Dear Dad by Giselle Green

Ebook:  4314kb Print 383pages                                                                                                
Genre:   Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Yule Press March 2016
Source: The author in return for an honest and unbiased review. 
First Sentence:  "You're...what do you mean you're not coming?"
My Opinion:   A very emotional story line evolving around three protagonists, Nate, Adam and Jenna.  As in her previous novels the author's writing flows as she narrates the story first person via the characters of Nate and Jenna. A thoughtful novel with young Adam, a troubled little boy, looking for happiness in his life, the character that causes Nate and Jenna to examine their own past lives, current situations and to wonder about their futures.  If you enjoy contemporary fiction this should not disappoint, as you will laugh, cry and feel involved with all the characters by the time you finish reading.   


Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Three people longing to find love. Connected by one big lie.
Handsome, 28-year old, Nate Hardman is a frontline reporter with a big problem. Suffering from shell-shock and unable to leave his house, he’s already lost his social life and his girlfriend. Now his career prospects are sinking fast.
9 year-old Adam Boxley who lives alone with his ageing nan, also has big problems. Neglected at home and bullied at school, he’s desperate to reach out to his dad – and that’s when he sends his first letter to Nate. Only Nate’s not who he thinks he is. Will he help? More importantly – can he?
Across town meanwhile, caring but impulsive teacher Jenna Tierney really wants to help Adam - except the feisty redhead has already had enough of teaching. Recently hurt by yet another cheating boyfriend, Jenna’s now set her sights on pursuing a dream career abroad ... only she’s about to meet Nate - her dream man who’ll make her re-think everything.
The big question is; can three people desperate to find love, ever find happiness when they’re only connected by one big lie?



Links to my earlier reviews   

 Pandora's Box  Falling For You   Little Miracles   and  Finding You



Author Profile

Born in Chiswick, London, UK.  Giselle Green was brought up in Gibraltar from the age of seven to eighteen when she returned to the UK to study Biology at King's College London, followed by an MSc in Information Science at the City University. She is also a qualified Astrologer, with a particular interest in medieval astrology.
Giselle now lives in Kent with her husband and their six sons.

A fuller biography appears on her website here        


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

Goodreads Author Profile       Amazon Author Profile     Giselle Green - Twitter

Author's Official Website - Giselle Green   Facebook Profile - Giselle Green Author

Finding You by Giselle Green

eBook: .648KB 410 pages in print edition.

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction.
Publisher: Yule Press (28 Mar 2014)
Source: The author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentences: 'When I call out to my son, walking ahead of me along the sandy shore, he does not stop or look back at me.
Review Quote: The Sun. 'A genuinely heart-wrenching and thought-provoking read.' 
My Opinion: Emotional family drama.


The sequel to Finding You and although it stands perfectly well alone if you have not read 'Little Miracles' personally I felt that I got much more from the story knowing what had gone on before. Sadly children disappearing is a fact of life these days and we all know the cases that have received a lot of media attention in recent years. Reading this emotional family drama and its prequel you cannot help but find yourself thinking of these incidents.

As the novel opens Julia and Charlie are delirious with happiness to have their son Haydn back with them. He had disappeared from a beach in Spain a year previously and they had been terrified that he would never be found alive. The three of them are trying to readjust to family life which brings its own problems for them all. Julia and Charlie both alternate in recounting the storyline, which adds to the interest and understanding of how both partners react differently to the situations they are presented with. Life is definitely not turning out as it should be for them as it seems that the abduction has affected Hadyn far more than the couple realise. Will they be able to return to the happy family life they had together before all this, or will it be impossible to move on? No spoilers from me so you will have to read the novel if you are interested in finding out about all the issues they faced and if they can be resolved. 

As mentioned in earlier reviews, Giselle Green is an author that I wish I had discovered way back in 2008, when her her first novel Pandora's Box was  published. So many books and so little time meant that unfortunately I did not read it until a few months ago! Making up for lost time now I am catching up and enjoying her writing style, enough to say that I would now recommend her to anyone that appreciates stories with a moral basis. I have seen her referred to as the UK's answer to Jodi Picoult, there are similarities, the strongest being that both of them cover emotive issues in their novels. The motive storylines are a reason that she is an author that is a good choice for Book Club selection as her novels evoke a whole range of subjects for discussion. Apart from being a recommended read for fans of Jodi Picoult and contemporary fiction, any parent will also empathise strongly with the storyline.

