Book Review: Old Friends by Felicity Everett
Moving in together. What could go wrong?
Two couples, best friends for half a lifetime, move in together. What could possibly go wrong…?
Harriet and Mark have it all: successful careers, a lovely house in a leafy London suburb, twin boys on the cusp of leaving home. Yvette and Gary share a smaller place with their two daughters in a shabbier part of the same borough.
But when the stars align for a collective move north, it means a fresh start for them all. For Mark, it’s a chance to escape the rat race; for Harriet, a distraction from her unfulfilled dream of a late third child. Gary has decided to reboot the Madchester band that made him famous, while Yvette hopes it will give her daughters what she never had herself.
But as the reality of their new living arrangements slowly sinks in, the four friends face their own mid-life crises, and the dream becomes a nightmare…
*****
Harriet and Mark are both successful. They have two boys on the verge of graduating and moving out and they have a lovely home in a nice part of town.
Their friends, Gary and Yvette, live nearby in a smaller house in a less affluent neighbourhood. Yvette has been a teaching assistant for many years and Gary, a member of a 90’s band, is just about to attempt a comeback.
When it turns out that all four of them are moving up north, they all decide to move in together. Will it be as fun as they imagine or will it simply lead to trouble?
Old Friends was my introduction to Felicity Everett so I didn’t know what to expect.
Immediately, I was hooked on this story, wondering what was going to happen next.
It’s very clear from the beginning how close these two women are. The men have been bought together by the friendship shared by their wives and it was interesting to see how these dynamics and relationships changed as the story progressed.
It’s these characters that drive the narrative rather than external plot points (things outside the perimeters of these four people and their choices.) It deals with some sensitive themes and I feel it does this well. There are some dark moments yes but there are also many insightful ones too, as well as funny scenes – much like life really.
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Book Review: Spring Tides at the Starfish Café by Jessica Redland
A big lovely welcome back to Jessica Redland. She is here with the blog tour for her latest novel, Spring Tides at the Starfish Café.
Welcome back to the Starfish Café – where you will find stunning views, delicious food and lifelong friendships.
A new season…
As winter turns to spring, Hollie – owner of The Starfish Café – is feeling content as she settles into her new life with her loving boyfriend, Jake, and their adorable dog Pickle.
But when an unwelcome visitor threatens the future of her café, Hollie must stay strong to protect her family’s legacy…
A leap of faith…
Emerging from an unhappy relationship, Tori finds herself with nowhere to stay and nobody to talk to. The long-hidden secrets of her past weigh heavily on her until a chance encounter with Finley, struggling to come to terms with his own secrets, provides an opportunity to open up.
Can she find the strength to stop hiding from her past and face up to her family? Especially when that would mean letting her guard down and learning to trust again…
A fresh start…?
Little do Hollie and Tori know that their lives are about to collide at The Starfish Café and they may be able to help each other with a fresh start. After all, with good friends in your life, nothing is impossible…
*****
Winter is now Spring. Hollie and Jake are settling into their new life with Pickle and business at the Starfish Café has never been better.
However, someone wants Hollie’s café and it seems they will stop at nothing to get it.
Tori has been with Layton for a few years. After a near death experience, she begins to question their relationship, his commitment and behaviour. It’s also been years since she has spoken to her family. If she left, where would she go?
I was so excited to be invited onto this blog tour. It was so lovely to be back at the Starfish Café. It was like grabbing a cup of tea, pulling up a chair and being back with old friends.
Don’t worry if you’ve not read Snowflakes Over the Starfish Café. Although this book is book two in the series, it could be read as a standalone in my opinion. However, the first book is brilliant so I would recommend it.
Hollie continues to be a wonderful, kind, relatable character. She’s a lot stronger and self assured this time around which was good to see.
Jake continues to be his lovely, charming self and it was great to see him grow as the plot progressed.
by Book Review: A Year of Mr Maybes by Judy Leigh
A lovely big welcome back to Judy Leigh who is here with the blog tour for latest novel, A Year of Mr Maybes.
Never say never to falling in love…
Val didn’t expect to be starting again in her seventies, but when life gives her lemons, Val is determined to make lemonade.
Settled into her new home – a picture-perfect fisherman’s cottage in the small Cornish seaside town of Lowenstowe – Val is ready to start a new chapter. And with her son due to get married next Christmas, there’s also the little job of finding herself a plus-one to help her face her ex-husband and his new girlfriend.
