The Secret Inheritance by Rachel Lynch

                                  

Ebook:   357 pages Kindle edition

Genre:  Mystery Thriller, Psychological Thriller, 

Publisher: October 2024 by Storm Publishing

Source: My Kindle Library via NetGalley

First Sentences: 'It won't be long now,' the doctor whispered. Clara dipped a mouth-swab into a bowl of cold water and was reminded of giving out lollipops to the children when they were small.

Review Quote: ‘So many family, secrets, so many twists, and turns, I absolutely loved this book!’ Reader Review, 

My Opinion: 

To be completely honest, this is the first book I have read by this author, because until now the titles/genre haven't appealed to me. 'The Secret Inheritance' stood out as a departure from her Crime Series, as it is a stand alone psychological thriller. Having read the blurb I liked the sound of this novel and must say I was not disappointed.

The protagonists Hettie, Jamie and Rosie are estranged siblings, forced to spend time together at the family home, after the death of their father. After a miserable and traumatic childhood it soon appears that they are all seeking revenge on each other in dark and devious ways.

A country house setting in the English countryside with betrayal and tragedy, for the family has made for a very readable psychological thriller. Can certainly recommend this page turner to fans of the genre.

With thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishers and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

The day her brother Christian died, Rosie Fitzherbert left her family home and never came back. Until now.

When her father dies, Rosie returns to Warbury House after decades away. To secure her share of the fortune, she must endure seven days with her estranged siblings, Hettie and James. But the sprawling estate holds more than money – it guards the truth about her brother’s tragic death.

As old wounds reopen, Rosie realises silence won't protect her anymore. With millions at stake and family secrets threatening to surface, can Rosie confront her past before it consumes her future? Rosie hasn't spoken in years. Will returning to Warbury House finally give her a voice?

Author Profile:         

                                                     

                                                    

                                                  Courtesy of Amazon Profile

Rachel Lynch grew up in Cumbria and regularly hiked the fells from a young age.

After studying history at the University of Lancaster, Rachel trained to become a teacher in London.

She began writing full time in 2016 and is represented by Peter Buckman of the Ampersand Agency.

Canelo signed the first three novels in the Kelly Porter series in 2018 and number 12 was published in 2024. 

Rachel lives near London with her husband and two children, and Poppy the terrier.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Profile.    Twitter Profile.   Goodreads Profile

The Tuscan Diary by Anita Chapman

                                               

Ebook:  396,  pages Kindle edition

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction,

Publisher: October 2024 by Bookouture

Source: My Kindle Library via NetGalley

First Sentences: The woman entered the bedroom and pushed open the shutters, welcoming the view of the Tuscan hills.

Setting: Italy

Review Quote: ‘I loved this beautiful book… Glorious… So many emotions!’ Goodreads Reviewer,

My Opinion: 

Just last year Anita Chapman had her debut novel The Venice Secret. published. In July of this year The Florence Letter was published and now just a few months later her third 'The Tuscan Diary' 

A dual timeline story starting in 1942 and 1993, with the settings in Italy and Yorkshire. The narrative follows the main female protagonists Eleanor and her granddaughter Jessica as they wrestle with love and loss. It is the discovery of a wartime diary that sets Jessica's search for the truth about the past in motion.

In short period of time Anita Chapman has established herself place on my favourite authors list with her delightful stories in Italian settings.  Very atmospheric and obviously well researched, this is perfect for Italophiles that enjoy contemporary blended with historical and a story to get immersed in.

It is with thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley and Anita Chapman that this title was made available for me to read and review.

Previous Reviews:   The Venice Secret.   The Florence Letter

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

As she gazes at the lights of Siena glowing in the dusk, Jessica flips through the yellowing pages of the diary that led her here. Written by her grandfather during the war, it holds the answers to a family secret that might just change everything…

When Jessica’s grandfather left for war, he promised to keep a record of each day he was apart from her grandmother. The diary was lost along with him – until now, when a mysterious, handsome Italian man named Alessandro shows up at Jessica’s door with the diary in hand.

