Book Review: The Time of My Life by Rosie Mullender
This Friday the 13th has been particularly unlucky.
Jess has been fired from her comfortable job. She’s gone from dating two guys to none. She’s been kicked out of her mediocre flat. And worst of all, she’s really really let down her best friend.
As she drifts off to sleep, she is filled with relief that this terrible day is over. Tomorrow she will try to fix things, tomorrow cannot be any worse than this.
Except it is. Maybe not worse… but exactly the same. When Jess wakes up the next morning, it is Friday the 13th again. And again. And again. And again.
Jess knows how this goes, she’s seen the films, this is her wake up call. But she had no idea she needed a wake up call. How is Jess supposed to work out where she’s gone wrong when, as far as she’s concerned, she’s been having the time of her life?
*****
Friday 13th turns out to be pretty unlucky for Jess. By the end of the day, she finds herself out of a job, a flat and goes from casually dating two guys to none.
Then she finds herself repeating the same day again and again and again.
Jess wants to know why this is happening and how she can return to her carefree life.
I was very much drawn to the premise of this book as it is something I have daydreamed a lot about ever since I saw Groundhog Day. What would I do if I found myself reliving a day of my life over and over, so I was excited to start reading this debut novel from Rosie Mullender.
From the beginning, it’s clear to see that fun-loving Jess is frightened of commitment and responsibility. She actively avoids these two things.
As the story progresses, Jess comes to realise that she can’t run from her life or the guilt that she carries. That, in the end, it will catch up with her and force her to confront it.
by 
Book Extract: The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland
I am pleased to be welcoming Henriette Gyland to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her novel, The Elephant Girl.
I think I saw you …
It’s been twenty years, and Helen Stephens has come home to stay. And to get revenge on the person who murdered her mother. If only she knew who it was … But nothing is ever black or white, and when she rents a room in a house full of ex-offenders, the events of that fateful day blur even further, leading her to question her resolve and her memory.
Jason Moody, who runs the half-way house, has his own shame. When he uncovers her intent, he begins to suspect that someone close to him could be involved …
A coincidence? Or is there something else going on?
Henriette has shared an extract with us today so grab the tea, biscuits and pull up a comfy chair and enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
In this scene, after having returned from travelling for a number of years, Helen visits her grandmother, or more precisely, step-grandmother, who explains to her that now she’s twenty-five years old, she’s expected to sit on the board of the family business. Helen was never into the corporate life and is stunned. Even more so when she learns just how wealthy she now is.
*****
The door opened and Mrs Sanders reappeared. ‘Yes, Mrs Ransome?’
‘Oh, Sanders, now that my granddaughter has arrived would you be so kind and serve elevenses. We’ll have tea and some of that Victoria sponge cake with Fortnum’s strawberry preserve.’
‘But, Mrs Ransome, that’s far too rich for you.’
‘Nonsense, woman. When did a little cake hurt anyone? And I don’t see my granddaughter every day. The child has been to India. Heaven knows what they get to eat there.’
‘Egg and chips,’ Helen remarked.
Mrs Sanders left them again, muttering to herself.
‘Why aren’t you allowed cake?’ Helen asked though she knew the answer.
‘I’m diabetic and under strict orders not to eat anything nice.’ Aggie’s small eyes twinkled behind their folds of flesh. ‘And Mrs Sanders takes her job very seriously. Letitia engaged her.’
by Book Review: Love You From A-Z by Linda Corbett
It’s my pleasure to welcome Linda Corbett to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her novel, Love You From A-Z.
Experience has told Jenna Oakhurst that Happy Ever After may happen in all the best stories, but Happy For Now is the best one ought to expect in real life.
Yet lately even that isn’t quite enough, so when a strange set of circumstances leads her to discover a mysterious letter in an abandoned storage unit, she takes the chance to embark on a journey into the unknown…just like the heroines from the storybooks.
Reaching out to the letter’s author, Henry Somners, changes Jenna’s world irrevocably and she starts to realise that the magic she believed in as a child might not be such a fanciful notion after all…
*****
Jenna believes that happily ever after belongs only in stories. It’s not something she expects to happen in real life.
When her boyfriend buys an abandoned storage unit, she discovers an unopened letter which leads her to Henry. This meeting will change her life in more ways than one.
This book sounded intriguing so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour and couldn’t wait to get started.
From the start it’s clear to see that Jenna is a serious person and the more you get to know her, you realise that her former life experiences have been a huge contributor to that. I loved her as a character and loved watching her develop.
by Cover Reveal: Just One Day – Summer by Susan Buchanan
I am very excited to be helping to reveal the cover for Susan Buchanan’s book, Just One Day – Summer, which is due for release on 26th July 2022.
List-juggling, business-owner mum-of-three Louisa is reeling after a tragedy, as well as learning how to cope after a life-changing revelation. With oil worker husband Ronnie possibly being able to move onshore, she hopes he can help her manage the burden.
But the secrets she keeps are causing her headaches and she’s unsure if her ability to make good decisions has deserted her. All she seems to do is upset those around her.
With Louisa’s to-do list gathering pace at an incredible speed, will she manage to provide a stable home for them all, embrace her new normal as well as rebuild their life from what’s left?
And if she gets what she has always wanted, will it match up to her expectations?
OK, are you ready. Three, two, one…
by Book Review: Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink? by Janet Hoggarth
I am pleased to be welcoming back Janet Hoggarth to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink
Maggie Pink is a lot of things to a lot of people, but does she know who she really is?
Maggie is a mother to a stroppy teenager, a wife to a befuddled husband, and a daughter to two very different women. She has always known she’s adopted, but has she ever understood what that means? Not really.
Following the death of her mother, Maggie finally feels able to go in search of her birth mother Morag, and heads to the Highlands of Scotland with her disgruntled daughter Roxie in tow, leaving her crumbling marriage to worry about another day.
The family reunion is bittersweet, but everything is blown wide open when Roxie unearths Morag’s explosive teenage diaries. Why did Morag give Maggie away? What really happened all those years ago, and how have the echoes of the past resounded through the generations, like ripples in a puddle?
And when all the secrets and promises are out in the open, will Maggie finally have an answer to the question – who do you think you are Maggie Pink?
*****
Maggie Pink is a wife to Adam and a mother to teenager, Roxie. Mother and daughter do not have the best relationship.
Maggie has also always known that she was adopted.
When her mother dies, Maggie feels that it’s time to go looking for her birth mother, Morag.
However, the secrets and revelations are only just beginning.
I have previously had the opportunity on this blog to share an extract from Janet’s novel, The Single Mums Move On, and so when I was invited onto the blog tour for her latest novel, Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink?, I jumped at the chance and couldn’t wait to get started.
I knew from the books description that this novel was going to be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and I wasn’t wrong.
I did like the multiple viewpoints as it gave a real overall picture of what all these women were going through and thinking.
Maggie was someone I could relate to, having lost my own mother in my 30’s. To start with, she’s a hard character to get to know. She’s a closed book but as the plot progressed, you begin to understand why.
Roxie is a typical teenager but, like with Maggie, empathy for her builds throughout the novel as you see things from her point of view.
The plot, in my opinion, moves well and the characters are well rounded. The supporting characters, Fiona, Issy and Angus especially are wonderful.
by Book Club
