The Boy in The Black Suit is an understated coming-of-age story about a teenaged boy coming to terms with his mother’s death whilst trying to make his way in the world. The sense of community throughout was low-key yet powerful and whilst the book avoids preachy tones, there’s plenty to take away from it.
I found the story believable and heartwarming and enjoyed the light humour and perspective.
Genre: YA fiction
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
Whatever Colleen Hoover wants you to feel; pain, heartache, fear, you feel it and Regretting You is another hilly ride of emotion.
Whilst it is a romance of sorts, the real story is the fragile bond between mother and daughter. A relationship that’s unfiltered and stripped back to its bare bones and rebuilt. The book focusses on the perspectives of both the mother and daughter and you get an insight into both perspectives in an impossible situation.
I enjoyed the book, not quite as much as other CH books I’ve read but it’s definitely worth a read.
Genre: women’s fiction / romance
Rating: 4/5⭐️
The Hunger Games series is one of the best examples of the old writing adage ‘show don’t tell.’ You’re forced into the action with immediacy and feel every urgent, terrifying step of Katniss’s journey – it’s one of the things that makes it great. The Ballad of Snakes and Songbirds starts off telling the story, with much of the action told after the event. There’s no urgency and it leaves the pace a little slow in the first section of the book. The switch from 1st person (Hunger Games) to 3rd person gives the book a completely different feel too. Although it changed the experience, I get why Collins did it. First person works best when you’re rooting for the MC. Katniss is our heroine and we’re not supposed to doesn’t to root for Snow.
The story is interesting and when it does pick up, it gets good. Really good. Seeing the games play out from an outside ‘Capitol’ POV rather than a tribute POV was interesting and much of the action. tension and violence in this section felt very much on-brand and I got a little bit nostalgic at this point, reminiscing about the first time I read the trilogy.
All in all it’s a stunning hardback which is superbly written and a perfect accompaniment to the series. It’s a little slow in parts but worth a read.
Genre: Dystopian YA
Rating: 4/5⭐️
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We Just Clicked is a feel-good romcom read with all the ups and downs you’d expect. When Izzy and Luke concoct a plan to have a fake relationship to become Instagram famous, never in her wildest dreams did Izzy expect to fall in love for real. Faced with a choice between her dream career and true love, Izzy doesn’t always get it right and it’s an enjoyable ride following her story.
If you’re a fan of Sophie Kinsella or Lindsay Kelk, you’ll like this!
Genre: chicklit
4/5⭐️
It Ends With Us is a story that will stay with me for a while. It’s a romance and a love story that explores all the complexities that can be found in a relationship. Colleen Hoover doesn’t take you on a journey, she drags you there and you feel every bit of the passion, longing, hope and pain that her characters do.
At times, it’s not an easy read and there’s no glossing over the ugly side of love but it’s definitely a book that will make you feel a mixed bag of emotions. You’ll find this hard to put down.
Genre: Women’s fiction
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
The Lie tells the story of ‘Jane’ five years after a horrific, life-changing event. Secrets from the past start to unfurl and Jane is unsure how. As she tries to determine what is going on, her past seems to be gaining on her at a much quicker rate in what becomes a battle between past and present.
The story is structured in past and present with the chapters flitting between the two. Both have wildly different settings; a commune in Nepal and an animal sanctuary in Bude. This helps pacing as you’re often left on a cliffhanger but have to read a chapter or two before you discover the outcome. I found the Nepal chapters a little harder to get into, but that’s the part of the story where most of the drama and tension occurs so this part of the story does pick up and is worth sticking with.
Overall, it’s an easy, enjoyable read that grips you tighter towards the end. Recommend.
Genre: thriller
Rating: 4/5⭐️
I do love Dawn O’Porter’s edgy brand of chicklit. There’s always a great balance of humour, diversity and shocking scenarios and this was no exception.
The Cows is a strange combination of light chicklit that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Some small elements are as dark as something you’d find in a twisty thriller.
I enjoyed the book on the whole and thought the ending was well wrapped up. I didn’t see everything coming which was a bonus.
I did have some negative thoughts which I’ll address below:
The whole ‘incident’ for me didn’t work. I’m all for a bit of scandal and creative licence, but I don’t think the aftermath played out in a way that seemed plausible. It seemed quite odd how the character justified her actions and I don’t think it worked as a device to empower women at all but that’s my opinion.
The act was wrong for a person of any gender and the way it was deemed a ‘silly moment’ was quite jarring. I ‘get’ the message and the comparison to Hugh Grant and his infamous incident, but there’s a difference between being in your car and the London tube and I don’t think the message translates.
‘Women don’t need to apologise for being sexual’ is true, but they do need to apologise for indecent exposure and these lines are so blurred in the book, they don’t exist.
Having said that, I was engaged with the rest of the story, Stella and her quest, Cam and her strong-minded and often un-popular attitude and Tara’s career / love story and foibles of being a single parent. I still liked the book even if I disliked one element (plus the excessive plate smashing but that’s a tiny thing).
Genre: chicklit
Rating: 4/5
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I love Joanna Cannon’s quirky and colourful use of language and her wonderful character development. This was no exception.
The secrets and interwoven stories kept my interest as did the overriding mystery of the missing neighbour Mrs Creasy. It’s a light read with plenty to get your teeth into and you soon find yourself engrossed in not just a ‘whodunnit but a what-happened’.
The perspective was a brave choice – a grown-up world through the eyes of children but cleverly executed and I loved the poignancy of the title and how it resonated throughout the text.
Three Things About Elsie remains my favourite book from this author but this was a really nice coming-of-age read and I’d definitely recommend it.
Genre: Fiction / coming-of-age
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
My Year of Saying No, in true Maxine Morrey style, is an uplifting and heartwarming read. Lottie is a sweet heroine with a kind heart and Seb is just perfect. The slow-burn romance is so satisfying, especially when the two finally realise (after several ups and downs) what we knew all along.
I loved the idea of Saying no to things you don’t really want to do, it seems quite freeing. I also loved Humphrey the rescue dog!
A wonderful read.
Genre: Romcom / chicklit
Rating: 5/5⭐️
The School of Starting over was my first Lisa Swift book and I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s a feel-good book, which indulges you in all the wholesome warm and cosies you could want from a romance. The characters are a lively, eclectic bunch and there is plenty of humour from main and supporting cast members. I was invested in their stories and really rooted for them,especially since some of the issues they face are much deeper than expected.
I have to give a special mention to Xander who is the perfect, unassuming hero (ahhh, hearty-eyes).
The plot had me hooked; there was drama, secrets and a little bit of mystery throughout!
Once thing I loved was how deep the author dug for a popular reference that was probably less mainstream than most – I had a few ‘oh my god I remember that’ moments!
All in all there was nothing to dislike about this book (other than having to put it down at the end). If heartwarming, contemporary romance with laughs and feels is your thing; it’s a must-read!
Genre: Contemporary romance / Romantic comedy
Rating: 5/5
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