I love Helga Jensen’s books. They are the perfect mixture of exotic destinations and romance. Her character’s are always unique and different. My Heart is in Venice is set in Wales and Venice. It’s lovely to see a book set in Wales.
The characters are also older which is refreshing. Helga has a way of writing highly original and fun characters. I loved Libby and was rooting for her. If you want a great midlife second chance romance novel then this is it.
I highly recommend this entertaining and enchanting novel. It has wonderful, unique destination in Wales and Venice, along with wonderful characters and a great plot. I loved this escapist novel. Grab a copy now.
Venice was where it all began… Libby and Will spent a glorious honeymoon in this magical city. They didn’t have much money, but they had a whole lot of love and a bright future ahead of them. And Venice was where it all went wrong… Two kids and twenty-five years later, they are struggling with money problems but somehow Will manages to fulfil his promise to Libby to take her back to Venice for their anniversary. This time, they are doing it in style and a masked ball awaits. But among the beautiful buildings and romantic canals, Libby learns that her husband has a secret that breaks her heart. The trust is broken and the marriage is over. But there are decades of love and two grown sons between them. Can they ever find their way back to each other or have they missed their chance forever?
The Christmas Love Letters by Sue Moorcroft, reviewed by Morton S Gray
Classic Sue Moorcroft.
I enjoyed being back in Nelson’s Bar, Norfolk reading about Ruthie, Maddy and Raff. A Christmas novel with twists and turns in the present and the revelation of secrets from the past too as Ruthie shares her treasured love letters.
A romance between Maddy and Raff seems inevitable, as they help Ruthie heal wounds from her past, until Maddy receives a message about her own mystery and the world changes.
Sue Moorcroft has a skill of carrying you along with a story and leaving you wanting for more.
A story to tug at your heart strings.
The Recipe for Hope by Fiona Valpy, reviewed by Jane Cable
I fancied a Christmas story, and for me this one was close to perfect. For a start it’s a novella, just a touch in under two hundred pages, and for a relatively simple festive romance it doesn’t need to be any more. And the cast of characters is small, and yet still a community is created for Evie to fall into when she escapes to France to avoid Christmas.
What really made this book stand out for me was the way I almost instantly slipped inside Evie’s heart and mind, and cared about her. I finished the book hours ago, and still she’s with me. On top of that, the customs and settings of rural south west France are described so beautifully, and with love. As is the food. The icing on the cake was a proper, real world, grown up ending. Five stars from me any day of the week.
New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage by Georgia Hill, reviewed by Morton S Gray
A great read that will have you thinking about Christmas and maybe buying Baileys!
I loved reading this book, which was a complete tonic in a stressful time for me. I always say that a book that can produce an emotional reaction is a good book and this one produced not one, not two, but three heart affecting scenes that had me thinking and reaching for the tissues. A cosy read, but with serious underlying themes of starting again after loss.
The characters are likeable and relatable, particularly Jago, trying to be the responsible son and brother, whilst nursing his own demons and heartaches, Honor, the primary school teacher with a big venerable heart and the amazing vicar, Verity, who is mad on ABBA. Merryn is a very wise little girl beyond her years. Georgia Hill weaves her story around community of Lullbury Bay, with each person living there having a distinct role and backstory. It sounds like somewhere I would enjoy living. I’d even take part in the yarn bombing brigade!
Highly recommended to get you in the mood for Christmas.
Secrets of the Shell Sisters by Adrienne Vaughan, reviewed by Jessie Cahalin
Magical tale of secrets, second chances and sisterhood
Set on Ireland’s ancient east coast, the Morgan sisters are in crisis. Cassandra runs the family hotel and it’s struggling, as secrets from her past threaten to resurface making things worse. Greer is fleeing a failed relationship with a powerful man, but if she returns will she stay? And then there’s Orla – fey, funny and mysterious – insisting messages from the shells must heeded or what will become of them all?
Returning to Rosshaven was a delight, especially as this story, while fresh and original, is cleverly intertwined with characters from the first book, Summer of Secrets.