Immediately enchanted by her grandfather’s accounts of Italy’s glittering golden hours, Jess decides to spend a summer in Tuscany before she’s due to take over at her family’s farm. She hopes she can visit the places her grandfather once did – and finally find out what really happened the night he died…

In the historic city of Siena, she finds a job as companion to the glamorous Sofia – Alessandro’s grandmother – whose stories of Italy during the war are captivating. And as Jess spends more time with Alessandro, she begins to fall for him with each lingering look into his deep-brown eyes.

Together, Jess and Alessandro visit her grandfather’s resting place. But the more Jess learns about her grandfather’s time in Italy, the more she’s forced to question whether everything about her family’s past is a lie…

Jess came to Italy in search of answers, but time is running out. She can’t shake the feeling that the diary that has stolen her imagination is merely a work of fiction. And if it is, will the truth about her family inspire her to turn away from the path she thought she was destined for, and towards the life she truly wants?

Author Profile:         

                                                     

            

                                                  Courtesy of Amazon Profile

Anita Chapman enjoyed writing stories from a young age, and won a local writing competition when she was nine years old. Encouraged by this, she typed up a series of stories about a mouse on her mum’s typewriter and sent them to Ladybird. She received a polite rejection letter, her first.

Many of Anita’s summers growing up were spent with her family driving to Italy, and she went on to study French and Italian at university. As part of her degree, Anita lived in Siena for several months where she studied and au paired, and she spent a lot of time travelling around Italy in her twenties. 

Anita likes to read journals and diaries from the past, and one of her favourite pastimes is visiting art galleries and country houses. Her first published novel, The Venice Secret is inspired by her mother taking her to see the Canalettos at The National Gallery in London as a child. 

Since 2015, Anita has worked as a social media manager, training authors on social media, and helping to promote their books. She’s run several courses in London and York, and has worked as a tutor at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Twitter Profile.  Anita Chapman - Facebook Profile.   Author - Official Website

 Goodreads - Author Profile

Into the Storm by Cecelia Ahern

                                          

Ebook:  346 pages Kindle edition

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Irish Fiction, Mystery 

Publisher: October 2024 by Harper Collins

Source: My Kindle Library via NetGalley

First Sentences: The rain against the windshield is relentless. It buckets down from the heavens as if somebody or something is angrily and deliberately attempting to wipe them all out, like demonic toddler with a waterman over an ant hole.

Setting: Ireland

Review Quote: ‘Outstanding… I simply couldn’t stop reading. One of the two or three best novels I’ve read this year and without question the best book I’ve ever read by Cecelia’ JOHN BOYNE

My Opinion: 

It is twenty years since I first read and enjoyed Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, 'P.S. I Love You'. A few years later I read 'Thanks for the Memories' which disappointed me, then in 2012 I read a third 'One Hundred Names'. As this is only the fourth one out of her many published novels I cannot say I am a regular reader of her novels. However when I got the opportunity to read 'Into The Storm' the Irish setting and the blurb attracted me and I decided to read this contemporary mystery.

'Into The Storm' was inspired by a 'Rag Tree' a concept that many cultures believe connects heaven, earth and the underworld and this story is about the protagonists stormy journey and her eventual healing. Enya Pickering has suffered a devastating trauma and how she deals with the aftermath makes for an immersive read. 

In conclusion an emotional novel which is rather dark but well worth reading. I am sure I will be reading more from this author in the future.  With thanks to the author, NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review.

Previous Reviews:   Thanks For the Memories   One Hundred Names

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Surviving the storm is only the beginning…It is a wild night in the middle of December, and GP Enya is crouched over a teenage boy, performing CPR in the freezing rain. She found him on a mountain road near Dublin, the victim of a hit-and-run.

The boy survives, but Enya goes to pieces. She leaves her husband, her son, and everything she knows to start a new life in remote rural Ireland.

