Miranda Dickinson's new novel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, is a sparkling tale of love, life and finding magic where you least expect it. Here are my thoughts on it:

Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Author: Miranda Dickinson

Published: June 14th 2018 by Pan

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Can you fall in love with someone before you’ve even met?

Seren MacArthur is living a life she never intended. Trying to save the Cornish seaside business her late father built – while grieving for his loss – she has put her own dreams on hold and is struggling. Until she discovers a half-finished seaglass star on her favourite beach during an early morning walk. When she completes the star, she sets into motion a chain of events that will steal her heart and challenge everything she believes.

Jack Dixon is trying to secure a better life for daughter Nessie and himself. Left a widower and homeless when his wife died, he’s just about keeping their heads above water. Finding seaglass stars completed on Gwithian beach is a bright spark that slowly rekindles his hope.

Seren and Jack are searching for their missing pieces. But when they meet in real life, it’s on the opposing sides of a battle. Jack is managing the redevelopment of a local landmark, and Seren is leading the community campaign to save it.

Both have reason to fight – Seren for the cause her father believed in, Jack for his livelihood. But only one can win. With so much at stake, will they ever find what they are really looking for?

Review: Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a gorgeous story about love, family and hope. But it's also a very real portrayal of loss and grief. Both main characters, Seren and Jack, have lost someone and are trying to re-build their lives again. It's impossible not to warm up to such good-hearted and inspiring characters and soon you find yourself rooting for them and sharing both their joys and disappointments.

I fell a bit in love with Jack myself. He was such a fantastic dad to Nessie. You could tell his world orbited around this little girl and he managed to make every little thing magical for her. I enjoyed immensely following them to the beach, while they built their unfinished sea glass stars for the mermaids. 

This story really reminded me how to appreciate the little things and the joy they bring. For Seren, finding those unfinished stars gave her hope in a very dark moment of her life. In fact, every time I pick a book by Miranda Dickinson I end up feeling happier and really hopeful about the future. 

I really liked how the story unfolded and the direction it took. It was a real treat to see these characters and their families and friends touched by the magic of this story. Definitely a highly recommended story to enjoy this summer. Small warning, I'm pretty sure you'll want to book a holiday in St Ives as soon as you've finished reading it!

Rating: 5 stars

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

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Kate Thompson's latest book, The Allotment Girls, out now in ebook and paperback. I've read and loved all of Kate's previous books, so I was really excited to discover this new story. Here's what I thought:

Title: The Allotment Girls

Author: Kate Thompson

Published: March 22nd 2018 by Pan

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: During the Second World War, life in the iconic Bryant & May match factory is grimy and tough. Annie, Rose, Pearl and Millie carry on making matches for the British Army, with bombs raining down around them.

Inspired by the Dig for Victory campaign, Annie persuades the owners to start Bryant & May allotment in the factory grounds. With plenty of sweat and toil, the girls eventually carve out a corner of the yard into a green plot full of life and colour.

In the darkest of times, the girls find their allotment a tranquil, happy escape. Using pierced dustbin lids to sieve through the shrapnel and debris, they bring about a powerful change, not just in the factory, but their own lives.

As the war rages on, the garden becomes a place of community, friendship – and deceit. As the garden thrives and grows, so do the girls' secrets...

The Allotment Girls is an inspiring and heartwarming novel of wartime hardship, friendship and fortitude from Kate Thompson, author of the Secrets of the Sewing Bee.

Review: This is Kate Thompson's fourth book and having read and loved her previous three, I knew what to expect from her: a touching story, well researched with generous descriptions and historic details, and above all, full of heart. And The Allotment Girls had all these ingredients and more.

Set in the East End, in Bow to be exact, during WWII, The Allotment Girls tells the story of four friends. They all work tirelessly in a match factory and support each other and their community as much as they can. Actually, their friendship is one of the key elements of the story and one that I enjoyed immensely. These girls were really made of stronger stuff and their loyalty knew no boundaries. 

The other key element of the story was, of course, the allotments. Following the "Dig for Victory" campaign from the government, Annie convinced her friends and the company to create two allotments in the factory grounds. These allotments changed the life of these girls completely and I loved how both the girls and the gardens grew together and faced new challenges and obstacles. 

