FALLING by Elizabeth Jane Howard

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
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On Goodreads
On BookBub

How I discovered this book: I read many novels by EJH years ago, but none since Getting It Right in the 1980s; my sister recommended this one to me.

In A Nutshell: A successful writer in her twilight years becomes romantically involved with a con-man ~ based on events that really happened, which are detailed HERE.

Daisy Langrish is a sixty-year-old, successful playwright who has known much pain and loneliness in her life; the loss of the beloved aunt who brought her up, betrayal by two husbands.  When she buys a country cottage as a retreat, she meets Henry Kent, a gardener who lives on a boat.  Slowly, slowly, he inveigles his way into her life.  They become close, and she is happy to be granted another chance for love and companionship.  On the surface he seems like the perfect man, in so many ways... but he has been less than honest about his history, and his motivations.

The story is written in alternate viewpoints—Henry in the first person and Daisy in the third, and some of the story is conveyed by way of letters and diary entries.  All of this worked beautifully; I was completely engrossed in this novel all the way through.  That Elizabeth Jane Howard is a master of the human drama goes without saying, but what I liked most about it was the unravelling of Henry's hidden self, which is done so subtly.  There is enough information for us to realise that he has an alcohol problem, and that he has a short temper and reacts violently when events do not go the way he wants, but this is never lain out in black and white; it is suggested, as the picture of him slowly builds...

When I started to read the book I already knew about the true story, but knowing what sort of outcome it must have didn't spoil it; indeed, it opens with Henry saying that Daisy has told him their affair is over, and gives a fair indication of the sort of man he is, so this review is no 'spoiler'; the beauty of the book is in the gradual seduction of Daisy, the uncovering of Henry's past life, and the question it left me with: did Henry actually love her, as much as he was capable of loving anyone?  Of course, we do not realise the full truth about his personality until his actions are revealed by others, because he lies to himself and, thus, in his narration to the reader.  Are his feelings part of the fantasy he must create, in order to make his behaviour acceptable in his own mind?

By today's standards this is a 'slow' book, and, although set in the mid 1980s, seems a little dated, more as if it is set in the 1960s or early 1970s; also, there were some elements I questioned.  For instance, Henry's most recent wife, Hazel, is supposed to be a fair bit older than him.  He is sixty-five.  Yet she is working as a physiotherapist; if she is nearing or possibly over seventy, wouldn't she have retired?  When the truth about Henry's past life is revealed, it seems a little muddled and rushed, with Daisy's friends having conversations with complete strangers which are then reported back to Daisy; I was disappointed by this, as I was so looking forward to it; although the way it was wrapped up was realistic, it felt a little anti-climactic.  I wondered if it was just me, but I looked at other reviews and some of them said the same.

However!  I still give this book five stars because I loved it, generally, and looked forward to getting back to it at every moment I could.  

LIPSTICK by Peter Davey @PedroYevad

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Twitter

In a Nutshell: Infidelity and mystery in glorious French locations

This is a book to download for a beach read, for anyone who hasn't gone on holiday yet!

Antoine Cassernet has it all; a prestigious banking career, good looks, a beautiful wife, three children, homes in Paris and the Normandy countryside, and a string of lovers.  Then he becomes entangled with unstable film producer Madeleine de la Cruz, and his perfect life is thrown into disarray. 

I loved the settings of this book, and am sure that the author must be familiar with several of them, as the exotic French feel of the story seemed so real, not one borne of research.  A novel based around multiple marital infidelities, there is a slightly tongue-in-cheek essence to to the whole story that I enjoyed.  As far as the mystery is concerned, I had suspicions about the outcome early on, having read a couple of books years ago along similar lines, but then my thoughts were led down several different alleys and I changed my mind - many times.  Suffice to say that the characters are keeping many secrets, and they come out gradually, one after another, to reveal complicated layers of motivation.

I will tempt you further by saying that the cover doesn't do the book justice; the author's skillful pen conjures up such an appealing picture of Parisian jet set glamour and French country houses in the summer, and I would love to see some of that reflected on the cover.  It's an easy, fun read - recommended!

THE MEN by Fanny Calder @fannycalder #RBRT

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

Genre: Contemporary Drama, Relationships, Popular Culture, London, Love and Relationships.