A beautifully written tale of relationships, lost love and second chances, laced through with a touch of Irish magic – so deftly delivered it feels as natural as the sea itself.
A rich reweaving of Circe’s story with threads from a number of other Greek legends pulled expertly together into a spell-binding book. How very appropriate for a witch.
It did take me a while to get into the story, but when I looked back at the end, not an incident – even from her childhood – was wasted. Everything was poured into making Circe the woman she became; everything fitted, nothing jarred. An absolute masterclass in building a character.
And indeed, in building worlds. Worlds of faraway and long ago, inhabited by gods and mortals, and creatures somewhere between the two. Once I was past the initial chapters I became totally immersed in the story, even when it was so brutal I did not want to be. Story-telling at its best.
The Socialite Spy by Sarah Sigal
The sense of place and time in this book was wonderful and I was transported back to the highest echelons of society in 1930s London, which was at times far darker than I might have imagined.
Fashion journalist and socialite Lady Pamela More finds herself drawn into the world of espionage as she is asked to report back on Wallis Simpson and her circle, in particular any fascist sympathies she might have. The historical characters including Simpson, the King and the obnoxious Moseley are blended seamlessly with fictional ones, and as Lady Pamela becomes more immersed in their world the plot stretches and thickens and, in the best tradition of Le Carre et al, it becomes hard to know who to trust.
My only issue with this book is that the personal story of Lady P’s childlessness seemed superfluous to the main plot, and sat rather strangely alongside it. The spy story was quite enthralling enough on its own.
No 23 Burlington Square by Jenni Keer
Such a great premise for a book; a sliding doors-type story based on which prospective tenant sentimental yet wise Agnes Humphries will choose. Perhaps in will be her troublesome niece, Clara. Or the very respectable Mr Thomson, or even shy Mercy Mayweather who lost her husband in the war.
Set in 1927, the book is structured to take each scenario in turn, and for me Clara’s story took a tad too long to reach her turning point. Once it did I was certainly more invested in the characters’ individual tales and the way they twist together with the existing residents of 23 Burlington Square – and eventually with each other.
The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers
A beautifully crafted work of literature that pulled me in, night by night, and circle by circle. Many small stories of the lives of cornfields after dark, drawn together by a single summer in the lives of Calvert and Redbone, unlikely friends and co-conspirators with a single purpose.
This is a literary novel; don’t expect a fast paced plot or a satisfying ending. It’s one to savour during the journey. The descriptions that take you into the countryside at night; the interactions of the characters, the designs they create and the reasons for it. Four stars not five because of the retrospective preachiness as the book nears its end.
I enjoyed her last two WW2 series about The Ops Room Girls and The Wrens, but I loved the first in this new series about The Girls of Bomber Command.
A poignant subject, Beeby comments in her notes that the RAF Bomber Command had one of the highest casualty rates of any Allied unit during the Second World War and yet the author manages to portray this sensitively in a very enthralling read.
I loved Pearl, who reminded me of myself as she tries to look after her younger sister and strives to find her own place in the world whilst staying true to her aspirations. Greg has to deal daily with the thought that he might not survive the next bombing mission and that colours how he lives his life.
The author’s notes on the research undertaken to inspire and also to make this story authentic were fascinating.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Wild Hope by Donna Ashworth
I cannot speak too highly of this volume of poetry. Comfort in troubled times and wisdom for everyday living.
Having seen a social media video of the author using the volume as an oracle, I now open this book daily at random and the results have never ceased to surprise me. I have my favourite poems of course but each page has the ability to touch my heart and often to produce tears.
I don’t think I have ever read a volume of poetry so often. Wonderful.
The Paris Affair by Victoria Cornwall
I really enjoyed this book and felt as if I was actually Charlotte, the heroine as she negotiated the sadness, excitements and uncertainties of her life and relationship with Pierre.
The Parisian scenes, particularly the characters’ visit to The Sacre Coeur took me right back to a long ago visit to Paris.
