The Island Getaway by Lucy Diamond

                                                                             

Ebook:  411 pages Kindle Edition

Genre:  Romantic Contemporary Fiction

Publisher:  Quercus, 30th January  2025 

Source:  NetGalley 

First Sentences: Prologue: Have you ever dreamed of getting away from it all? The Ionian Escape is a luxurious family run hotel on the beautiful island of Kefalonia, and it might be the very place you're looking for.

Review Quote: A slice of escapism ... temptingly conjured up' THE TIMES

My Opinion: 

Lucy Diamond is an author whom I have been aware of for many years as a writer of great escapism novels.  A genre I do read, but not so often, I have to admit this is the first of her books I have read and it is her twentieth.

Set in the fictitious hotel ‘The Ionian Escape’ on the real Greek islands of Kefalonia and Ithaca. The protagonists are the mixed group of latest arrivals at the hotel, who are all looking for reasons to escape from the outside world for awhile and enjoy some peace and quiet. Of course it is not that simple and the characters and their stories are ones that will find the reader either annoyed or routing for them. As the stories evolve the protagonists all learn the importance of friendship and second chances.

This novel certainly put me in a holiday mood and transported me, (if only), to the Greek islands. Great escapism, perfect for reading on a grey winters day or for that beach read on your next holiday. 

With thanks to NetGalley, Quercus and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

The dream holiday just got complicated . . .

On the sun-drenched island of Kefalonia, the new arrivals at The Ionian Escape hotel are hoping for a break from everyday life. But some of them are bringing a lot of baggage . . .

Disgraced TV star Miranda Vallance feels like the worst person in the world. Her sister won't speak to her and her job's on the line. She's desperate to put things right, but how?

Eighty-two-year-old Evelyn Chambers has come to fulfil a promise to the love of her life. If she can steel herself to go through with it, that is . . .

And when celebrity chef Frank Neale checks in, rumours swirl around the hotel. But is it his wife, Leonora, who has more of a reason to escape to Greece?

Author Profile:         

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                              Courtesy of Goodreads Profile

IN HER  OWN WORDS FROM HER GOODREADS PROFILE:

First of all, a confession. My name isn’t really Lucy Diamond at all, it’s Sue Mongredien. I’ve used a pen name because ‘Diamond’ is a lot easier to spell and pronounce than ‘Mongredien’ and also because I’ve written lots of children’s books too and wanted to keep the genres separate. (There is actually another Lucy Diamond on Amazon who writes religious children’s books. That isn’t me, though.)

I was born in 1970 and grew up in Nottingham. I read English at Leeds University then moved to London and worked for various publishers before I packed it all in to go travelling around the world for a year and a half. When I came back to the UK, I worked in publishing again, then moved to the BBC. I now live in Bath with my husband and three young children and divide my time between writing and looking after them. You can have a look at my children’s books here.

Favourite things: beaches, holidays, chocolate, wine, reading, Green Wing, bubble baths, sunshine, hearing my children laugh, babysitters

Favourite books: The Magus (John Fowles), The Edible Woman (Margaret Atwood), The Secret History (Donna Tartt), The Colour of Memory (Geoff Dyer)

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The Paris Muse by Louisa Treger

                                          

Hardback: 248 pages                                                                                                

Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, 

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2024

Source: The Author.

First Sentence: Prologue, 1975, But why should one always begin at the beginning? No, I am going to tell you about the end.

Review Quote: This absolute jewel of a novel shines a light on the tumultuous relationship between Picasso and Dora Maar. With profundity, grace and compassion, Treger probes the complexities of love, power and creativity. -- Annabel Abbs, author of the international bestseller The Language of Food

Main Characters: Dora Maar and Pablo Picasso

Setting: Paris

My Opinion: 

Louisa Treger is a favourite author of mine, her novels are always so interesting and I enjoy learning about women that have made their mark in history. She has the knack of turning the stories of such women into exceptional stories that blend fact and fiction.

