Book Review: The Mother by Valerie Keogh
I’m so pleased to be welcoming Valerie Keogh back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel, The Mother.
A terrible wife…
Sarah Westfield is unhappily married to perfect husband Nick. Handsome, devoted and kind, he should be the ideal man for her, but Sarah knows their marriage is the biggest mistake she’s ever made…and she wants out.
But then Nick offers her one last chance to make their marriage work – a baby.
Sarah is horrified – a baby would tie herself to this man forever…wouldn’t it? Or could it be exactly what she needs?
So Sarah agrees.
A terrible mother?
When the baby arrives, Sarah struggles with motherhood and her resentment towards Nick only grows. Sarah feels more trapped than ever, but she loves her precious daughter…doesn’t she?
And then baby Kaya goes missing…
And everything Sarah has ever believed in comes crashing down around her…
*****
Sarah Westfield has a devoted husband and she’s just given birth to their daughter. However, she has not been happy in the relationship for a long time and she wants out.
Having previously read The Lodger, The Housekeeper and The Mistress, I have become a BIG fan of Valerie Keogh’s novels. Therefore, I was stupidly excited to be invited onto the blog tour for her latest phycological thriller, The Mother.
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Book Review: The Days of Our Birth by Charlie Laidlaw
Theirs was the most important relationship of their life…
It was a perfect relationship until time pulled them apart. A beautiful story sensitively told about how love and friendship can conquer everything, including time, to a point.
“The Days of Our Birth” delves into the intricate bond between Peter and Sarah as they navigate their formative years. Spanning from their sixth birthday through two decades, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Sarah’s placement on the autism spectrum.
With a blend of humour and poignancy, the book intricately weaves together themes of love and friendship, unravelling the tale of two individuals who grapple with their emotions for each other, even though they remain unacknowledged.
*****
In their childhood, Peter and Sarah were neighbours. They also share the same birthday.
With a story that spans twenty years, can the bond they shared survive into adulthood and beyond?
I am very happy to once again be featuring Charlie Laidlaw on Novel Kicks and reviewing his latest novel, The Days of Our Birth.
I’m not going to beat around the bush…. I flipping loved this book along with the two main characters, Sarah and Peter. I’m not sure how I’m going to talk about it without giving too much away but I’m going to give it a go.
Sarah’s development really interested me. I have people in my life that are autistic and I felt that the subject of autism is presented in a sensitive and informative way, teaching us that each person will face their own challenges and way of doing things. The author has created a wonderful character in Sarah and I found her to be strong and endearing as was Peter.
by Book Review: For Once In My Life by Sian O’Gorman
What better way to kick off the week by welcoming Sian O’Gorman to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, For Once In My Life.
A Tale of Love, Discovery, and Second Chances…
In the bustling world of Dublin’s advertising scene, Kitty O’Sullivan, a copywriter, feels an unexplainable void in her life that she can’t quite pinpoint. Her five-year relationship with Dave is stagnant, her creative juices have dried up and she’s even entertaining thoughts of marriage as a cure-all! Something’s missing from her life but she can’t work out exactly what it is…
When Dave decides to take time out from ‘them’, Kitty finds herself momentarily liberated to explore life and have some fun. She and best friend Shazza are corralled into joining a five-aside football team where she meets the intriguing Sweetman brothers, Tom and Rory.
As they sail around the enchanting coast of Dublin, engage in fierce football battles and stumble upon a magical secret drinking den, Kitty falls in love with her new life – and her new self – but is it only temporary until Dave returns?
Will Kitty find the answers to life’s mysteries and take charge of her future?
*****
Copywriter Kitty O’ Sullivan is beginning to feel that something is missing from her life. She just can’t put her finger on what.
When she suddenly finds herself living alone and more surprisingly part of a five-aside football team, she starts to see that maybe there is a great big beautiful life out there. Can she find the courage to reach out and grab it?
I’d previously not read any novels from author, Sian O’ Gorman. A mixture of a beautiful cover and an intriguing premise had me pleased to be welcomed onto the blog tour for For Once in my Life (please say I’m not the only person with Stevie Wonder’s song in my head with this title. LOL.)
by Book Extract: The Last Thing You’ll Hear by Jan Dunning
I’m pleased to be welcoming Jan Dunning to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Last Thing You’ll Hear.
Have you ever been so obsessed with someone that you start to lose yourself?
Wren and Lark are rivals first and sisters second, so when mysterious music producer, Adam, and his DJ prodigy, Spinner, come to their small town, the game is on to impress.
Lark is soon taken under Adam’s wing, but as she’s pulled deeper into his web, distancing herself from friends and family, Wren starts to suspect that there’s a more sinister side to Adam. And when the sisters get a chance to perform at Enrapture the most talked-about festival of the summer, suddenly there is a lot to lose…
Can Wren put her own ambitions aside to save her sisters life?
One thing’s for sure: after this summer, nothing will ever be the same again.
Jan has shared an extract from The Last Thing You’ll Hear. We hope you’ll enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Context: In chapter 1, protagonist Wren is at a party when her sister Lark, who has an incredible voice, performs karaoke, inspiring feelings of bitter jealousy in Wren. Themes: sisters, music, sibling rivalry.
*****
A microphone screeches with feedback. Danny winces. I jump.
“OK, people! Who’s ready for karaoke?”
There’s a groan from the crowd, but Charlie calls birthday privileges and in seconds Jem’s set has been binned. As the dance floor thins out, Charlie and her gang crowd round her phone, queuing up songs on an app. As the jerky string intro to “Toxic” kicks in, I brace myself for Charlie’s Britney imitation. She throws everything into it, oblivious to the sniggers of the crowd, blowing kisses and curtseying at the end.
by Book Review: The Hollywood Governess by Alexandra Weston
I’m excited to be welcoming Alexandra Weston to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Hollywood Governess.
A governess bound by her own strict rules, a movie-star tormented by grief, a forbidden love story you won’t forget.
Hollywood, 1937
Hester Carlye has no wish to look after the pampered offspring of the rich anymore, in spite of being a highly sought-after governess. But with her elderly father frail, and the roof of their rundown cottage falling in, she has no choice but to accept a dazzling new placement.
Movie star Aidan Neil is box office gold, but after the tragic death of his wife Dinah Doyle, he needs Hester’s help to raise their young daughter Erin. Aidan and Dinah were once the perfect Hollywood couple, but stars don’t shine forever…
At Aidan’s glittering Hollywood mansion, Hester finds a family struggling with their grief. Hester knows she can help little Erin, but Aidan’s torment is palpable. Brooding and reclusive, he is far from the picture-perfect hero Hester’s seen in films. There’s an edge to him that makes Hester wonder if he’s hiding a dark secret of his own….
Was the marriage between Aidan and Dinah as perfect as it appeared to be? Was Dinah’s death really a tragic accident?
When it finally comes, the truth is more shocking than Hester could ever have imagined. And she knows that if revealed, it will destroy the family she has grown to love and ruin Aidan’s Hollywood dream forever…
*****
It’s 1937. Hester Carlyle is a successful Governess. Having recently returned to Yorkshire from New York, she’s not in a hurry to return to the United States. However, bills need to be paid. When she receives a job offer that will mean a journey back across the Atlantic, she knows she can’t refuse.
If you’ve been a long term follower of this blog then you know I can’t resist a good cover and the one for The Hollywood Governess is one of the things that initially drew me to this book. There’s something very glamorous and romantic about it.
by Book Club