Each character had her own story and secrets, which made the story very interesting and with plenty of unexpected turns. I warmed especially to Millie, this fierce woman was such an inspiration, she was a fighter and was ready to go to any lengths for her loved ones. But I have to say that I liked reading about all of them, by the end of the book I felt like I was one more in the gang. 

I am always fascinated by Kate Thompson's stories, they open a window to our recent past and paint such a clear picture of how life was back then. The Allotment Girls is a very compelling story with a lot of heart. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

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

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Kate Thompson's latest book, The Wedding Girls, out next week March 9th. I read and loved both of Kate's previous books, so I was really excited to discover a new story by her. Here's what I thought:

Title: The Wedding Girls

Author: Kate Thompson

Published: March 9th by Pan

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: If a wedding marks the first day of the rest of your life, then the story starts with the dress.

It's 1936 and the streets of London's East End are grimy and brutal, but in one corner of Bethnal Green it is forever Hollywood...

Herbie Taylor's photography studio is nestled in the heart of bustling Green Street. Tomboy Stella and troubled Winnie work in Herbie's studio; their best friend and hopeless romantic Kitty works next door as an apprentice dressmaker. All life passes through the studio, wishing to capture that perfect moment in time.

Kitty works tirelessly to create magical bridal gowns, but with each stitch she wonders if she'll ever get a chance to wear a white dress. Stella and Winnie sprinkle a dusting of Hollywood glamour over happy newly-weds, but secretly dream of escaping the East End...

Community is strong on Green Street, but can it stand the ultimate test? As clouds of war brew on the horizon, danger looms over the East End. Will the Wedding Girls find their happy ever afters, before it's too late?

Review: This is Kate Thompson's third book and having read and loved her previous two, I knew what was waiting for me: a touching story, well researched with generous descriptions and historic details, and above all, full of heart. And Í'm glad to say that The Wedding Girls lived up to my expectations. This time, the author takes us to the East End a few year before WWII where three girls fight agains adversity with everything they've got.

Known as the wedding girls, Kitty, Winnie and Stella are a very close trio of friends who all work in the wedding business. Their only goal is to make this day as special as possible for the bride and groom but their own lives are not exactly rose tinted. Each of them has its own problems, especially with their families. For example, Kitty's father is not himself anymore, with an illness that is robbing him of everything. And Winnie's family is being threathen again by her violent father. So as we got to know these girl, I couldn't help but care and root for them. The three of them were really insteresting and complex characters that I loved getting to know.

While reading this story though, you soon realise that the East End and it close knitted community is a character on itself too. I could feel the camaredie in the community and how they all fought as one when circumstances required. Actually, with every book by Kate Thompson, I learn something new, about an era I didn't know as much. For example, The East End in 1936 was threaten by an increasing fascist movement that wanted to divide this welcoming and open community. And the author refelcted the tensions and difficulties perfectly.

Another bit that I found really interesting was that the author added some testimonies from the women  she met during her research. They lived in the East End during that time and their words really resonated with me and made me understand the story even better. I really thing Kate Thompson captured their experiences perfectly in the story

All in all, another winner by Kate Thompson. A book full of heart that reminds us how important it is to remember history in order to not make the same mistakes again, and how important friendship and working together is.

Rating: 4,5 stars

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

Today I'm really excited to welcome one of my favourite writers to the blog, Miranda Dickinson. She has just published her latest book, Searching for a Silver Lining, and to celebrate, she stops by today to talk a very special road trip: 

Searching for a Silver Lining Locations - #3: The Road Trip 

At the heart of Searching for a Silver Lining is an incredible journey that vintage shop owner Mattie Bell, former 1950s star Reenie Silver and club owner Gil Kendrick embark upon to try to reunite a once-famous singing group for a final gig. When I started to write the story, this epic adventure was what I was most looking forward to portraying – so I asked my lovely Twitter followers where they thought the road trip should visit. The answers took me to the four corners of Great Britain! 

Alnwick in Northumberland is the trip’s first destination, to meet Reenie’s former Silver Five colleague, Tommy Mullins. I have family living in the town and several of my followers wanted to see part of the story set there. Plus, Alnwick has a fabulous bookshop in the old railway station, so it was the perfect venue for Reenie and Tommy to be reunited. Alnwick also the setting for one of Reenie’s most outrageous scenes – you’ll have to read the story to find out what happens there! 