But even in the quiet of Abbeydooley, beneath the boughs of an ancient tree, Enya is still haunted by that night in the rain. Can the stories of strangers and a land steeped in legend lay the ghosts of her past to rest? Or will the storm she's outrunning finally catch up with her?

Author Profile:         

                                                     

                                                  Courtesy of Amazon

Cecelia Ahern was born in Dublin, where she also grew up on September 30th 1981. After completing a degree in Journalism and Media Communications, Cecelia wrote her first novel at 21 years old. Her debut novel, PS I Love You was published in January 2004, and was followed by Where Rainbows End (aka Love, Rosie) in November 2004. Both novels were adapted to films; PS I Love You starred Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler, and Love, Rosie starred Lily Collins and Sam Claflin.

Cecelia has published a novel every year since then and to date has published 18 novels; PS I Love You, Where Rainbows End, If You Could See Me Now, A Place Called Here, Thanks for the Memories, The Gift, The Book of Tomorrow, The Time of My Life, One Hundred Names, How To Fall in Love, The Year I Met You, The Marble Collector, Flawed, Perfect, Lyrebird, ROAR, Postscript and Freckles.

To date, Cecelia’s books have sold 25 million copies internationally, are published in over 40 countries, in 30 languages.

Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page.   Goodreads Author Profile.   Facebook - Cecelia Ahern

Cecelia Ahern - Author's Official Website   Twitter Profile

The Little Provence Bookshop by Gillian Harvey

 

                                                     

Ebook:  306 pages Kindle edition

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Fiction 

Publisher: October 2024 by Boldwood Books

Source: My Kindle Library via NetGalley

First Sentences: It was the same every morning, even Sundays in the high season. At seven o'clock the bell tower opposite would ring out, rousing Monique from her bed, and she'd wash, dress and make her way to the apartment's small cuisine, fill the copper kettle and with on the gas.

Setting: South of France

Review Quote: I inhaled this gorgeous novel in two greedy sittings. Escapist, romantic and deliciously atmospheric.’ Nicola Gill, author

My Opinion: 

Gillian Harvey is an author I only discovered earlier this year when I read The Riviera House Swap. She is a prolific author who writes escapist stories often set in France.

The story centres around Monique the mysterious bookshop owner and Adeline a young English woman who has taken a job as her assistant in the shop. Having recently discovered that she is adopted with a French birth mother Adeline has moved from England, to take this job in France to try and come to terms with the revelation. Along with her daughter Lilli they quickly settle in and Adeline discovers some surprising things about herself along the way.

A touch of escapism that will appeal to those looking for a quick mood enhancing read.

With thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Previous Review:   The Riviera House Swap

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

 Everyone’s story has some magic. You just have to turn the page to find it… As the sun rises over the little Provence village where single mother Adeline has escaped with her little girl Lily, she breathes deeply. This is their new beginning. Here, she can forget the lies her family told her. Here, she can start her story again.

Later she opens the door to the town’s tiny bookstore, where she is to work, ready to meet the mysterious owner Monique for the first time.

She expected an ordinary bookshop. But this bookstore feels somehow different… magical. Breathing in the smell of books, she feels a jolt of something. It feels like a new chapter beginning.

As she gets to know the villagers – including the handsome Andre and friendly Michel – she starts to believe in the magic of this new start. But can a runaway like Adeline ever find what she’s looking for? Or is a happy-ever-after just another fiction?

A totally gorgeous, escapist, romantic novel – set in rural Provence – by the bestselling author of A Year at the French Farmhouse and The Bordeaux Bookclub.

Author Profile:         

                                                                                    

                                Courtesy of  Author Website

Gillian Harvey is a British author and freelance writer, who writes contemporary, uplifting and emotive fiction, often set in France where she lived for many years with her husband and five children.

Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Gillian Harvey - Author Website.    Goodreads Author Profile    Facebook Profile

Instagram Profile.   Twitter Profile

The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman

                                                   

Paperback:  331 pages                                                                                   

Genre:  Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Domestic Drama, Psychological Thriller. 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing  April 2023

Source: Tywyn Public Library

Review Quote: “A compelling, claustrophobic story…I finished it in one huge gulp, excusing myself unilaterally from any family responsibilities I was so desperate to finish it.” ―The Observer

Favourite Quote: 'My parents always warned me: be careful who you have kids with. Mortgages, joint bank accounts, marriages - you can extricate yourself from all of it. But have a child with someone and you're linked to them for the rest of your life.'

First Sentences: When I open my eyes, nothing is familiar. Light falls in parallel strips across the ceiling. Square white tiles, puckered with small black holes, form neat grids. A metal railings above me, curved like the broad sweep of an arm.

My Opinion: 

This is the third book I have read by this author and I was looking forward to starting. Wow, once I did I raced through this story that makes for compulsive reading, I was hooked from the start.

Anna Bradshaw and Livvy Nicholson, the protagonists are two young women who are both in relationships where they feel trapped. We are told in the book blurb that their stories are going to collide, but how is that to be? Told from the points of view of both women the disturbing story unfolds.

Absolutely devoured this very moving and scarily realistic novel about coercive relationships and domestic violence. Highly recommend to all fans of the genre. 

Previous Review:  If Only I Could Tell You.  The Impossible Truths of Love

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

From the bestselling author of If Only I Could Tell You comes the story of two women feeling trapped and powerless. Can they find their way back to life?

When Anna Bradshaw wakes up in a hospital bed in London, she remembers nothing, not even her loving husband, Stephen. The doctors say her amnesia is to be expected, but Anna feels cut adrift from her entire life.

In Bristol, Livvy Nicholson is newly married to Dominic and eager to get back to work after six months’ maternity leave. But when Dominic’s estranged mother appears, making a series of unnerving claims, Livvy is sucked into a version of herself she doesn’t recognise.

A hundred miles apart, both women feel trapped and disorientated, and their stories are about to collide. Can they uncover the secret that connects them and reconstruct their fractured lives?

Author Profile and Photo From Amazon: 

           

Hannah Beckerman is a bestselling author and journalist whose novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages worldwide. She is a book critic and features writer for a range of publications including The Observer and the FT Weekend Magazine, and has appeared as a book pundit on BBC Radio 2 and Times Radio. She chairs literary events across the UK, interviewing authors and celebrities, and has judged numerous book prizes including the Costa Book Awards. Prior to writing her first novel, Hannah was a television producer and commissioning editor for the BBC, Channel 4 and the Discovery Channel, and for two years lived in Bangladesh, running a TV project for the BBC. She now lives in London where she writes full-time.

Her About Me on her Website makes an interesting read. 

Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Profile    Official Website - Hannah Beckerman.  Twitter Profile

Instagram Profile    Facebook Profile

Things We Never Say by Caitlin Weaver

 

                                           

Ebook:  394 pages      

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Domestic Drama,                                            

Publisher:   September 27th 2024 by Storm Publishing

Source:  NetGalley - My Kindle

First Sentences: Anna watched the other women step out of their high-end SUV's, all smiles and carefree greetings, and tried to decide who she'd want to trade lives with. Any of them would do.

Review Quote: Wow, this was an emotional rollercoaster of a read!’ Reader Review, 

My Opinion: 

A new to me author Caitlin Weaver has written a powerful novel of domestic suspense. This seems to be popular genre recently or maybe it is a coincidence that I have read a few books along similar lines recently.

Anna, Maggie and Rhea are all on the fund raising committee of Civitas, a top ranking private school. It seems at first that apart from as committee members that these women have nothing in common. Actually it turns out they do, as they are all hiding secrets within their marriages. As they get to know each other their friendship grows as shared vulnerabilities emerge.

An engaging story about marriage, relationships and how we never really know what goes on behind closed doors. Recommend to fans of the genre.

With thanks to Storm Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review ‘Things We Never Say’

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Three mothers. Three secrets. One devastating scandal.

Anna has always been the quiet one, the soft-spoken mother who kept her head down and her secrets close. But when she's thrown together with Maggie and Rhea on a PTA project, they begin to bond over wine and gossip, and slowly share the truths behind their picture-perfect lives.