'The Paris Muse' is the fictionalised story of the greatest love affair in art history. Dora Maar was a talented photographic artist, a strong woman whose downfall was falling in love with Pablo Picasso. Their relationship was extremely toxic and despite knowing his unpleasant flaws she was unable to break away from him. Over the years the relationship had a damaging effect on her mental health. A sad and self destructive love affair with a talented but chauvinistic man.

Based on the previous novels by this author that I have read, I had high expectations for 'The Paris Muse' and WOW it did not disappoint. It is an exhilarating read of love, anguish and longing, that I highly recommend to everyone. I just hope that Louisa Treger has many more, in her own words 'trail blazing women' to bring to life in future novels. 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare. Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn't long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that sometimes includes sadism and masochism, and ultimately pushes her to the edge.

The Paris Muse is the fictionalized retelling of this disturbing love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set in Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays with their glamorous artist friends, it provides a fascinating insight into how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his human relationships as he did in his art. Much to Dora's torment, he refused to divorce his wife and conducted affairs with Dora's friends. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting 'Guernica', which Dora documented as he painted.

As the encroaching darkness suffocates their relationship - a darkness that escalates once the Second World War begins and the Nazis invade the country - Dora has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized. 

Atmospheric, intense and moving, The Paris Muse is an astonishing read that ensures that this talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso is no longer a footnote.

Previous Reviews: The Dragon Lady   Madwoman

Author Profile:

Born in London, Louisa Treger began her career as a classical violinist. She studied at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music, and worked as a freelance orchestral player and teacher.

Louisa subsequently turned to literature, gaining a First Class degree and a PhD in English at University College London, where she focused on early twentieth century women’s writing.

Married with three children, she lives in London.



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The Family Lies by Angela Henry

 

                                             

Ebook:  317 pages Kindle Edition

Genre:  Psychological Thriller,

Publisher: Storm Publishing 22nd January  2025 

Source:  NetGalley 

First Sentences: The woman ran through the woods, oblivious to the branches that slapped her in the face and the roots she stumbled over.

Review Quote: Angela Henry is a brilliant storyteller. She is a marvel at making the reader feel the unease alongside the characters and with the drama and intrigue, this book is a wonderful way to lose a day reading!' Reader Review,

My Opinion: 

This novel first appealed to me, on discovering that like myself, libraries hold a special place in the author's heart. With the setting partly in a library how could I resist.

Sabrina Adams has just started a new job organising the family library on the private estate of a local businessman. She soon discovers that all is not as it seems on the surface in this house. The tension builds and none of the characters are to be believed, the story twists and turns with so many revelations as the web of lies unfolds.

An unpredictable read filled with secrets and deception. Recommended to fans of psychological thrillers and those that like to try and unravel a mystery. Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Angela Henry for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Every family has secrets. The Dorseys bury theirs.

Sabrina Adams thought her luck had finally turned around when she was hired as a librarian for the wealthy Dorsey family. But as soon as she arrives at their elegant estate, she senses something is off. They have cameras everywhere. She’s banned from the third floor, and she spotted someone watching the house from the nearby woods. And why does the housekeeper, Mrs Manning, insist on so many rules?

Then police officers arrive at the door with questions about the disappearance of a local woman. Sabrina is shocked to learn her charming employer, Theo Dorsey, was the last person to see the missing woman alive. He insists he’s innocent. Despite her growing doubts, Sabrina keeps her head down because she desperately needs this job. But then Theo is linked to another woman’s death several years before. And after finding out no one has seen the Dorsey’s previous librarian in years, she has to ask herself... Who can I trust in this family? And will I be next?

A gripping and utterly compulsive psychological thriller that will delight fans of Verity, The Housemaid and anything by Lisa Jewell.