Next, the road trip visits Cambridge, which was suggested by one of my lovely Twitter followers and is somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit. It’s the home of June Knight, Reenie’s nemesis in the group, who always believed she should have been lead singer. It’s the setting for a battle I hope you’ll remember for a long time, plus a whole lot more… 

In the beautiful city of Bath, home of Johnny ‘Chuck’ Powell, the three road trip members discover more about each other. It was a hugely popular location amongst my Twitter followers, so a natural choice for the road trip’s next stop. There’s a truly magical scene here that was inspired by a wonderful weekend I spent in the city with my husband Bob for my 40th birthday. 

The last member of The Silver Five to be visited is Alys Davis, who after the break-up of the band became a national treasure in Wales. She now lives in Llangynidr, a lovely village near Crickhowell in Powys. This is a very personal choice because my sister and her family live there! The road trippers (who now include young hitchhikers Kelvin and Pru) stay at a hotel in Crickhowell, overlooking the river – it’s a lovely town and also has a fantastic bookshop! 

Thanks so much for reading this blog exclusive! For more, follow my Searching for a Silver Lining blog tour. I really hope you enjoy reading the story!

About the Book:

Miranda Dickinson is an author I discovered thanks to blogging and she soon became one of my favourite authors. So I'm over the moon today to be reviewing her latest book, which was released yesterday. 

Title: Searching for a Silver Lining

Author: Miranda Dickinson

Published: October 20th 2016 by Pan

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: It began with a promise...

Matilda Bell is left heartbroken when she falls out with her beloved grandfather just before he dies. Haunted by regret, she makes a promise that will soon change everything...

When spirited former singing star Reenie Silver enters her life, Mattie seizes the opportunity to make amends. Together, Mattie and Reenie embark on an incredible journey that will find lost friends, uncover secrets from the glamorous 1950s and put right a sixty-year wrong.

Touchingly funny, warm and life-affirming, this is a sparkling story of second chances. Perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern, Searching for a Silver Lining will take you on a trip you'll never forget.

Review: Searching for a Silver Lining is one of the warmest and best crafted stories I've read in a long time. The idea behind the story is original and unique, and the characters are interesting, lovable and most of all, memorable. The main character is Matilda Bell who after losing her grandfather is feeling a bit lost, especially after she fought with him just before his passing away. But she then meets Reenie Silver, an octogenarian like no other. She completely steals the show and it's impossible not to love her. She had quite a well-known group in the fifties and both Matilda and Reenie embark on an epic journey that will take them to every part of the country.

As I said, I found the idea for this story genius. The road trip around the UK is a veritable joy to read. With every stop you learn more and more about Reenie and her glamorous and eventful past, which I found fascinating. She had so many stories! I really felt like I was back with her in the fifties, going dancing in Soho. Plus, I think it worked really well with Matilda's own story and her grandfather's.

I've realised that every time I pick a book by Miranda Dickinson I end up feeling happier and really hopeful about the future. Her writing kind of brings the best out of me, with her life-affirming and touching stories, where you never give up, you keep fighting for a second chance. And Searching for a Silver Lining is no exception to the norm. After finishing it, I was left with a huge grin on my face (I even shed some happy tears). 

I'm sure this story will warm many hearts and for a full fifties experience, I'd recommend reading it while listening to the songs you find at the beginning of every chapter. I completely forgot about everything else while reading this story. 

Rating: 4,5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Today's review is for Rachael Lucas' latest book, Wildflower Bay. It was firstly published as a 3-part serialised enovel and the paperback of the whole story has just been published. I had read and enjoyed both Rachael Lucas' previous books (especially her debut), so I was really excited to discover her latest story. Here's what I thought about it:

Title: Wildflower Bay

Author: Rachael Lucas

Published: August 11th 2016 by Pan

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Wildflower Bay is a stunning, romantic summer read by Rachael Lucas.

This little island has some big secrets...

Isla's got her dream job as head stylist at the most exclusive salon in Edinburgh. The fact that she's been so single-minded in her career that she's forgotten to have a life has completely passed her by - until disaster strikes.