As a relationship therapist, Maggie is struggling with the painful, embarrassing reality of her floundering marriage. Rhea, despite her wealthy appearance, admits her troubled past could resurface and shatter her perfect world. But it's Anna who harbors the darkest secret, hiding the reality of her home life to protect the reputation of her husband – the school headmaster.

When the three women stumble upon a scandal the school has gone to great lengths to bury, Anna is caught in an impossible dilemma. With the centennial gala approaching, she must decide how far she's willing to go to expose the truth. Because doing so could wreck all of their perfect lives in one instant…

In this gripping tale of scandal, deception, and female solidarity, three women discover the steep price of perfection and the unshakable strength of friendship. A riveting, emotional story that will captivate fans of Big Little Lies, Lucinda Berry and Jodi Picoult.

Author Profile:                       

                                              

Caitlin Weaver's novels are about family secrets, the trial of modern motherhood, and the things that happen behind closed doors. She is also an essayist and editor covering topics including health, style, parenting, and business for outlets like Well+Good, Business Insider, Huff Post, Scary Mommy, and more.

Caitlin lives between Atlanta and Toronto with her husband and two young children. When she’s not writing you can find her on the tennis court, struggling with the NYT crossword puzzle, or reading “just one more” story to her kids.

Photos and Biographical information Courtesy of the following links.

Amazon Profile.   Goodreads Profile  Facebook Profile.   Twitter Profile.   Instagram Profile

Storm Publishing Profile.  Official Author Website.

The Second Marriage by Rebecca de Winter

                                                        

Ebook:  310 pages      

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Domestic Drama,                                            

Publisher:   September 26th 2024 by Storm Publishing

Source:  NetGalley - My Kindle

First Sentence: It wasn't like I didn't know who Emily Brigham was.

Review Quote: “An emotional rollercoaster… the tension ratchets and twists come thick and fast.” Reader Review,

My Opinion: 

Rebecca de Winter has written a contemporary novel about how women, even in this modern age are often judged on their looks, before their abilities as a person.  

Young women can it seems be so easily be lured into a false sense of security in relationships. This is exactly what happened with the protagonist Emily in this story. As a young woman she had an unhealthy obsessive and abusive relationship with a married man, Liam, whom she was very much in love with. In due course she is abandoned by him and ends up marrying and having a child with another man, Pete. She appears to be happy until Liam suddenly reappears in her life and everything starts to unravel.

It is suggested that this is a thriller, but I feel it fits better into the domestic drama genre. I neither loved or hated it and therefore can only suggest that it is an ok read if this sort of storyline appeals to you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm publishing for the opportunity to read and review 'The Second Marriage'

Précis Courtesy of NetGalley:

New husband. Old secrets.

I know it’s a cliche, but your wedding day really does go past in a blur, even if you’ve done it before. When I look back, I only remember snippets: walking down the aisle of the ballroom, my silk skirts blowing in the sea breeze… 

I thought my second marriage would be different. He was everything my first husband wasn't – magnetic, successful… But I started noticing things. Small things at first, then bigger ones.

Why was there an old phone hidden in his desk? And those torn-up letters he tried to hide? At first, I thought he must be cheating, but it wasn’t that. It was a hundred times worse. 

They say there's nothing like becoming someone's wife. But guess what's even more unforgettable? Becoming his widow on the same day. Did he think he was the only one with skeletons in his closet? It turns out, some secrets aren’t meant to be told...

Author Profile:                       

                                              

Rebecca de Winter has two kids, works in corporate, and lives in suburbia. Her favourite movie is Thelma & Louise. She has ADHD, is deaf, synaesthetic and left-handed. She sometimes rock climbs. She loves weights and hates running. Her first word was book and as a child she wanted to be both an author and Madonna's back-up dancer. Her short stories and flash fiction have been published online. She's also been a finalist in several national novel writing competitions. She's obsessed with dark, messy, complex, female protagonists - real women. They could be your colleague, your BFF, your wife, or mother, or girlfriend. They can be anything except cookie cutter... unless they are also a serial killer. She loves to write stories about the secrets people keep, the masks they wear - and what happens when their true selves are revealed. She also loves to show you why people do the terrible things they do. Or sometimes, leave you guessing. Books she's loved are Girl A, Notes on an Execution, The Marsh King's Daughter, Strange Sally Diamond, The Push, The Family Upstairs, The It Girl and of course, Gone Girl.