With the support of her neighbour Connie, and after decades of married life, Val takes the plunge back into the world of dating with trepidation and excitement. But can she remember how the single life works, let alone what her type is? There seem to be plenty of Mr Maybes, but no sign of Mr Right.
As the year passes, and as friendships and community life flourish, Val begins to blossom. And as Christmas approach, she might just decide she doesn’t need that plus-one after all – although never say never…
*****
Val is in her seventies and didn’t expect to be starting again.
After the end of her marriage, she moves to the Cornish town of Lowenstowe.
There, she meets new friends and begins to find a new lease of life and possibly, a new love. She and her neighbour, Connie, go on a mission to find Val a plus one for Val’s son’s wedding in December. They have a year to find Mr December. Can Val find someone new before the year is out?
I have become such a fan of Judy Leigh’s novels so I jumped at the chance to be involved in the blog tour for her latest novel, A Year of Mr Maybes.
From page one, I was completely immersed.
Immediately, Val is someone you can empathise with. Within the first few pages, her life is forever changed. The character is written with much strength and I loved how there was very little time where she felt sorry for herself. She picks herself up and carries on. That’s inspiring.
Connie and Loveday are brilliant supporting characters and I loved them.
by Book Review: The Seed of Rosewood by Massimo Rozzoni
This book is a historical novel (many of the characters are real), set in 1715 in Scotland, the Caribbeans and in London.
In the form of a diary written by the protagonist, the 15 year-old Patrick Douglas, it narrates the events that the boy in spite of himself, has to face.
He will be kidnapped from his small fishermen’s village in the North of Scotland by a crew of adventurers, who will sow death and violence on the route that will lead them to cross the Atlantic.
He will be thrown into a crude and ruthless reality and he will witness the real life of pirates, made of cruelty, superstition, greed and depravity.
In the profound darkness of evil and resignation, he will see the shining light of hope, of good and love, but like the defenseless flame of a candle in the storm…
*****
Scotland, 1715.
Translated from the original novel, Il Same Del Palissandro, The Seed of Rosewood is where we meet fifteen-year-old Patrick, who is kidnapped by the notorious Captain Alexander and his men.
Forced to sail the Atlantic with a group of pirates, Patrick quickly has to adjust to a harsh and violent reality whilst trying not to lose hope that one day, he might see his family again.
Books about piracy are not normally at the top of my list but having read the blurb for this novel, I found it intriguing especially as I love historical fiction.
From page one, the reader is immediately thrown into the action as we are introduced to Captain Alexander and his crew and we see what they are capable of.
For someone like Patrick – a young boy who has known nothing but love and safety to be suddenly introduced to the violent and chaotic life of a pirate, really creates an interesting contrast with these characters. I instantly felt such fear, anxiety and empathy for the main character, that I couldn’t put the book down. I needed to know what happened next.
by Book Review: Living Your Best Life by Maxine Morrey
I am happy to be welcoming Maxine Morrey back to Novel Kicks with the blog tour for her latest novel, Living Your Best Life.
Some days Bee feels invisible. Most days Bee does not feel as if she is ‘living her best life’.
Sure she has a loyal group of friends, a job she’s good at, and a small London flat to call home, but a lot of the time, Bee feels as if no one actually ‘sees’ her.
Her best friend, the unfeasibly handsome and successful Luca Donato does not have that problem. People are practically falling over themselves whenever they see Luca, but one thing the two friends do have in common, is they haven’t yet found the ‘One’. When their friend Tia challenges them to change all that through online dating, Luca and Bee set about the task with very different levels of enthusiasm.
The saying goes that you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince, and it’s not long before Bee is ready to admit defeat. But with Luca inundated with potential love interests, Bee is determined not to give up. Surely her perfect partner is out there somewhere…
*****
Bee has spent most of her life feeling invisible and not worthy despite the efforts of her friends to tell her otherwise – especially her best friend, Luca who, up until now has never given any indication that he wants to settle down.
When a mutual friend challenges them to change their love lives through online dating, Bee reluctantly agrees. Luca thinks you can find love through apps, Bee not so much.
Having previously read Things are Looking Up, I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for Maxine’s latest novel, Living Your Best Life.
I adored Bee from the first page. Bee felt so real to me, so relatable. She’s complicated and shadowed by her upbringing and lack of self esteem. I think many readers will unfortunately know how that feels. I think we’ve all also had those moments at work where we’ve felt under-appreciated but never wanting to rock the boat.
by Book Club