Link to my earlier reviews Pandora's Box  Falling For You   Little Miracles   

Author Profile

Born in Chiswick, London, UK.  Giselle Green was brought up in Gibraltar from the age of seven to eighteen when she returned to the UK to study Biology at King's College London, followed by an MSc in Information Science at the City University. She is also a qualified Astrologer, with a particular interest in medieval astrology.

Her début novel Pandora's Box won the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award in 2008. Her third novel, A Sister's Gift achieved best-selling number one slot on Amazon Kindle in 2012.

Her fifth novel, the sequel to Little Miracles - Finding You - was released on Kindle on the 30th March 2014 and will be published as a paperback later in the year.
Giselle now lives in Kent with her husband and their six sons.

A fuller biography appears on her website here

The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing.

Goodreads Author Profile       Amazon Author Profile     Giselle Green - Twitter

Author's Official Website - Giselle Green   Facebook Profile - Giselle Green Author

Little Miracles by Giselle Green

Ebook:  544 KB Print edition 416 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:  Avon (6 Mar 2009)
Source: Purchased from Amazon - May 2014
First Sentences: The child with the long hair. It is him.

Review Quote: ‘A Complex emotional tale that is both heartbreaking and uplifting’ Closer
My Opinion: A very eloquent novel that will tug at your heart strings.

Read this on the plane on the way to Hong Kong recently, as Giselle Green had kindly sent me the sequel 'Finding You'. I know the novels are written so that they stand alone but I was interested enough to want to read this one first. Personally I felt that having read 'Little Miracles'that I had more empathy with the characters thereby making the sequel more meaningful for me. A very eloquent novel that will tug at your heart strings, the inconclusive ending leaves you thinking and had me immediately reading the sequel.

The protagonists of the story are Julia and Charlie a couple whose young son Haydn goes missing on a beach in Spain and is assumed drowned. After the initial devastation and grief the couple deal with their loss in very different ways. The story is narrated alternately by Julia and Charlie, giving the reader the opportunity to see each viewpoint from the alternative perspectives. Julia has a strong need for answers, which I found quite understandable despite everyone including her husband urging her to move on. It was harder to empathise with Charlie and in some ways his attitude irritated me. He did have a lot of problems on his mind not just his missing son, but his and Julia's relationship with each other and his Spanish based family, plus his highly demanding job. It is not possible to go into more detail without spoiling the novel for those yet to read, so I urge you to do so if you are a fan of contemporary fiction.

Giselle Green is an author that I wish I had discovered way back in 2008, when her her first novel Pandora's Box was first published. So many books and so little time meant that unfortunately I did not read it until a few months ago! Making up for lost time now I am catching up and enjoying her writing style, enough to say that I would now recommend her to anyone that appreciates stories with a moral basis. An author that is a good choice for Book Club selection as her novels evoke a whole range of subjects for discussion. 


Link to my earlier reviews Pandora's Box   Falling For You

Author Profile

Born in Chiswick, London, UK.  Giselle Green was brought up in Gibraltar from the age of seven to eighteen when she returned to the UK to study Biology at King's College London, followed by an MSc in Information Science at the City University. She is also a qualified Astrologer, with a particular interest in medieval astrology.

Her début novel Pandora's Box won the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award in 2008. Her third novel, A Sister's Gift achieved best-selling number one slot on Amazon Kindle in 2012.

Her fifth novel, the sequel to Little Miracles - Finding You - was released on Kindle on the 30th March 2014 and will be published as a paperback later in the year.
Giselle now lives in Kent with her husband and their six sons.

A fuller biography appears on her website here

The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing.

Goodreads Author Profile       Amazon Author Profile     Giselle Green - Twitter

Author's Official Website - Giselle Green   Facebook Profile - Giselle Green Author

Falling For You by Giselle Green

Paperback:  439 pages.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction.
Publisher: Yule Press 2012
Source: The author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentences: I swore I would not do this again and yet...Here I am.

Review Quote: ‘Tender and compelling – guaranteed to keep you hooked till the very last word.’ 

-Margaret Leroy

My Opinion: Emotionally charged love story.

It is only very recently that I first read this author when I saw mention of her novels on a social media site. It was then I realised I had Pandora's Box her début novel sitting on my bookshelves. If you read my recent review for this you will already know that I was keen to read more of Giselle Green's work. She had already offered me the opportunity to review her latest novel 'Finding You', also sending me a copy of 'Falling For You' which I decided to read and review first. Having enjoyed her début  novel I was still hoping for more with this one and I was not disappointed. This is a complex and emotionally charged love story with a twist, a Romeo and Juliet situation!

