Freya Kennedy’s In Pursuit of Happiness,  reviewed by Carol Thomas

This standalone novel shares the Ivy Lane setting introduced in The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn. The community spirit continues, and there is the bonus of a catch up with previous characters. It took me a little time to get into the book and to warm to the heroine, Jo, but I’m glad I gave her a chance as she blossomed as her journey progressed. I enjoyed the Irish setting, and I loved Lorcan. Jo is a writer, and some of her success seemed easily won, but then this is a happy, feel-good read with a theme of believing in yourself and having the confidence to take risks and follow your dreams. You don’t have to read The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn before this novel, but I recommend you do as it is a fabulous story!

 

Morton S Gray’s The Truth Lies Buried, reviewed by Jane Cable

In Carver Rodgers, Morton Gray has created my kind of hero; a damaged fighter who battles his own demons with increasing conviction. He and his incredible wooden house in the middle of a forest are so beautifully drawn I could actually see and feel how it was to be there and it is no surprise that lonely and grieving Jenny falls for this potentially difficult man.

But this isn’t just a love story, there is a mystery to solve too, one that goes back to a long-forgotten link in Carver and Jenny’s pasts, and it had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened.

 

M L Rio’s If We Were Villains, reviewed by Evonne Wareham

If you’re a fan of Donna Tart’s The Secret History and/or Shakespeare you might like to try this one. If it grabs you, it’s a compelling read. In the hothouse atmosphere of a select American college for the arts, seven elite theatre studies students immerse themselves in performing Shakespeare (lots and lots of Shakespeare, heavily quoted). The close knit group share and exchange a heady, swirling mix of friendship, love, hate, rivalry, lust, passion, violence, excess, and eventually murder. The story sweeps the reader along in an intense and sometimes ambiguous journey of mystery and questions. Oliver Marks, newly released from prison after serving ten years for murder, reveals to the detective who arrested him what really happened that night down by the lake and in the weeks that followed. Who was the victim, who the villain – and where did blame for the tragic events really fall?

 

Jenni Keer’s The Secrets of Hawthorn Place, reviewed by Kitty Wilson

 I loved this book. It’s a dual-narrative with both the Victorian and contemporary elements captivating me and thoroughly pulling me in. The characters were really well-drawn and as a reader, I quickly fell in love with them all, screeching when Molly was spending time with Harrison and willing her to get back Acacia House. The use of two Art and Crafts houses on the Dorset and Norfolk coasts as the setting also really appealed – I adore William Morris – and I found Molly’s method of travelling between the two, quirky and endearing. Who wouldn’t love to make such a marvellous discovery? The book was fast-paced, indeed it had me racing to get back to it, and I loved watching all the characters grow. The author writes both strands of romance in an insightful way, indeed she covers a range of human experience with a deft but empathetic touch, and I felt true satisfaction as we reached the resolution and saw how Percy’s life had panned out and the decisions that Molly and Rory make. This novel has it all, romance, history, mystery and magic, all told in a light-hearted style that makes this a beautiful easy and satisfying read.