Victoria Cornwall is a skilled storyteller who makes you care about her characters and root for them as they tackle dangers and challenges.
I have always wondered how I would have coped in times of war and hope that I would step up to the challenge of helping with the war effort just as Charlotte, Pierre and their colleagues did in the book.
A thoroughly enjoyable read that made me reflect on the war experiences of members of my family.
The Lost Heir by Jane Cable
Jane Cable captures the time of the Covid era lockdowns, which caused many people to re-evaluate their lives and make changes, as does the modern day character of Carla in The Lost Heir. As a family historian myself, I enjoyed the research Carla and Mani’s research adventures. I liked the present day story, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to read about Covid times when I started reading the book, and would really like to know more about what happened to these characters after the end of this story.
Franny in the historical story, with her different way of seeing the world and her companion, Harriet, is a very complex character. I loved the secrets and risks surrounding William.
Loved the fact that Carla had inherited her grandmother’s skills for seeing auras and presences. Fascinating to read in the notes to the book about the inspiration for the story and the research done by the author.
I’m normally a fan of dual timelines, but with this book I enjoyed the Second World War timeline so much I would have preferred for it to have filled every page. Maggie and Agnes’ story was so moving, and it was refreshing to read about a same sex romance in that period. The war around them was well researched and felt real, and I enjoyed this aspect very much.
The premise of the book, without giving too much away, if that when Agnes is recruited to join SOE she is forbidden from telling Margaret, because they are only ‘friends’. In the end she does leave a letter promising to return, but it never reaches its intended recipient.
I found myself hanging on every word of Agnes’s time in France, but not so the contemporary story. I found elderly Margaret’s periods of confusion and clarity a bit too convenient to the narrative, to be honest. But it didn’t spoil the book overall.
Call me grumpy, but I just wish that the title related better to what was between the pages; the book is called The Forgotten Promise, but to me the whole point was that neither of them did forget.
The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page
I love books about friendship, and this must be up there among the best. Although it took me a while to settle into it, once the cast of characters began to build around ‘Average Jo’ I was enthralled, and wanted to know more about them.
When Jo’s uncle develops dementia and her relationship breaks down, she goes to London to look after his stationery and hardware shop. Isolated and lonely, her confidence in shreds, she meets some of the people living and working around her, including Ruth, the runaway vicar, and Malcolm, a retired analyst who buys a new notebook every week. And slowly, maybe a little too slowly, their friendship begins to form.
This book is rich in vivid detail; about the settings, the characters, and the ghosts who may or ma not walk on Christmas Eve in Highgate Cemetery. Although there were small parts of the plot I did not like, they didn’t detract from the whole and I was left in awe of the writer’s skill.
The Figurine by Victoria Hislop
As always, the sense of Greece at a certain moment in time is created perfectly by Victoria Hislop. The oppressive atmosphere of young Helena’s grandparents’ apartment when she visits in the 1970s echoes the regime her grandfather is part of, and the whiff of corruption is never far away. And when, years later, she discovers an Athens of her own, the sense of new freedoms is palpable too.
I also really liked Helena as a character and was sufficiently interested to know how her story unfolded to almost forgive the head-hopping, which blighted the early parts of the book in particular. There was a vividly drawn supporting cast too, but I felt there were too many of them at times, too many scenes which contributed little to the overall narrative. I did enjoy the story, but overall it was too long in the telling for my taste.
On one level I feel bad criticising such a successful and established writer, but on the other, I do not want to misrepresent my personal opinion of the book.
Where do I start with this wonderful novel? With the sense of place and time, I guess, because it was so very brilliant. It’s set in rural Missouri in the 1870s and reminded me greatly of the childhood books I adored by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
The story opens when, much to her older sister Ginny’s horror, teenager Mary-Lou brings home an injured drifter. The sisters pretend their father is still alive, just sick upstairs, to keep themselves safe while Lex heals, but running the farm is a struggle in financial terms, although they cope on every practical level.