Loved this book!  As a member of Rosie's review team, I look down the submissions list when it's time to choose a new one, and I usually go for sci-fi, dystopian or something otherwise nice and dark, rarely anything about love relationships or labelled 'women's fiction', but I'm so glad I stepped out of my box with this one - it's eons away from mainstream relationship dramas.

The Men is a series of thirteen snapshots, all linked so that it's a continuing story, about the relationships with the opposite sex that have punctuated the author's life.  It appears they're part autobiographical, part fiction: 

'It is a tale of urban human connections crafted with no judgement or deep introspection – a window on the author’s own life at that time that will resonate and stay with you.' 

Some of them reminded me of my own younger years, the racketing around and caring only about the moment, which is perhaps why I liked them so much; particularly the first one, The Singer.  The writing style is great - witty, sharp, joyful, but melancholy at times, too.  Some of the relationships are sad, some heartbreaking, and some made me think 'what the hell was she thinking of' (Rotting Man!), but those made me sad, too; loneliness can push people into all sorts of bad decisions, and I felt that the author was lonely, sometimes.  Never in a victim or despairing sort of way, though she seems to become more so as the book goes on.

I loved how the book concentrates only on The Men, that she was never tempted to give more background, which would have diluted it.  On occasion the writing is quite beautiful; a section about a party with an eighteenth century theme made me want to stay in it.

One point that intrigued me―earlier in the book she clearly has a high-powered job that involves much travel, though we are never told what it is.  I did a bit of digging and discovered that the author is a fairly well-known environmental campaigner; all that and she can write, too.

Highly recommended; I wanted to carry on reading when I'd finished it.

A HANDFUL OF DUST by Evelyn Waugh

5 GOLD stars

On Amazon UK
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How I discovered this book: it's an old favourite of mine, without doubt in my all time top ten. I took it out for another re-read and just wanted to share its brilliance with you.

Genre: 1930s drama, about love, loss, social climbing... funny, tragic and poignant.

Both written and set in the early 1930s, this wonderful novel shows a world that scarcely exists anymore.  Tony Last and his wife Brenda live at the Last family seat, Hetton Hall.  Theirs is a world of guests coming up to the country for the weekend, of running a house on a full staff at a time when the age of huge country houses is coming to an end.  Tony wants only to live the life of a quiet gentleman, but Brenda yearns for the social life she once enjoyed in London. 

On one particular weekend Tony forgets that, over a drink at one of his clubs in London, he invited a young man called John Beaver to stay.  Although Beaver's visit is not welcomed by either of the Lasts, Brenda finds him oddly enchanting.

Beaver is an impoverished social climber who lives with his mother, a busy-body interior designer.  Anxious to improve his position in Society, he accepts any invitation going.  When Brenda falls in love with him he sees a way to push himself forward.  Under the pretence of doing a course in economics, Brenda takes a small flat in London, leaving Tony in the country, unhappy, alone, but completely in the dark about the affair.

Brenda and Beaver in the film that was made of the book; it's okay, but doesn't do it justice.

A family tragedy brings matters to a head, and both Brenda and Tony's worlds are forever changed, with Tony uncharacteristically heading off on a South American jungle expedition, simply because he does not know what else to do.

This book is such a delight.  Each social class is portrayed with great wit, from the impoverished aristocracy, to the socially ambitious, to the young women of the night to be found in the 'lousy joint' that Tony and his friend Jock visit on occasion.  It's a cracking story, with far more to it than just a broken marriage, but I also loved the more subtle elements, such as the passages that show Tony's love for his home, the only place he wants to be.  You will love Tony and want to cry with him for the way he is treated, though he does exact certain justified revenge.  It's a perfect book, and everyone who appreciates fine, gently satirical literature of this time should read it.

Tony with his and Brenda's son, John Andrew

PARALLEL LIES by Georgia Rose @GeorgiaRoseBook #NewRelease

4 out of 5 stars

*New Release*

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

Blurb 

‘My name is Madeleine, Madeleine Ross. It is a name chosen with thought and because it is classy, and that is what is needed here…’

Madeleine Ross has life exactly as she planned it.
Cosy cottage, friendly village, satisfying job.
Company… when she wants it.

It’s an enviable existence for an independent young woman, and one she’s keen to protect.

Enter Daniel – strong, dependable and a danger to everything she’s built. He’s not something she was looking for, but hearts can’t be controlled and maybe, just maybe he might be worth letting into hers.

