrowing picture. Often that picture is lopsided and misinformed, as it is here.

By protecting her children from the truth of their father, which is the correct, therapeutic and socially acceptable thing to do, you run the risk of being at the short end of the stick. History is then written to report of the angry, scorned woman. The woman who left without reason, and the woman who abandoned the status quo. the woman who causes all discontent and problems in the children of said divorce. How utterly unforgivable, which is mirrored in the way her friends and children treat her. I was angry for her. I know women like her who have sat on the truth for decades to protect the emotions of their children, only to be treated with contempt, whilst the husband and father is lifted up on a pedestal. She has a right to own her anger.

Perhaps the clearest image to emerge is the fact that once you have suckled, pampered, taught and raised your children into adulthood and they decide to treat you with disdain for whatever imagined or real ailment they might have or problem they encounter, then perhaps you have served your obligation to them. Indeed there seems to be a 21st century wave of parental blame that encompasses everything a person may feel or do. 

I really enjoyed it. I thought Maynard had her finger on the pulse of family, especially when it is redefined involuntarily. She paints an accurate picture of the gender inequality when it comes to being a parent, in situations of divorce and in romantic or sexual relationships as one veers beyond the younger years. It's an excellent read by an observant and skilled writer.  

Buy Count the Ways at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎William Morrow pub date 13 July 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

The Betrayals by Fiona Neill

I think I might put this book on my list of favourites for this year. It wasn't at all what I expected, and yet at the same time it was.

I don't even think the betrayals are the driving force in this story. The deterioration of Daisy, the codependency of her brother Max, and of course the triggers, they are what propel the story forward with quite a lot of force.

First of all kudos to the author for the in depth research and description of the obsessive compulsive disorder. It controls and rules Daisy, her life and to a certain extent the lives of those around her. Like many other disorders, it has become somewhat of a blasé throwaway phrase that people mention in a jokey kind of way. The truth is it can control and take over your entire life, and indeed people who suffer from severe OCD are often unable to cope with the demands of everyday life, due to their condition.

I enjoyed the perfect imperfections of the characters and the story. In general life isn't an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top. It tends to be more like a melted mess that drips faster than you can eat it.

The lives of two families are changed forever when Nick and Lisa decide that lust is stronger than loyalty. Their spouses and children are less than thrilled. In fact Daisy believes their betrayal is the trigger for her OCD and every other problem in her life. To be more specific she believes Lisa is the root cause of her problems, and what Daisy thinks Max thinks too.

It's interesting how Daisy suffers from selective memory and fixates on her father and his mistress. Memory and in particular false memories and the way our brain works in relation to memories is Nick's speciality, which makes some aspects of the plot all the more ironic.

It really is an engrossing read, perhaps more so because the complete disintegration of families and relationships is so commonplace, and it leaves many victims in its wake. Neill writes a compelling plot with relatable characters.

Buy The Betrayals at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

The A to Z of Everything by Debbie Johnson

If my mother did this to my sister and me, then I would conjure up her spirit to tell her what a fool she is. My sister and I would both find this process a complete waste of time, and one that would probably end with one or the other in jail. (Makes note not to buy this book for my mother)

I would however do this for my daughters if I felt they needed to reconnect and be there for each other after my death. Not that I would ever let things become so bad that I wasn't speaking to my children on a regular basis.

Blood is thicker than water, however blood doesn't mean you automatically have to be friends. In fact the reality is that many take a step back from family members because they are related but don't like them.

Andrea has planned everything in fine detail. She wants Rose and Poppy to reunite and become the friends they once were. She wants them to support each other and get over the problems that keep them apart.

Poppy and Rose used to be as thick as thieves until something ripped them apart. Now they are like strangers, and Poppy doesn't even know her nephew.

Rose is just as guilty as Poppy, as far as I am concerned. It takes two to tango and yet Rose places all the blame on Poppy. Of course it is more of a betrayal if it is your sister, but come on now blaming one person is ludicrous.