Photos and Biographical information Courtesy of the following links.

Amazon Profile  Facebook - Rebecca de Winter - Writer.  Instagram Profile

Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young

                                           

Ebook:  312 pages      

Genre: Contemporary Fiction                                           

Publisher:   September 25th 2024 by Storm Publishing

Source:  NetGalley - My Kindle

First Sentence: Beth and Megan sat on the headland above Aberffraw, on the island of Anglesey, in North Wales, where they always watched the sun go down in the summer.

Review Quote: ‘A captivating read… beautifully written… you could imagine being there… a real lesson on the ability to forgive.’ Reader review,

My Opinion: 

This title is the third in a trilogy, which I was drawn to read because of the Anglesey setting. Having not read the previous two first I was concerned it might not stand alone. However I need not have worried as it did and is a delightful read hinging around the importance of friendship and family in our lives.

Beth and Megan were best friends back in 1999 and living on Anglesey but around this time their lives took very different directions when Beth left the island. Thanks to the breakdown of their friendship it was to be over twenty years before they were to meet again. Can the mistakes of the past be forgiven and will they be able to rekindle their friendship?

With well written realistic characters and wonderful descriptions of Anglesey this heart warming story is one I recommend.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review 'Coming Home to the Windmill' 

Précis Courtesy of NetGalley:

From the windswept beaches of Anglesey, an unforgettable story of love, forgiveness and the rediscovery of hope.

When her father dies unexpectedly, Beth Macintosh leaves her high-powered career in London and rushes home to the island of Anglesey to be by her mother’s side. Stepping into the converted windmill she once called home, Beth is flooded with memories of her childhood spent on the island, before she left at eighteen to pursue her big-city dreams.

Crossing paths with Megan Williams is inevitable. Beth hasn’t spoken to her former best friend for fifteen years, not since the betrayal that shattered their friendship and set the women on different paths. While Beth spread her wings, painful secrets kept Megan tethered to the island and a life of isolation, supported only by her brother Ioan, who yearns for the love he once felt for Beth.

Confused about the feelings her memories of the island stir, Beth searches for solace on the beaches she and Megan loved as girls. But when the two friends meet again, and Megan confesses the truth about what drove them apart all those years ago, a fragile new bond begins to grow between the women. As Beth rediscovers the stark beauty of her childhood home, Megan opens her heart to the possibility of a renewed friendship, and hope of a brighter future. Can the two former friends overcome the pain of the past and come together to find the happiness they both deserve?

An uplifting and emotional novel about second chances and the healing power of love and friendship, set on the island of Anglesey. Perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Amanda Prowse, Liz Eeles and Sheila O’Flanagan.

Author Profile:                    

Caroline Young has always written stories and found inspiration in the world around her, be it a bustling city or a windswept beach. She has worked for many years as a writer of non-fiction books for children, which allows for few adjectives or creative expression, so she keeps these things for her fiction. As the mother of three grown-up daughters, she now has the time to focus on her own writing, and tell the stories she wants to tell. Caroline has a degree in English from Cambridge University where she was exposed to wonderful writers from every age, and she aims to relate just some of their ideas and language to her life and writing. Caroline's idea of paradise is a bright day with a bracing wind and the sea, waiting for her to dive into it (even in January!). She hopes to write stories that the reader can lose themselves in, which take them somewhere different and fill them with joy in the beauty of the natural world, and all the amazing people in it.

            

Amazon Author Page.     Goodreads Profile.   Caroline Young - Storm Publishing

Photos and Biographical information Courtesy of the above links.