Then Lex leaves, and it isn’t giving too much away to say that a sweeping love story ensues. Beautifully done, but not overdone, embedded in both the social mores of the time and the freedoms of homestead life. The characterisation – and I mean all the characterisation, right done to the couple Ginny meets on a train – is wonderful, and I genuinely struggled to put this book down.
A strong contender for one of my books of the year and I just had to ask Imogen how she had placed her reader in the American Midwest in the 1870s, when she lives in twenty-first century Wales:
Credit: Faye Chamberlain
The story for Under a Gilded Sky had been in my mind for a long time. The first and most important thing was how my protagonists, Ginny and Lex, would get to know each other and fall in love. I hope their characters drive the story. Once I had written the first draft, I zoned in on the exact time and place. The novel is set in the Midwest and Boston, and begins in 1874, 9 years after the Civil War. Although I have travelled in the States, I needed to do deep research. Luckily, the internet is a treasure trove of maps, photographs, academic papers, newspaper articles.
I’m a visual person and I needed to see my characters in their settings. Ginny’s homestead is the classic layout in the Midwest: what’s known as the I-House, with two rooms, a passage between, and the kitchen at the back. Not many remain, but Jessie James’ family home in Missouri survives because of his notoriety, so that was a great visual cue.
I wanted the size and price of Ginny’s farm to be accurate so I poured over the beautiful copperplate writing of page after page of the 1880 Agricultural Census for Missouri. I used William Strassburg’s farm in Pulaski County as a guide.
The episode in the Missouri Governor’s Mansion (my heroine has a rich cousin who is determined to find a rich suitor for her) uses the exact layout and décor of the real Mansion, using the rich details on their website.
The moments of research I most loved was when I found a nugget that would enhance the story. For example, I read on a history website about the devastating grasshopper plague of 1874 and 1875 which afflicted western Missouri and created financial strains. An academic from University of Missouri wrote a paper about the Missouri Banking Fraud of 1861, so I threaded this into Ginny’s aunt’s story.
I tried to capture train journeys of that time. Charles Dickens wrote letters about travelling on a train in Massachusetts and, although earlier than my setting, I used snippets such as his description of orange peel and nuts on the floor. My best research moment was when, after hours of Googling, I discovered the exact timetable for Ginny’s journey from St Louis to Boston. She leaves at 7.20am, because that is the accurate time from 1875.
Looking back on my notes now, I see a huge level of detail. My hope is that this has made the story feel authentic, without the reader thinking they are walking through a museum.
The Secret Sister by Jan Baynham, reviewed by Jane Cable
This beautiful book transported me not only to Sicily, but to mid Wales during the Second World War, and the claustrophobia of the small communities where everyone knew everybody else’s business. It is here the book starts, in 1943, when Italian prisoner of war Carlo meets Sara, who had been trapped in an abusive marriage.
The Secret Sister is unusual for a dual timeline because the whole wartime narrative is played out before the story moves on to 1968, but I can see it had to be this way for the story to work, and the author definitely made the right decision to do so. It is in this second part of the book that we travel to Sicily and Baynham brings the island to life in a wondrous whorl of colours, tastes and sensations. I was absolutely transported there and now cannot wait to visit the island.
I thoroughly recommend this emotional tale of family secrets and enduring love.
The Sea Sisters Swimming Club by Sue McDonagh, reviewed by Morton S Gray
Fran is a survivor and a woman cast adrift by a heart attack which cut short her police career. She is finding the adjustment to life outside of the force difficult and unsettling. She really doesn’t know who she is at the beginning of the novel. An opportunity to house sit by the sea in Wales offers her the chance to explore options for her future and rediscover her spirit.
Wyn is also wounded by life after an accident changed him forever both mentally and physically. He agrees to teach Fran to swim and they get ever closer, but he is hiding secrets of his own and has a needy ex-wife.
Enjoyed the references to the Art Hotel encountered in other Sue McDonagh books and the comradery of the sea sisters. I loved some of the secondary characters too – Elin, Gavin, Caitlin. And the novel made me want to enjoy coffee and cake by the sea, even if I don’t venture into the waves beyond paddling, but who knows I may get braver like Fran after being shown a glimpse of possibilities by this book.
