Into the Storm by Cecelia Ahern

 

Ahern's In a Thousand Different Ways was the first book I read by her, and I enjoyed it enough to want to read another of her books.

Despite the unpopular present-tense narrative, along with slapdash editing, this* had me hooked to the end. Ahern managed to toss my smugness all over the place. Within only a few pages, I thought, oh, it's obvious, I know how this is going to pan out, but then Ahern throws you curveballs and twists and turns, and your powers of detection are all over the shop. Now that's clever.

The story is tightly and intensely coiled with emotion as GP Enya Pickering worries about her upcoming birthday—the age at which her mother tragically and suddenly died—and then has to deal with lasting trauma of tending to a road-traffic victim on a cold and stormy night. See About the Book below. The storm isn't just literal, it's metaphoric as well.

Well-written and very compelling, I was glad I read another book by this author, as it tipped her into my 'definitely read more of' list. It's a shame she didn't acknowledge her readers at the end, it's always a nice touch.

*Provided by Netgalley

See Also:

In a Thousand Different Ways

Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

If you love GBBO, you'll love the story of Mrs Quinn, who, unbeknownst to her husband, enters a television cooking contest and does really rather well.

A pensioner finding fame and stardom on a cooking programme would be a bit of an empty plot, so of course, there is a bit more intrigue: a(nother) secret she has kept from her husband of fifty-nine years. See About the Book below.

It's a lovely snuggly book, as warm as comforting as Jenny Quinn's baking, without being too saccharine and sickly. The perfect feelgood book to immerse yourself in when you fancy a curl-up by the fire on a long wintry evening.

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

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Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde

 

This isn't my number one genre, but I do like to pepper my reading list with the occasional romance for all its clicheness, predictability, inevitable happy-ever-after ending and if I'm honest, the cheesiness of it all!

This ticks all those boxes, it's true. We have the girl (Cass), we have the (older) man (Ranulph), a lovely sunny (bit prone to hurricanes) island (Dominica), there's the ex, and then there are the misunderstandings. All the right ingredients and although the dish comes out cooked, it's all a bit bland, lacking in spice. (Full synopsis here)

Cass is annoying to the point you want to slap her and tell her to grow up and get over herself. The rest of the characters are all a bit like cardboard cut-outs with no substance or emotion. The Dominican setting is authentic (which the author explains at the end) and almost makes you want to put the island on your must-see list, so job well done there.

But I did enjoy the author's writing, and I was invested enough to see it through to the end. It's an above-average-edited book, which is refreshing, although the author or the editor got in a bit of pickle with step-siblings and half-siblings…probably best to clarify themselves on that one.

Not a 'wow, amazing' book, but a decent enough read.

The Holiday Bookshop by Lucy Dickens

 

My favourite genre is thrillers, in which, of course, for the most part, bad things happen! So every now and then, it's nice to read something light and refreshing. This fits that bill: once you've got familiar with the characters and a general gist of the plot, you know more or less how it's going to end and that it will be pretty much how you wanted and happily. Okay, yes: predictable! But, it's easy to read and untaxing for the ol' grey matter.

In this, we've almost got a bit of a travel guide thrown in, as two besties, who co-own a coastal bookshop in southwest England, take a break from each other after a minor disagreement: one in Las Vegas, ticking off her bucket list with her boyfriend, and the other in The Maldives, where she's taken a three-month job to turn around the fortunes of an on-site bookshop in a luxury holiday complex.

It's an enjoyable story of a friendship that's rock solid, wobbles a bit, then goes back to being rock solid. Throw in some romance and you've got your summer beach read.

But, Mr or Ms Editor: when you get on a bike, you pedal, you don’t peddle (seriously?). And please, learn the difference between less and few.

That aside, an entertaining, fun, light-hearted read that's well written.