But, all is not what it seems. Because Madeleine is hiding a lifetime of secrets. Deep secrets.

And they never stay buried for ever.

Her darkest secret returns, like the proverbial bad penny. He is her first love, shadowy, dangerous, the baddest of bad boys. No matter how far she runs, or how well she hides, she can never escape him.

Or her past.

Here he is, on her doorstep, with a proposition she is powerless to resist but which could devastate the future she hoped to have.

Can Madeleine satisfy the old love while keeping the new?

You can’t always get what you want but, desperate to preserve the life she has worked so hard for, Madeleine is willing to risk everything to prove that she can.

My Review

How I discovered this book: I've got to know the author via the Twitter writers community, and was interested to read her new release ~ here she is on Twitter.

Parallel Lies falls in the genres of mystery and romantic suspense.  The main character is Madeleine Ross, who lives in one of those BBC Sunday night drama type villages, where she fits in very well ... or so it seems.  Right from the start, we realise that there is more to her than meets the eye, that she has big secrets about her identity.  She's an interesting though not a particularly likeable character, often cold, cynical and critical, which was a plus point for me; I admire any author who has the confidence to make her main character someone the reader will not necessarily warm to, and I enjoyed her astute observations about the pretensions and social hierarchy of the villagers.  

Because of the shocking and traumatic events in Maddy's past, she holds people at a distance.  She does not form romantic attachments but finds partners for emotionless sex amongst regulars at her local gym; one can only imagine the conversations in the men's changing rooms. Then again, part of her charm is that she cares little for what people think, or so she would have us believe; that she tries to convince us of this speaks otherwise.  And then the man appears who will turn her heart on its head....

I gave a big round of applause for the way in which the mystery unfolds; the information is fed to the reader at the right time, in exactly the right amounts, to hold the reader's interest and make them wonder what's round the next corner.  Just when Madeleine's new life seems to be on the up, a love from her past arrives. He knows everything about her and threatens to insert a particularly malicious set of spanners into the works.

There were some elements about the novel that stretched feasibility for me, but, of course, disbelief suspension ceilings vary from person to person, and mine is probably lower than most.  Recommended readers: anyone who likes an artfully unravelling mystery, heists, plenty of love life shenanigans and a fair few unexpected turns of event.  

About the author

Georgia Rose is a writer and the author of the romantic and suspenseful Grayson Trilogy books: A Single Step, Before the Dawn and Thicker than Water. Her fourth novel, Parallel Lies, encompasses crime along with her usual blending of genre.

Georgia has never found a TV series to beat her all-time favourite, ER, and nowadays only Game of Thrones or Ray Donovan stand any chance of keep her attention for any period of time. Her background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines; the others are a product of her passion for people watching and her overactive imagination!

OCCUPYING LOVE by Marilyn Chapman

3 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Book Review Team 
 
Occupying love is a historical romance set in Guernsey during the occupation by the Nazis during the second world war.  Lydia Le Page returns to Guernsey from England on a momentous day: the first bombing on British soil during the war.

Lydia is, thus, trapped on Guernsey and has to put on hold her plans to train as a pharmacist.  Happily reunited with her best friend, Maggie, and having met the mysterious new rector, Martin Martell, life seems bearable even though Lydia feels annoyed by the way some are more accepting of the island's fate than others, particularly Maggie, who is quite taken with the German soldiers.

The fates of Lydia's family take a turn for the worse when Germans decide to occupy not only the island but also their house, forcing them to lodge with friends.  Lydia takes a job that means she gets to know Martin better, though both his activities and his personality remain something of a conundrum to her.  Then another suitor enters the arena... 

I think this is a book for an older readership, as the tone is one of the British pulling together against the enemy, with a fair bit of domestic detail.  The characterisation and dialogue are reminiscent of 1950s films about the war, so it would appeal to readers who enjoy the current popularity of nostalgia orientated books, and/or who live in or have some knowledge of Guernsey.  

The book is well presented, and competently edited.

GIVE IN TO THE FEELING by Sarah Zama

3.5 out of 5 stars

On Smashwords: HERE
On Barnes and Noble HERE
On Kobo HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Review Team

This is an interesting and unusual novella, set in 1920s Chicago, mostly within a speakeasy.  Susie (really Su Xie) is a Chinese girl who has been sent to America by her parents (all is explained) and ends up living with 'Simon', the owner of the speakeasy and a gangster (this is implied, rather than stated).  She dances for him and his customers each night; she belongs to him.  Then one night she dances with the mysterious Blood, and knows that he is the person she must be with. 

