Swift
  • Home
  • BOOK REVIEWS
    • A-Z
    • FAVOURITE READS
  • AUTHORS
    • AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
    • GUEST POSTS
  • BOOKISH RECIPES
  • GIVEAWAYS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT ME
    • REVIEW POLICY
13:25


Today I am reviewing After the End, the stunning new novel from Clare Mackintosh, the number one bestselling author of I Let You Go, I See You and Let Me Lie.

Title: After the End 
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Published: June 25th 2019 by Sphere
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They're best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can't agree. They each want a different future for their son. 

What if they could have both?

A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.

Review: This story is completely different from Clare Mackintosh's previous books, which all fell in the psychological thriller category. After the End is all about a family and how their son being terminally ill changes their lives forever, especially when they cannot agree what the best course of action is. 

This is a very emotional story, I cannot even imagine what these character must have felt going through such a hard time, but the author makes an exquisite job of describing their thoughts, their feelings, their fears and their hopes. You become one hundred per cent invested in their story and wonder, in every single page, what you would do in their shoes. 

The book is divided in two parts, the first one centers its action in the hospital, during the months leading to the decision on their son's future and the second expands a few years after it. I had already fell in love with this story during the first part but it was the second one that left me completely in awe. It was so cleverly written and although it was hard to read sometimes, I loved following the characters' lives. 

In After the End, Clare Mackintosh managed to break my heart and put it all back together. This story surprised me until the very last page and it will stay with me for a long time. 

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

11:01



Today I am sharing my review for Cathy Bramley's new book, A Vintage Summer, a sparkling summer story that's FULL of surprises!

Title: A Vintage Summer
Author: Cathy Bramley
Published: March 21st 2019 by Corgi
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: London has not been kind to Lottie Allbright. Realising it’s time to cut and run, she packs up and moves back home – but finds her family in disarray. In need of a new place to stay, Lottie takes up the offer of a live-in job managing a local vineyard. There’s a lot to learn – she didn’t even know grapes could grow so far north!

Butterworth Wines in the rolling Derbyshire hills has always been run on love and passion but a tragic death has left everyone at a loss. Widowed Betsy is trying to keep the place afloat but is harbouring a debilitating secret. Meanwhile her handsome but interfering grandson, Jensen, is trying to convince her to sell up and move into a home.

Lottie’s determined to save Butterworth Wines, but with all this and an unpredictable English summer to deal with, it’ll be a challenge.

And that’s before she discovers something that will turn her summer – and her world – upside down...

Review: A book by Cathy Bramley is always a highlight of my reading year, I absolutely adore her style and her heart-warming stories, and A Vintage Summer is no exception. Set in a vineyard in Derbyshire, this is a novel about friendship, family and love. 

You can't help but fall in love with this setting but also with Lottie's bright personality and enthusiasm. She has had a rough time in London, so she is ready to go back home and find a new purpose in life. And she soon finds it in Butterworth Wines, a vineyard with a very unclear future. 

In the vineyard, Lottie doesn't only find a job tough, she discovers a whole new passion and makes a whole bunch of very passionate friends. These characters were a joy to read. I loved finding out more about them and how they all had their part to make this story special. 

But it was not all sunshine and laughs at the vineyard, the story also handled some more serious issues, which really touched my heart. I really cared for this characters and rooted for them. 

A Vintage Summer is a beatiful story that will warm your heart. With a delightful cast of characters and a stunning setting, it is the perfect read to enjoy outside now that the warmer months are coming.

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion. 

Newer Posts
Older Posts

Currently Reading

Currently Reading

Popular Posts

  • Book Review: A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain
    Book Review: A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain
  • Connectivity
    Connectivity
  • Book Review: Coming Home to Brightwater Bay by Holly Hepburn
    Book Review: Coming Home to Brightwater Bay by Holly Hepburn
  • Blog Tour: See Me by Nicholas Sparks - Review and Giveaway
    Blog Tour: See Me by Nicholas Sparks - Review and Giveaway
  • Blog Tour: Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square by Heidi Swain
    Blog Tour: Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square by Heidi Swain

Instagram

Followers

Twitter

Tweets by @albainbookland

Blog Archive

  • May 2021 (1)
  • January 2021 (1)
  • December 2020 (2)
  • October 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • July 2020 (1)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (1)
  • December 2019 (2)
  • November 2019 (1)
  • September 2019 (3)
  • August 2019 (2)
  • July 2019 (2)
  • June 2019 (2)
  • May 2019 (1)
  • April 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (6)
  • February 2019 (3)
  • January 2019 (3)
  • December 2018 (4)
  • September 2018 (4)
  • August 2018 (7)
  • July 2018 (5)
  • June 2018 (5)
  • May 2018 (7)
  • April 2018 (11)
  • March 2018 (9)
  • February 2018 (5)
  • January 2018 (7)
  • December 2017 (12)
  • November 2017 (9)
  • October 2017 (9)
  • September 2017 (8)
  • August 2017 (4)
  • July 2017 (9)
  • June 2017 (8)
  • May 2017 (11)
  • April 2017 (13)
  • March 2017 (11)
  • February 2017 (13)
  • January 2017 (13)
  • December 2016 (20)
  • November 2016 (14)
  • October 2016 (14)
  • September 2016 (18)
  • August 2016 (16)
  • July 2016 (26)
  • June 2016 (26)
  • May 2016 (20)
  • April 2016 (20)
  • March 2016 (18)
  • February 2016 (25)
  • January 2016 (18)
  • December 2015 (21)
  • November 2015 (15)
  • October 2015 (14)
  • September 2015 (14)
  • August 2015 (18)
  • July 2015 (21)
  • June 2015 (26)
  • May 2015 (30)
  • April 2015 (24)
  • March 2015 (29)
  • February 2015 (30)
  • January 2015 (19)
  • December 2014 (25)
  • November 2014 (16)
  • October 2014 (21)
  • September 2014 (15)
  • August 2014 (17)
  • July 2014 (14)
  • June 2014 (13)
  • May 2014 (10)
  • April 2014 (12)
  • March 2014 (10)
  • February 2014 (6)

Total Pageviews

375
likes
3.995
followers
575
Followers
592
Friends
252
Followers

Powered by Sora Templates & Blogger Templates
ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © Copyright: ALBA FORBE (UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED).

Back to top