The idea itself is quite an interesting one. You don't know what you've lost until it is gone forever. It is all about taking people for granted and letting relationships get to the point of no return. Both women have to learn to put the past behind them and to move forward with a clean slate. It is an emotional and honest read, possibly because it is a realistic scenario.

Buy The A to Z of Everything at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @Debbiemjohnson, @HarperImpulse or @HarperCollinsUk

Life or Something Like it by Annie Lyons

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Annie Lyons, the author of Life or Something Like it, to the blog for an interesting Q&A, which is followed up by my review of Life for Something Like it. I hope you enjoy the the Q&A and my review!

Q&A

Before we get down to business (i.e. talking about your book) I would like to ask a set of questions I call 'Breaking the Ice.'

The last book you read? (Inquisitive bookworms want to know)
The Song Collector by Natasha Solomons - a beautiful story of love and music by a writer I admire greatly.

The last movie you watched, which you felt left a mark (in your heart, soul, wallet...you name it)?Boyhood - left a mark on my heart because it said everything you need to know about growing up in a family - absolutely perfect.

Are you more of a Game of Thrones or Outlander gal? (Combinations are possible) 
I have to confess that I've never watched either. I love Modern Family but I'm guessing that's not quite the same!

Which famous person (dead, alive, barely kicking) would you most like to meet?
Mary Berry - imagine the cakes!

Something you treat yourself to, now and again? (Cream éclairs totally count)
A lovely new hardback book by a favourite author (Louis de Bernieres last week) and Double Deckers. Lots of Double Deckers.

Do you have a Bucket List, and if so name one of the things on it?
Not really but I am very aware how short life is and I try to live in the moment instead of anticipating the next event - easier said than done but my children help with this. Children are very good at it.

All of the above questions are actually a pretty elaborate pysch evaluation disguised as random questions. Have no fear here come the real ones. Let’s talk about Life or Something Like It.

You have this knack of mixing really tough issues with what seem to be normal everyday family dynamics and situations.

When you start writing or come up with a concept is it a conscious decision to mix the two? Are you picking often very contentious issues to bring attention to them or is this more of a subconscious act during the writing process?
What a great question! That made me think... For this book, I wanted to write about a woman, who to all intents and purposes is sorted and happy. She is unapologetically single and child-free with no desire to change this - the introduction of her brother's children forces her to face certain realities for the first time. I am very interested in family dynamics so these became an inevitable part of the story.

Saying that, I really enjoyed the way you plonked or rather subtly weaved the Women: career vs children topic into the story. How do you feel about the choices you have made?
Hopefully it was more subtle than plonked! I was made redundant nearly six years ago just before my daughter started school and I took the decision to stay at home. I started writing firstly to see if I could do it and then I was lucky enough to be offered a contract with Carina. It's a job that I can fit around my family. I think it's a very personal choice and I am very happy with the way things have turned out!

Do you think women, as opposed to men and society in general, are more critical of other women when it comes to choosing either a career or children?
I think there's a lot of chat, partly due to social media & partly due to the way we feel the need to share opinions all the time. I don't think it's one section of society or another but I do believe that it's a personal decision and the world could do with being a little less judgemental sometimes.

Alongside that much discussed topic you also have your characters confront the choice of children or no children. Again an issue, which tends to get debaters all hot and bothered. Who do you think puts more pressure on women? Women, men or society in general? 
I think it's the same as for the career versus children topic and I think we all need to work harder at giving each other a break. Everyone has their own stuff to deal with and no-one understands completely what's going on in another person's life. I'm very much a live and let live person. My aim was to write a story that made people think about these issues and how we face them and as Cat has to look at life from a different angle, so we as readers do too. There are no right answers.

Another hot topic, especially if you are a parent of younger children or teens, is cyber-bullying. E-safety and cyber bullying have become the focus for schools and Ofsted. In your story the school seems reluctant to take the matter seriously. Do you think schools, parents and children should put more emphasis on it and offer training for staff, parents and children? 
I think schools do offer this (my children's school has). In Life Or Something Like It, it's to do with the head teacher's reluctance to admit that there's a problem (she doesn't want bad press for the school) but Charlie's teacher does offer to help. I do think that a lot is expected of teachers and schools these days and that it's our job as parents to work with them and be more aware of what our children face. The internet can be empowering for kids but they need our support and back-up to be able to use it safely and wisely. These are new challenges that we never had to face as kids so we need to make sure that we have the knowledge to be able to help them when they need us.