Out of options, she heads to the remote island of Auchenmor to help out her aunt who is in desperate need of an extra pair of scissors at her salon.

A native to the island, Finn is thirty-five and reality has just hit him hard. His best friends are about to have a baby and everything is changing. When into his life walks Isla...

Review: In her latest book, Rachael Lucas takes us back to the island of Auchenmor. If you read her debut, Sealed with a Kiss, you'll remember this little island and one of the characters, Finn. I did, so I was really excited to be back as I had really good memories of this place. If you didn't, then you are in for a treat: discovering this stunning island with lots of secrets and a charming little community!

But the story starts in Edinburgh with Isla. She had quite a difficult childhood and never fitted in, but as an adult she has become a very successful and driven stylist. She finally has the perfect clothes, the perfect car and the perfect job... until she loses it. Getting to know Isla was very interesting. She projected herself as this super woman, confident, fashionable and strong but under this facade, she still was that little girl who had no friends. I could tell that life in Auchenmor would bring a new side of her out and we'd discover even more about her. And I was not wrong, I really enjoyed her flourishing, making friends and getting passionate about things outside of work.

The star of the story for me was not Isla though but Ruth. I first thought that this lovely old lady was just going to be a minor secondary character but the author surprised me making her one of the main characters. She became a real good friend to Isla but she also had her own story. I was really intrigued by her story and it surprised me more than once. It even brought some tears to my eyes. Ruth will be one of those characters difficult to forget, so wise and generous. 

When I first picked this book (and after reading the blurb), I thought the love story would play quite a big part but it actually doesn't. You can tell that both Isla and Finn are interested in each other but their relationship grows really slowly and they share very few pages together. I mean, they both have many things to worry about apart from a possible relationship but I would have loved to see more scenes of them together. The same with the high school reunion Isla attends. She spends half the book worrying about it, getting ready for it, dreading it. And then in a couple of pages it's done. 

But all in all, even if the story didn't turn out to be exactly as I expected, I enjoyed it immensely. Who doesn't love some surprises? It was great to catch up with old friends from Sealed with a Kiss but also discover these new characters. As I said, Ruth was a real gem and I'm sure her story will touch many hearts. 

Rating: 4 stars

The next guest on my Historical Fiction Week is Kate Thompson, author of the fantastic Secrets of the Singer Girls (March, 2015) and Secrets of the Sewing Bee (March, 2016). I've had the pleasure of reading both and I highly recommend them. Today she stops by to talk about how she researched her novels, both set in the East End during WWII:

Hello Alba,

Firstly, thank-you for including me in your historical fiction week. There seems to be so much talk these days of the loss of community. The days where you could leave your door open, kids played out on the street and everyone in that street knew your name are alas, for the most part, long gone. 

However, when I look on your site, I am heartened to see another community springing into life, albeit it an on line one and I love that you encourage like-minded readers to come together and share their passion for books. 

Community is something I try to address constantly in my writing, and features heavily in both in Secrets of the Singer Girls, my debut novel for Pan Macmillan and the prequel, Secrets of the Sewing Bee, published in March. 

The books focus on the lives of East End seamstresses, whose work sewing Army and Navy uniforms in a Bethnal Green factory in wartime throws them headlong into some extraordinary situations. In order to research this fully, I spent many absorbing hours interviewing women who I came to call my ‘real life Singer Girls’. 

It all started with Kathy. Nudging 90 and still line-dancing, this sprightly octogenarian told me in detail about her fears on the first night of the Blitz and her raw anguish at seeing the destruction of her community at the hands of the Luftwaffe. After the moving interview I went to leave, but she called me back. 

‘I nearly forgot, love,’ she said. ‘I knitted you something.’ How sweet, I thought, as she took out something in soft white wool from her knitting bag, she’s knitted something for my baby son. On closer examination, it turned out to be not a pair of baby booties, but a willy-warmer! Kathy and her friend Vera took one look at my shocked face and fell about in raucous howls of laughter. 

​Kathy was a former seamstress, and told me all about the long lost world of the wartime rag trade. I listened rapt, as she filled my head with stories.