The protagonists Rose, sole carer for her disabled father in rural Kent and Lawrence a paramedic in Sri Lanka, relate the story to us in dedicated chapters from their own points of view.  Rose is desperately trying to find a way to leave Merry Ditton and build a life for herself that includes university, love and a career. Whilst Lawrence has been obliged to return to the very same place but he is a man on the run from his past and it is whilst in hiding in the area that he and Rose meet. As they get to know each other and we them via their stories you will become aware of just how much complicated history there is in their backgrounds.

No spoilers so if you want to discover just how courageous these two young people are and how it all turns out, you will have to read 'Falling For You' for yourself.

I recommend not just this novel but the author's writing in general if you enjoy contemporary romantic fiction that will stretch you emotionally. As her novels are so emotionally charged they are a good choice for book clubs as there is plenty of material that is open for discussion.

Author Profile

Born in Chiswick, London, UK.  Giselle Green was brought up in Gibraltar from the age of seven to eighteen when she returned to the UK to study Biology at King's College London, followed by an MSc in Information Science at the City University. She is also a qualified Astrologer, with a particular interest in medieval astrology.

Her début novel Pandora's Box won the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award in 2008. Her third novel, A Sister's Gift achieved best-selling number one slot on Amazon Kindle in 2012.

Her fifth novel, the sequel to Little Miracles - Finding You - is due to be released on kindle on the 30th March 2014 and as a paperback later in the year.
Giselle now lives in Kent with her husband and their six sons.

A fuller biography appears on her website here

The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing.

Goodreads Author Profile       Amazon Author Profile     Giselle Green - Twitter

Author's Official Website - Giselle Green   Facebook Profile - Giselle Green Author

Pandora's Box by Giselle Green

Paperback:  435 pages.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction.
Publisher: Avon 2008.
Source: My own bookshelves.
First Sentence: When at last I saw her fall, it was exactly as I had imagined it would be.
Review Quote: 'This novel is a heart warming, emotional take on a mother/daughter relationship. I could not put it down.' Closer. 

Literary Awards: Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award in 2008.
My Opinion: Emotionally charged.

Giselle Green is an author I was not really aware of until recently when my attention was drawn to her novels on a social media site. After some interaction with regard to her writing I was offered the opportunity by the author herself to review her forthcoming novel  'Finding You', which I have accepted and will be reading and reviewing soon. By coincidence whilst sorting out my many paperbacks I came across a copy of 'Pandora's Box' her début novel, which I decided for a number of reasons to read first. Having now read this emotionally charged novel I think I have discovered another author whose writing I am gong to be enjoying again in the future.

A very moving storyline, especially so if you are a mother yourself as it is about a mother's relationship with her terminally ill child. Narrated from the alternating viewpoints of Rachel Wetherby and her daughter Shelley. 
Rachel's mother has given her a box of old possessions and it is this that opens up memories and secrets that may have been better left hidden. As both mother and daughter delve into the box revelations and heartache cause problems for them both. Shelly as she tries to come to terms with an early inevitable death and Rachel as she struggles with feeling that everything is her fault! 

Potentially this story had the material to offer more with regards to characterisation, however we must not forget this is a début novel. The fact that the author has gone on to write a number of successful novels since this one was first released way back in 2008, means I feel able to recommend her writing to anyone that enjoys stories with a moral basis. A good choice for Book Clubs as Pandora's Box covers a subject that will evoke a whole range of questions, that you will still find yourself thinking about for a long while after finishing the novel.


Author Profile

Born in Chiswick, London, UK.  Giselle Green was brought up in Gibraltar from the age of seven to eighteen when she returned to the UK to study Biology at King's College London, followed by an MSc in Information Science at the City University. She is also a qualified Astrologer, with a particular interest in medieval astrology.

Her début novel Pandora's Box won the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award in 2008. Her third novel, A Sister's Gift achieved best-selling number one slot on Amazon Kindle in 2012.

Her fifth novel, the sequel to Little Miracles - Finding You - was released on Kindle on the 30th March 2014 and will be published as a paperback later in the year.
Giselle now lives in Kent with her husband and their six sons.

A fuller biography appears on her website here

The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing.

Goodreads Author Profile       Amazon Author Profile     Giselle Green - Twitter

Author's Official Website - Giselle Green   Facebook Profile - Giselle Green Author