Author Profile:         

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                              Courtesy of Author Website Profile

Angela Henry is the Amazon charts bestselling, award-winning author of six mysteries featuring nosy amateur sleuth Kendra Clayton, the Xavier Knight urban fantasy detective series, and thrillers The Paris Secret, The Perfect Affair, and Her Pretty Lies. She’s also the author of the middle-grade fantasy novel Labyrinth Societywritten under the pen-name Angie Kelly. 

Angela has been published by BET Books, Harlequin’s Carina Press, Kensington Publishing, and Kindle Press, before starting her own publishing imprint Boulevard West Press LLC. As well as managing her own imprint, she also writes for Storm Publishing.

When she’s not writing she loves to travel, is a connoisseur of B horror movies, and is a functioning anime addict. She lives in Ohio with her husband and their spoiled Chiweenie and is currently procrastinating on her next deadline.

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The Last Letter From Sicily by Lindsay Marie Morris

 

                                               

Ebook:  371 pages Kindle Edition

Genre: Historical Fiction, Italy. 

Publisher: Storm Publishing January 16th 2025 

Source:  NetGalley 

First Sentences: Concetta Balistreri awoke to the crackling sound of the radio down the hall. She stretched her legs and sat up.

Review Quote: 'I adored this book... Historical fiction is one of my favourite. And this adds to why.' Reader Review,

My Opinion: 

Historical fiction and Italy are for me a winning combination. I was therefore delighted to have the opportunity via NetGalley to read 'The Last Letter From Sicily.' The author was inspired to write this story by her Sicilian grandparents whose names and her memories she uses, it is however entirely a work of fiction.

The protagonists Concetta and Gaetano, young lovers in Sicily just before the outbreak of WWII were separated when Concetta and her family moved to the USA. Concetta promises her love, that she will return to him one day. Until the war intervenes and communication becomes impossible the are able to keep in touch via letter. When they are no longer in touch it puts her under even more pressure to accept a way of life she is far from happy with. She does not give up on her dreams but does she overcome everything blocking them?

Set in Sicily and America during WWII this story provides an interesting insight into the struggles of those living through the experience. The writing style did feel very simplistic though with no depth and I do feel that the story did not reach its full potential. However this is a debut novel and I think the author has a lot more to offer so I will follow her writing development with interest. Thanks go to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review 'The Last Letter From Sicily'.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

‘My dearest Gaetano, if this letter reaches you, know that my heart remains under the Sicilian stars where we made our promise...’

Sicily, 1939. Seventeen-year-old Concetta has just received life-changing her family is leaving their sun-drenched Sicilian village and moving to America. Desperate to stay with her secret love Gaetano—a fisherman’s son her father would never accept—Concetta spends one last night with him beneath a blanket of stars. There, among the citrus-scented air and cricket song, he hands her a leaving a fountain pen, with a promise to keep their love alive through letters – and return to each other one day.

In America, Concetta refuses to let go of her dream of returning to Sicily, even as she struggles to navigate a strange new world of factory work and prejudice. Her letters to Gaetano become her lifeline, each one carrying fragments of her heart across the ocean. But when Italy declares war on the United States, Gaetano’s letters suddenly stop. As Concetta faces pressure to let go of her past and accept her new American life, she yearns to discover Gaetano’s fate—even if it means crossing a war-torn ocean to find him.

From the terraced hills of Sicily to the brewing tensions of wartime America, this richly-woven tale of forbidden love and impossible choices will break your heart and put it back together again. Perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer, Rhys Bowen, and Angela Petch, The Last Letter from Sicily asks just how far you would go to keep a promise made beneath the stars.

Author Profile:         

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                              Courtesy of Amazon Profile

Lindsay Marie Morris is a novelist and journalist based in Los Angeles, California. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Marquette University. A former Shape magazine editor with a passion for storytelling, Lindsay continues to write for various publications, including Forks Over Knives, for which she is a frequent contributor. Her work spans multiple topics, with a particular focus on travel, health, wellness, and plant-based lifestyle. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys camping, exploring the great outdoors, cooking, and baking.

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