TAKE THIS WOMAN by JOSEPHINE COX.

TAKE THIS WOMEN

BY JOSEPHINE COX

THE BLURB:-

Blackburn, 1947.

In a tiny front parlour fourteen-year old Laura Blake watches her beloved father die. But not before he tells her she will make something of her life. Laura never forgets his words. Yet her path to success proves to be a rocky one. Forced to trundle a cart around the back streets, selling other folk's cast-offs to support her family, Laura learns enough to start work in her uncle's furniture shop.

But then fate deals another cruel blow when she is brutally raped. Bearing the child of her attacker in secret, she vows to make the world pay for its injustice towards her.

As she grows older her beauty blossoms, and her new toughness helps her forge a career in the antiques business. But it is in affairs of the heart that Laura stumbles, and before she can find fulfilment, she must learn to put the past behind her, and give as well as take.

THE REALITY:-

This was one long tome of a read, along the lines of A Woman Of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford, which is probably my favourite book and certainly the most inspirational I have ever read. Indeed, I'm sure Josephine Cox has read it too- the concept of trapping your enemy by making him a much-needed loan that he has no way of paying back, as he is dissipate, and making him attach the deeds to his business and house featured in that book, as it does here.

But I'm not going to accuse the writer of plagiarism- this novel was just too bloody good for such accusations and I'm sure that all the best ideas get recycled (as a mass market fashion designer, I know this to be true!)

Tough and gritty and a real rags-to-riches story, this book is very keen and honest in its emotions. I loved the character of Laura and how she triumphed over adversity. It's obvious that some people do seem to have a lot more bad luck than others and I like the fact that she managed to turn her life around, drawing from her true friends, and smite her enemies.

It was horrible that she got breast cancer towards the end- that particular affliction has reared its ugly head in my family. Let's just put it this way- I wouldn't dream of skimping on the monthly self-checks. I'm glad she survived and managed to rid herself of her scumbag of a husband and fell into the arms of her true love.

Very truthfully written with a good mix of likeable and hateful characters, it's quite a long and intense read, but a worthwhile one.  

THE KISSING GARDEN by CHARLOTTE BINGHAM

THE KISSING GARDEN

BY CHARLOTTE BINGHAM

THE BLURB:-

As children, George Dashwood and Amelia Dennison loved to roam the Sussex Downs and, just as their two very different families were friends, so were they, until they are caught in a thunderstorm. Sheltering from the elements, George realizes that the way he feels about Amelia has changed. But it is 1914 and the declaration of war cuts across any romantic plans that the two might have.

George is away at the front for four years, but when the miracle happens and he returns home safely Amelia finds that the boy she loved has gone. Although they marry it seems that George does so from a sense of duty. It is only when they discover and old priory with a magical atmosphere that their chance for happiness becomes a reality.

THE REALITY:-

It took me a while to get into this one- the first few chapters were predictable and dragged, so I ended up speed reading the next hundred or so pages. But I forced myself to go back and start again and the story naturally became more interesting and made more sense.

The idea of an enchanted garden is a very lovely one but there were times when the story became almost too fey and whimsical. By the time the book got to Gwendolyn's illness and subsequent recovery you had to question whether the author was in some way...touched and soft in the head. I pressed on. The idea of a kind of magic from long ago purposely affecting a future place in time was nice, as were the sections from The Noble One and Longbeard.

But by the time George was becoming involved in politics the writing, although historically interesting, was long-winded and I yearned for the end! It was nice that the story started in exactly the same way as it began, with a shell shocked hero returning from war.

And that word sums up this work- nice. But nothing exceptional.

BONES NEVER LIE by KATHY REICHS

BONES NEVER LIE

BY KATHY REICHS

THE BLURB:-

When evidence survives, no secret can ever be safe.

For a decade, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan has been haunted by the one who got away. The killer of young women. The monster. And the one who has now come back. Feeding on fear, grief and rage. Killing again. Killing girls. Getting closer. Coming for Tempe.

THE REALITY:-

This Kathy Reichs Temeperance Brennan novel was brilliant, like these novels tend to be. She is a real expert in her field and I always love learning new things whenever I read one of her stories.

This book had a great twist as to the well-being of the monster, Anique Pomerleau, and an unexpected second perpetrator with a very interesting condition. I shan't spoil the surprise!

I have to question the author's use of names, though. Get a load of this little lot:- Ellis Yoder... Jewell Neighbors... Mona Spleen... Melody Keller... Hen Hull... Beau Tinker... Tawny McGee... Grinder. The latter two sound like porn star names, Beau Tinker sounds like something from a Carry On film and, in general, they sound like something Jackie Collins would have invented and put in one of her bonkbusters (I once read a JC novel where one of the principal characters was called Marcus Citroen...puuurrrleeeeaaase!)

I'm glad that Andrew Ryan finally proposed to Tempe. Hallelujah! I'm always as interested in what's going on between these two as I am of the crime element. But you can be sure that the next book will consist of to-ing and fro-ing between them. I wish the author would make Tempe's lovelife more straightforward.

I have to say, I do love the way Tempe watches the series Bones in her free time.  Clever, that.  