A feel good, inspiring read which made me want to read more of Sue McDonagh’s novels.
The Lost Heir by Jane Cable, reviewed by Kitty Wilson
The Lost Heir is a dual timeline story that flits between Regency Cornwall and Cornish life in 2020. For the historical element, Jane Cable has taken her location and characters straight out of the Cornish Archives and built a world around them that you can absolutely believe to be true, or at the very least, wish it was.
Jane Cable meshes history, romance, and the supernatural and touches on subjects that are far from easy to write about, rape, the scandal of illegitimacy, the limitations placed on women in Regency times, the lockdowns of recent years; and yet each and every storyline is written with an insight and sensitivity that pulls the reader thoroughly into the world inhabited by these characters.
It is the descriptions of Cornwall however that set this book far above others of a similar vein. I was galloping across the cliffs with William, sat with Harriet as the oil-lamps flickered and I found myself escaping to this book whenever I had a few spare minutes, racing through the story desperate to know how Franny would resolve her situation, keen to know if the modern-day romance could possibly play out as I wished it to.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and if you too want to escape to Regency Cornwall, then I highly recommend that you do so with this beautifully captivating, insightful and evocative book.
What a triumph, writing a whole book for adults from the point of view of a dog. Not something quirky like a comedy, but an at times gut-wrenching novel of human love, grief, desire and second chances.
Told from terrier Moll’s point of view, The Rescue is about what happens after Suki’s beloved husband dies and how Moll resolves to help her to build a new life. Everything is seen from Moll’s eye view and for the author to think herself inside a dog’s head to this extent takes not only exceptional observational skills, but also huge talent as a writer.
The Beach Holiday by Isabelle Broom
Although the very first line of this book drew me in, I groaned inwardly when I realised this book had a celebrity protagonist, because it’s a trope I don’t generally get on with. However the setting was son wonderfully drawn I thought I would read on for a while, if only to learn more about creating a sense of place from a writer at the top of their game.
I am so glad I did. After their initial meeting the characters, Honor and Kellan, have real depth and I found them very believable, so I was increasingly drawn into their story. I knew there would be up and downs, ins and outs until they reached their HEA, but this is a romance novel after all. A very good one too, and the perfect book to devour from your sun lounger or on the plane to your perfect holiday destination.
Everything is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray
It took me a little while to sink into this book, to properly get a handle on Amy, but I guess that was the point. And I loved the premise of the book as it revealed itself; that everyone has baggage of one sort of another, but it shouldn’t stop you from living your life.
Amy’s life – and house – are filled with things she considers beautiful, and hark back to her relationship with Tim who disappeared in mysterious circumstances some years before. The structure takes us back in time, object by object, which was appealing, as Amy’s life begins to move slowly forwards.
The book is really well written, but I did wonder if every plot strand was strictly necessary, and some fell into place a little too snugly at the end. But overall I thought it a very good read.
The Invisible Women’s Club by Helen Paris (published 3rd August)
The main character, Janet, was so harshly drawn in the opening chapters I almost put the book down, but I am so very glad I didn’t because I ended up absolutely loving her story.
Janet is in her early seventies, intensely prickly and full of her own importance. But that hides a terrible loneliness, so achingly described; the loneliness of never having a meal cooked for you by another person, of going through whole days, weeks, months, without having a conversation. Her one solace is her allotment, but even there she seems apt at falling out with other gardeners. The point being, that when you are alone so much you are likely to lose your social skills.
But then the allotments are threatened and Janet smells a rat. She decides to consult a former colleague at the other end of the country and by fluke her outgoing neighbour, menopausal midwife Bev, ends up taking her. And then Janet’s adventures really begin.
This book is all heart and all soul, with a huge dollop of feminist militancy and just the right amount of humour. The more I read, the more I adored it and I thoroughly, thoroughly recommend.