The atmosphere is well set, the emotions most convincing, and I liked the rather offbeat way in which it's written.  I noticed that the author is Italian; sometimes the English is not quite right, with strange word choices or slightly incorrect ways of expressing things, but, oddly, it works well with the style of the story and subject matter.  I think it actually adds to it, peculiar though that may sound.  The story has a strong supernatural element, as not everyone in it is one hundred per cent human. 

After about half way through I began to find it a tiny bit repetitive where the feelings of the characters were concerned, and I think I preferred the earlier parts where the supernatural side was hinted at, rather than made obvious.  But I enjoyed reading it, and there's an interesting addition in the back: a chapter from the first person point of view of Susie, about how she felt when she was forced to leave China.  There is also some information about speakeasies.  

I think lovers of the supernatural would like it very much.
 

FIVE DAYS ON BALLYBOY BEACH by David J O'Brien

3 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Review Team

In this light, nostalgic story set in rural Ireland, Derek and his four best friends from university (John, Bill, Sarah and Sinéad) spend five days camping together, to be joined by six more on the second night.  Amongst those expected is Derek's current girlfriend, Ana.  Although he is looking forward to having someone to sleep with, Derek would rather she wasn't coming; he has decided he is in love with Sinéad. 

This is an easy, relaxing sort of book, and has some pleasing detail of the flora and fauna of the surroundings, which, I imagine, is written from the author's experience.  The prose itself flows nicely, is well put together as far as sentence structure and grammar are concerned, and I liked the philosophical ponderings of the main character. 

On the whole, alas, I'm afraid I found the book a little flat.  The first twenty per cent-plus is an account of how the five spent their first night and next day on holiday.  O'Brien introduces the characters by saying which companies they work for and where they come from, etc, and by giving the reader a run-down of their character traits.  I thought their personalities would have been better illustrated by sharp, character revealing or amusing dialogue, or some conflict; as it is, the dialogue is just chat, the narrative no more than a mildly interesting snapshot of a group of young people spending time at the beach and going to the pub in the evening.

When the six other people turn up there are six more passages about home towns and employers and character traits.  Sadly, I found few of the eleven personalities distinguishable from one another. 

The book does pick up after about thirty per cent, with more plot: Derek's romantic/sexual quandary, a confession by one character and some discord between another couple.  However, I didn't feel the potential of any of these situations was fully explored.  A catastrophic event happens near the end, but even that is dealt with in a mild sort of way only. 

I'm sorry not to be more positive; the book is pleasantly written and does have a certain charm, but there is far too much mundane detail all the way through, and not enough depth or character development.

NO TIME LIKE NOW by Jennifer Young

3 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as part of Rosie Amber's Review Team

Megan McLeod works at a university field centre on Puerto Pollensa, Marjorca—quite happily, until the arrival of geology researcher Tim Stone, with Holly, his PHD student.  Straight away we know that Megan and Tim have a history, but what does this history entail?  Is Holly and Tim's relationship just professional?  Tim's appearance also stirs up Megan's problems with her father, which she tries to resolve in her own head and by writing to him. 

Walking on the beach one day, Megan comes across a dead body, who appears to have fallen from the cliffs; the question is, did she fall or was she pushed?  Enter impossibly handsome undercover detective Álvaro... 

Throughout the mystery that the story centres around is the backdrop of the past relationship between Megan and Tim.  Sadly, I couldn't see the chemistry; Megan was rather dour and humourless, and Tim was all cold cynicism, although more is revealed about him later to explain this, and I didn't feel any passion between them.  The secondary characters had more appeal and realism—the upbeat and sociable Holly, and Domenica, who runs the centre. 

As far as the technical side of the writing is concerned, I couldn't fault this book; it's grammatically sound, no proofreading or copy-editing errors, it flows well and I didn't find any plot inconsistencies; it's very well put together.   My only problem with it was that I found it rather flat, with not enough spark to make it memorable.  I don't mean this to be a bad review, as the book is extremely competent, contains much to be commended and I am sure others will enjoy it more than I did but, for me, it was a little bland.