The Dream House by Jess Ryder

Synopsis

When I first set eyes of Westhill House with it's perfect-taking views of the sea I knew it was the perfect place for a fresh start.

The place may be falling apart, but it can be fixed with some tender loving care.  And as Jack and I work to repair this beautiful building, maybe we can repair our relationship too.  Maybe we can make Westhill House a refuge from all the tragedies that came before.

Lori has come to Westhill House for shelter too.  She says it used to be a place where women went for safety. How can I turn her away, when violence waits for her outside these high walls?

But the longer Lori stays, the more time Jack spends away.  And the more time she helps me restore the house, the more secrets start to be revealed.

Like the children's drawings under the wallpaper in the back bedroom.

The hidden pages underneath the floor boards in the turret room.

But why does Lori know so much about Westhill House, if she's never been here before?

What does she really need protection from?

And now I've invited her into my dream house, is there any escape for either of us?

Author: Jess Ryder
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 21st June 2019

I purchased a cope of this book to read and review.

My Review

This book deals with the tough subject of domestic violence but it was dealt with in a very understanding and clear manner.  There were violent aspects of the book but these needed to be there for the sake of the story but the violence was not just put there to add drama to the story line.

The first chapter of the book really gripped me and I needed to find out who the solitary woman was wandering around the secluded garden in the middle of the night alone on bonfire night.

We then meet Stella. Her and her boyfriend Jack have recently bought the dilapidated Westhill House with the view of renovating it into her Dream House but with only a solitary builder undertaking her huge project things are not going according to plan. I really loved the beautiful descriptions of this old and worn out house and I could picture exactly what the character was seeing and had fallen in love with. Although this wouldn't be my dream house I could easily see why Stella had fallen in love with the place and especially the views.

To be honest I then got a little lost as we met Kay.  It took me a while to clearly understand that Kay escaped to the house back in the 70's when the house was a refuge for women.  The chapter headings didn't make this clear and it took a few more chapters to fully see that this story was being told from two time lines.  Kay in the 70's and Stella in the present day.  It would have been helpful if the chapters had had a date rather then just staring Then and Now.

When Lori knocks on the door in the middle of the night, battered and bleeding, Stella tries to explain that the house in no longer a refuge but hasn't the heart to turn away someone that is in need so invites her to stay for the night.  One night leads to two, which leads to weeks.

There is so much going on in this book that once I'd settled into the two time frames I flew through the chapters intrigued as to what would happen next and became totally immersed in the characters lives.

Each of the characters are fighting their own demons and this is a brilliant story of heart break, friendship and broken families.  I really enjoyed this book and will be looking to read more from this author.

The flower girls by Alice Clark-Platts

Synopsis

Three Children went out to play. Only two came back.

The flower girls.  Laurel and Primrose.

One convicted of murder, the other given a new identity.

Now, nineteen years later, another child has gone missing.

And the flower girls are about to hit all over again.

Author: Alice Clark-Platts
Publisher: Raven Books
Publication Date: 24th January 2019

I bought my own copy of this book to read and review.

My Review

This was a dark and disturbing read which kept me intrigued from page one until the very end.

Laurel aged just 10 was convicted of the brutal killing of a toddler. Her sister Primrose aged just 6 was allowed to walk away and start a new life.  As Laurel is abandoned by her parents and swept into the prison system, she makes appeals to review her sentence but no to avail.  

Her sister Primrose changes her name and begins living her life as Hazel.  She is a misfit in society and prefers to keep herself away from other people until she meets Jonny.  He takes her under his wing and before long and despite knowing her history he asks her to marry him.

On a weekend break a child goes missing and the eyes of blame are thrown onto Hazel. This sets off a roller-coaster and Hazel is urged to tell her side of the story of what happened on that fateful day. As memories start to come back to Hazel all is not quite as it seems.

This book made me think an awful lot about the way that we see people.  Mud can stick and if we are told a version of events enough times it must be true, mustn't it?  The waters are soon muddied in this story and it's difficult to know who to believe.  

This was a very cleverly told story as we flitted back and forth from the day of the Murder, to the current missing child, back to Laurels version of events and then to Hazels before the story is sort of tied up together at the end.  I am still non the wiser as to who actually committed the murder but this is the perfect end to the story.

I really enjoyed this book even though the ending left me with lots of unanswered questions about what the future has in store for all of the characters.  With some books I do find this quite irksome but with this one it was quite fulfilling to not really have all the answers and still not know the complete truth about the sisters.

Swallowtail Summer by Erica James

Synopsis

They thought they were friends for life - until one summer, everything changed . . . 

Linston End on the Norfolk Broads has been the holiday home to three families for many years. The memories of their time there are ingrained in their hearts: picnics on the river, gin and tonics in the pavilion at dusk, hours spent seeking out the local swallowtail butterflies. Everyone together.

But widower Alastair has been faced with a few of life's surprises recently. Now, he is about to shock his circle of friends with the decisions he has made - and the changes it will mean for them all. For some, it feels like the end. For others, it might just be the beginning . . .

My Review

I am a big fan of this author so I jumped at the chance of an ARC of this book.