Lastly I would like to thank you for answering all my questions, both the bizarre and the more story focused ones.
Thank you for inviting me and posing such interesting and thought-provoking questions.

Review:

Annie Lyons has an intriguing way of mixing normal family life, dysfunctional relationships and important social topics of our time. It is so subtle you can barely tell and yet on a subconscious level you do take them on board. My point is Lyons makes her point without shoving it in your face.

Cat is a career girl through and through. The world of PR and the social media are the first thing she thinks of when she wakes up in the morning and her last thought at night. She has decided not to have children and focus on her career instead.

Unfortunately for Cat she ends up having to step up to mark as an auntie and take care of her niece and nephew. Two small humans, who don't exactly like Cat and aren't afraid to show it. One pre-teen and a very direct six-year old.What could possibly go wrong?

Cat finds herself questioning her own emotions. She realises she does care what her niece and nephew think of her. Ever so slowly the three of them start to build the beginnings of a fragile relationship.

I enjoyed the way Lyons brought up the age-old debate about career vs children. Women often feel as if they have to choose between one or the other, and those that have both know they can't give equal time to both of them. It is interesting to note that women tend to be the harshest critics of other women.

Instead of supporting members of their own gender they tend to point the fingers the most. Women who choose to stay at home are raked over the coals for doing so, and similarly career women are accused of neglecting their children or not being real women if they choose not to have any.

On top of that Lyons has also shone a spotlight on the topic of women choosing in general not to have children. Society tends to be critical and perceive those women as more selfish. Such a shame that the emphasis is placed on our role as baby-growers instead of women as individuals who have the right and freedom to choose.

Life or Something Like it is a breezy, comfortable read with plenty of funny moments and underlying serious ones, without ever being more complex than a just a simple 'girl discovers there is more to life than just her phone' story. It really is one of Lyons talents to create something memorable in such a simple and realistic setting.
Overall a good read and one I definitely recommend.

Buy Life or Something Like it at Amazon.UK or for any other retailers go to Goodreads.

Follow @1AnnieLyons or @HQStories visit annielyons.com or connect with Annie on Facebbook

Read The Happiness List, The Choir on Hope Street or Not Quite Perfect by Annie Lyons.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

I would love to know whether Katarina Bivald is a bookworm, because this book seems as if it were written by a bookworm for other bookworms.

The love of books, stories and literature flows through the pages like veins through a body. Even the chapter with the book smelling. Yes, you read that correctly. Sara talks about the way books smell.

Old books smell differently than a new book, even text books, paperbacks and hardbacks have their own individual smell. Might seem odd for a non-bookworm, but hardcore b-worms will know exactly what she is talking about.

The same love of all things book is what manages to connect the inhabitants of the small town of Broken Wheel together, well it does after Sara works a little of her special magic and dreamy charm. It seems as if the old saying is correct in this instance 'people who don't read just haven't found the right book yet'

One of the funniest scenes in the book was Caroline and the book of sin. Her moving it around the house in an attempt to hide its existence from herself and others. It was really a very clever way of confronting the issue of how religion regards the topic of homosexuality.

The book becomes a symbol for her thoughts and inner dialogue on the matter. Is she wrong to judge without reading the book? If that is the case is it also wrong to judge without embracing or trying to understand? It really does throw quite a sharp stone at the glass house of Christianity. A house that preaches love and hatred in equal measures, whilst being completely blind to the hypocrisy of it all.

In the end it is a story of love and belonging. About one person, who needs this town just as much as the town needs her. They bring her out of her books and she brings them out of their ritualistic slump. A book for every person is her motto. Somewhere along the way Sara finds just a little more than just the worlds within the pages of her books.

I really enjoyed this story. It was charming, funny, sad and awkward all at the same time.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.