This book came with the addition of a good short story, and whilst I can read about dismembered humans whist eating, I found that I couldn't read about a snake having an autopsy, or the gorier details of bird carrion. I don't know what that says about me but yuk! The nitty gritty sure as hell put me off my grub (and that's not an easy thing to do!)

BEFORE I MET YOU by LISA JEWELL

BEFORE I MET YOU

BY LISA JEWELL

THE BLURB:-

London, 1920. Arlette works in Liberty by day, and by night is caught up in a glamorous whirl of parties, clubs, cocktails and jazz. But when tragedy strikes she flees the city, never to return.

Over half a century later, in the grungy mid-'90s, her granddaughter Betty arrives in London.

She can't wait to begin her new life. But before she can do so, she must find the mysterious woman named in her grandmother's will.

What she doesn't know is that her search will uncover the heartbreaking secret that changed her grandmother's life, and might also change hers...

THE REALITY:-

This is my first introduction to Lisa Jewell and I  have to say that she's created quite a gem of a book (yep, I know the word connection sounds incredibly naff!)

For me, the best thing about this novel is that it was extremely easy to relate to, simply because the character Betty is roughly my age and she moves down to London in exactly the same year that I did. Ah, the memories!  London in the late 1990s was returned to me fondly. What a time! I think I recognised the Soho heavy metal pub in the book as The Intrepid Fox- alternative/heavy hang-out of the day (and where I met my long-term ex-boyfriend).  Perhaps the story is a bit far fetched, what with Betty getting off with and bedding a rock star, but then I suppose someone's gotta do it.  Also, a story wouldn't be a story without a little extraordinary tucked in amongst the mundane.  As a character, I loved Betty and her fashion foibles. I was there!

Her step-grandmother Arlette is also super-intriguing, from the rich cornucopia of treasures inside her flatlet-style bedroom to her wonderful, glamorous sartorial excesses.  She was someone you really wanted to get to know and the story didn't disappoint, with her era brought alive in fantastic bohemian detail.

With quite an unusual storyline, hers wasn't a typical romance and there was no happy ever after.   I found myself liking her handsome beau, Godfrey, and really felt for him when Arlette dumped him.  That part of the novel brought tears to my eyes, and I think she reacted to her situation totally wrongly and might just have had a chance of happiness (albeit brief) had she taken another route. Read the story and see what I mean.   It's also interesting reading about a mixed race relationship, and how different members of society reacted to it in the 1920s.

The detective side of the novel, with Betty searching for Clara Pickle, was what really moved the story on.  I liked the short chapters (writing lesson to self...) and the way the various people she met helped her in her quest to unravel the mystery.

It's also nice for Lisa Jewell to add some of her personal experiences at the end of the book. This is definitely an author whose work I will be reading again, and someone who I found inspirational in terms of helping me in my quest to achieve my own goal of publication.

TELL ME SOMETHING by ADELE PARKS

TELL ME SOMETHING

BY ADELE PARKS

THE BLURB:-

When Elizabeth and her Italian husband Roberto decide to leave London for romantic Italy and his family business, Elizabeth hopes the change in lifestyle might help boost her chances of conceiving their longed-for child. But the idyll shatters as her wily mother-in-law seems bent on destroying her marriage, and Roberto's beautiful, significant ex is a constant unwanted presence. Unwanted by Elizabeth, at least.

Is Elizabeth's ferocious hunger for a baby enough to hold a marriage together or is it ripping it apart? And what about the gorgeous American stranger who's suddenly walked into her life?

THE REALITY:-

I've read a couple of novels by Adele Parks, many moons ago. Game Over was brilliant and Playing Away was shite. I'm aware that I'm dipping into the dreaded genre of “chick lit” and maybe have to concede that well-executed chick lit is perhaps okay.

The novel is called Tell Me Something and the byline on the cover is One Word Was All That Mattered- neither of which made any sense. Who is needing to be told what? I'm assuming that Elizabeth, the lead character is the one who needs telling something, but what is the one word? Is it a yes to the question of a) whether Roberto is having an affair with Ana-Maria (his gorgeous ex-girlfriend) or not or b) the nod to go forward and look into IVF treatment? I fear that the person putting the cover together has, sadly, not read the novel (something that royally annoys me- a little continuity would be nice). Either that or I'm missing something entirely.

Whilst other critics have lambasted Elizabeth for her lack of direction in sorting out a career for herself and instead just drifting as a waitress- and for not having actually gone back to visit Italy since her first wonderful visit aged fourteen, and also not even bothering to learn the language- I find her all too believable. She's typical of many young women who just drift, and who put finding a husband and having children above all else. I liked her. I also loved the way her attempts to conceive a baby were discussed in often glorious technicolour detail. I sometimes wanted to kick her for being overly obsessed with the whole fertility ritual.