It wasn't what I was fully expected but from page one this book got under my skin. Once I'd started reading I was hooked.  The main character Alistair is in his 60's and I did wonder if maybe this book wouldn't be for me but it most certainly was.

I loved the way that the book portrayed the emotions from all angles. This was full of the twists and turns of family, love and friendship. We had Alistair who had recently lost his wife and left his life behind to go on a new adventure.  Little did his friends know that he would return with a new lady in his life, who of course all his friends hate at first sight. We flip to the younger generation of the circle who in their 30's are all still single but could love be on the cards?

This is a truly unique group of friends, Alistair and late wife Orla, Sorrel and Simon with their grown up children Rachel and Callum and Danny and Frankie with their daughter Jenna.  The group have always, apart from one, spent their summers at Linston End but now with the house going up for sale the whole dynamic of the group is about to change.

The last get together is one that will see secrets being told and hearts being broken.

I am not going to give away any spoilers of this story but Alistair, Danny and Simon have been friends since school and their love lives are more linked then they'd ever imagined when the truth is out this leads to tragic consequences.  With the added mix of Valentina and her two step children this leads to a explosive combination of emotions and the fireworks are set to go off.

Set on the idyllic Norfolk Broads this book hooked me in and left me wanting more.  I love each character and their in depth personality traits that just tied the whole book together.  This was a really heartwarming and enjoyable read.

The Unlucky Ones by Kerry Wilkinson

Synopsis

A man who survived being drowned ends up in Manchester’s canal. Someone who was hit by a car is shoved in front of DC Archie Davey’s patrol vehicle.

Killers generally aren’t a happy bunch but this particular one seems to have a problem with second chances.

Luckily for DI Jessica Daniel, things are looking up. She’s been assigned to work on the most crime-free estate in the city and she’s back living with her best friend.

Things could not be hunky-dorier.

That is unless there’s a sinister reason why the estate is so free of trouble...

My Review

I have read some of the previous books in the Jessica Daniels series and wow book 14 is no disappointment.  It is probably not my favourite to date but it was another fast paced rip roaring read.  I devoured the book in two days and didn't want it to end. I really like this writers style it is so easy to follow and really draws you into the story.

The book is another fast paced thriller of a read.  We meet Jessica as she is leaving the Lees Estate.  An estate in Manchester that has worryingly low crime statistics.  Not even the hint of a stolen push bike has been reported.  This should be good news for the police but the surrounding estates have seen an increase in reported crime.

Bang, we are straight into the action when leaving the estate, DC Archie Davey, her colleague fails to spot a pedestrian and he is flipped over the car and killed.  This is just the start of a number of deaths in the book.  Each victim has already been through a similar accident and survived first time around but the outcome of the second repeat incident always results in death.

The book flips seamlessly from the investigation as to why it is so quiet on the estate to the hunting down of the killer of numerous innocent people.

As always this is not just a police procedural as we slip into Jessica's home life.  The relationship between Jessica and her friend Caroline will change forever when Jessica is faced with an unexpected situation.  I loved this section of the story but don't want to give too much away.

I loved the mix of characters in the book from the old gent Roly, to the mysterious Jefferson Cass to the eccentric Francine.  They really brought the book to life and living on an estate myself I could easily relate these to the people I see on a daily basis.

Although this book is part of a series you can easily read as a standalone.  I can't wait for the next instalment and would definitely recommend if you are a fan of crime fiction and thrillers.

The unlucky ones

The Divorce by Victoria Jenkins

Synopsis

They seemed like any other couple,

Josh and Lydia Green. A doctor, and a stay-at-home mother.  They met at a party, which led to a dinner, which led to a comfortable and happy life together.  They married young, and had children earlier than planned.

Their marriage seemed like any other marriage.

They have their moments, of course - who doesn't? with Josh working longer hours in the hospital, and Lydia feeling increasingly isolated at home, the strain is starting to show. They don't talk as much as they used to.

But they have a secret like no other.

Not every wife is as scared as Lydia.
Not every husband is hiding as much as Josh.
Not everything you think about them is true.

And this book contains a twist like no other.

Author: Victoria Jenkins
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication date: 4th July 2019

My Review


I was really looking forward to reading this book but I was left feeling a little flat and deflated.  The story line was good but something was missing and I think that was the constant setting of the therapist's room. The characters just didn't come alive enough for me.

We meet Karen, a marriage counsellor,  who has faced her own demons in her life and with the loss of her beloved husband she is struggling just to get through the days.  From there we are introduced to Lydia and Josh in their first  counselling session.

Life has not been kind to Karen and we get glimpses into her background as the book progresses. Lydia is portrayed as the beat down house wife whilst Josh is the domineering hard working doctor but they are not as they seem and it's not long before things bubble to the top.

I do think this book would have possibly been a bit more exciting if we'd seen the characters outside of the consultation room.  I would have liked to have got to know them in the outside world.

This was a good story where all is not as it appears but unfortunately I did predict the twist and the ending was a little unsatisfactory.

I really hate leaving bad reviews and for that I apologise but I have to give my honest opinion on a book and for me this book was a not good as I hoped.