The Italian side of the story paints a vivid picture of a place unlike Elizabeth's expectations and shows Roberto up to be a bit of a turd when it comes to his cow of a mother, Raffaella. He can see no wrong with this evil dragon and comes across as a right mummy's boy. It's interesting watching that relationship develop, as the novel starts with him having had a family row (we never find out over what) and leaving for London, then getting married and, following redundancy, making up with Raffaella with all animosities forgotten. Hmm. I've always thought that relationships between mothers and sons can be extremely unhealthy (I have personal experience of witnessing this, both in my own home with my mother and brother and there have also been incidents with boyfriends and their mums). This was a part of the book that holds up well. I came to hate Raffaella, and it was indicative of how much Elizabeth wanted her marriage to work (or, more so, wanted someone to make babies with) that she put up with Raffaella treating her like dirt- until she found her balls and stood up to this evil witch.

The end chapters became rather convoluted and messily written and between all this you wanted to shake Elizabeth for her silliness. But I'm glad she got her happy Italian ending with her American hunk, Chuck. I've always thought it quite obvious that some couples are more compatible than others when it comes to baby-making and I'm glad the story ended with her having his baby!

A likeable read.

THE DRESS THIEF by NATALIE MEG EVANS

THE DRESS THIEF

BY NATALIE MEG EVANS

THE BLURB:-

A modern tale of desire and deception set in the world of 1930s Parisian haute couture.

Alix Gower has a dream: to join the ranks of Coco Chanel and become a designer in the high-stakes world of French fashion.

But Alix also has a secret; she supports her family by stealing designs for the foreign market. A hidden sketchbook, and a moment inside Hermès, is all she needs to create a perfect replica, to be whisked off to production in New York.

Then Alix is given her big break- a chance to work in one of the most prominent Parisian fashion houses- but at the price of copying the breakthrough Spring Collection.

And when a mystery from her past resurfaces in connection to a handsome war reporter, Alix learns that the slightest misstep- or misplaced trust- could be all it seems for her life to begin falling apart at the seams.

THE REALITY:-

I had seen this book on Amazon and had earmarked it for buying, so was overjoyed to find it staring up at me in a charity shop!

As a fashion designer, what's not to like about intrigue and glamour in the world of Parisian haute couture in the 1930s? I've been to Paris and it sure lives up to its stereotype, which is not a bad thing at all. I've walked the length and breadth of its streets in a day (Paris is small enough to do just that- mind you, I had no choice due to there being no trains running due to industrial action. I missed a Rene Magritte exhibition and a visit to the Catacombs due to nothing being open that day and it really pissed me off. Whenever I go to France, it seems that someone is striking somewhere).

This book stunk like an ashtray. Whoever had this before me smoked forty fags a day. As an ex-smoker, you realise that you don't appreciate how much cigarettes stink until you give up and can smell a fag being lit five floors down.

This book was written in a bouncy style that led a merry old dance through Paris, back to Alsace- the county of origin of Mathilda and Jean-Yves- and also through Verrian's life. I loved the way the couture House of Javier was described: from its workings to its workrooms, with its petty jealousies, bullying and favouritism. Nothing has changed in the fashion industry, then!

I warmed to the heroine, Alix, immediately and sympathised with her position- a talented young lady with the natural skills and charm to “make it” but in the unfortunate and familiar position of simply needing to make ends meet. I liked the mix of good and bad throughout the characters and also the mystery of Alix's attacker, which came as a REAL surprise.

The author also adds her own notes at the end of the book, including those regarding fashion in the 1930s and female couturiers. She also includes her recipe for French onion soup- I must try it to see if it tastes better than mine!

A gem of a book- fun and charming.

THE REJECT'S CLUB SERIES...

The Reject's Club as a Kindle series

A big thanks to all of you who supported me and bought my first novel, The Reject's Club, and good for you for getting in there! Following feedback, I have decided to try marketing my work as a series, so have suspended the complete version of my book.

These were the comments that came my way:-

1. Many people aren't regular or voracious readers, and might find the sheer size of such a work (722 pages) off-putting. Yep, I could flatten this book in a few days, but then I suppose that not everyone's like me!
2. The font, at 10 point was too small to read. It's now 12 point.
3. The margins were too big. I'm no expert at publishing (or marketing for that matter, which is why I need an agent and a publisher) but this one's now sorted.
4. “You look half-naked in your photograph on the back cover!” I'll refrain from adding a saucy comment, but I can understand why some people might not think the slutty, strapless dress look overly-professional! I cropped the photo so you now get just a phizog shot instead.
5. People want a novel that's easy to slip into their handbags when they get on the train or are going away on holiday. I can understand that. I have an unread copy of Scarlett- the sequel to Gone With The Wind- sitting here, and the very reason I haven't read it is that it's too big to cart around. This is what really sold the concept of serialization to me.
6. More than one publisher told me that, at 320,000 words, it's very long- when you consider that most novels come in at more like 120,000 words. And for me personally, I think I may have set the bar way too high, as I've every intention of making subsequent works around 160,000 words (500 pages) long.

But the best feedback of all was that The Reject's Club is far too good to be on just Kindle alone- it needs to be out there in the shops. I'm inclined to agree, especially considering some of the sheer TRITE I've read recently, and by experienced authors at that. I am going to take a short break, then will begin my onslaught to agents and publishers again...wish me luck!

The Reject's Club as a paperback series.

Here is the link to the Kindle and paperback series:-  http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=THE%20REJECT%27S%20CLUB