Today, the East End is unrecognisable from its former self, but during the war, the streets of Bethnal Green, Bow, Spitalfields, Stepney and Whitechapel were teeming with garment factories, all crowded with women working ‘in the rag’. The blistering poverty of those times was brutal. The Welfare State hadn’t been dreamt up and the streets were filled with the poor and hungry. Children walked about with bare feet or in shoes patched up with cardboard. But from great poverty springs ingenuity, and the Cockney rag-trade worker, was nothing if not resourceful. 

One has to admire the women who worked out how to fuse their sewing machines by holding the wheel and keeping their foot down on the treadle, craftily earning themselves an extra ten-minute break, or the lady who proudly told me that she didn’t regard herself as a proper machinist until she had accidentally impaled her finger on the sewing machine needle three times! 

These women, like every other machinist I spoke with, calmly worked their way through the raids of the Blitz until the bombs got too close for comfort and they were forced to seek shelter. The Luftwaffe weren’t going to stop their sewing machines from humming, if they could help it!

​From those first stories, Secrets of the Singer Girls was born. Secrets of the Sewing Bee is set two years earlier during the Blitz and my research took me to some fascinating places, not least Bethnal Green Underground, where a lady named Gladys, pointed to the exact spot on the platform where she slept nightly to shelter from the bombs. Hard to conceive with a steady stream of commuters rushing past, but that’s what’s wonderful about history isn’t it? It contains so many surprises.

Like the fact that the same underground station also had triple bunks for five thousand, a library, a theatre built over the tracks and even a crèche to enable mothers to work – all built 70 feet below ground! Setting a story in and amongst the camaraderie of a secret wartime village seemed so obvious once I knew of its existence.

​I find it fascinating how the war changed women’s lives in deeply profound ways. There is a perception that women were the gentler sex back then, tending to home and hearth, but on digging deeper I discovered a very different woman to the one presented to us though nostalgic dramas, stoically waiting for her husband to return home from the battlefields. 

My characters, in keeping with the women of Britain, behaved in extraordinary and uncharacteristic ways. Shocked out of their rhythms by fear, necessity and freedom, they indulged in affairs, took part in protests, lynch mobs, stormed from stifling jobs and took on exciting and dangerous new ones. 

As one woman told me whilst I was researching the book, “Women found their soul. It was the very best time to be alive”. This was confirmed by another lady who confessed: “I ought not to say this, but I found it exciting”. Another woman proudly told me she finally found freedom from her abusive husband, and got a job painting huge ships down the docks. Her eyes still sparkled at the memory. I’m not trying to diminish the fear and heartache experienced by so many, but highlight the ways in which women discovered what they were truly capable of.

Discovering that sense of freedom and the huge evolution it brought about in women's lives was very exciting.

​It is often the quiet voices of history, which are the most revealing. These women and their unassuming thoughts and feelings tell us so much about how difficult, but also how rewarding it was to be a woman in war-torn Britain.

Thank so much for such an interesting post Kate, I always find it fascinating to read about the role of women during the war and to discover how strong and brave these women were. 

​ 

Find out more about Kate Thompson and her books on: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateThompsonAuthor/

Twitter: @katethompson380

Webpage: www.katethompsonmedia.co.uk

About the book: 

Title: Secrets of the Sewing Bee

Author: Kate Thompson

Published: March 10th 2016 by Macmillan

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Orphan Flossy Brown arrives at Trout's garment factory in Bethnal Green amidst the uncertainty of the Second World War. In 1940s London, each cobbled street is strewn with ghosts of soldiers past, all struggling to make ends meet. For the women of the East End, their battles are on the home front.

Flossy is quickly embraced by the colourful mix of characters working at Trout's, who have turned their sewing expertise to vital war work. They fast become the family that Flossy has always longed for. Dolly Doolaney, darling of the East End, and infamous tea lady, gives her a particularly warm welcome and helps Flossy settle into wartime life.

Things aren't so easy for Peggy Piper, another new recruit at the factory. She's used to the high life working as a nippie in the West End, and is not best pleased to find herself bent over a sewing machine. But war has the ability to break down all sorts of class barriers and soon Peggy finds the generosity and spirit of her fellow workers difficult to resist.

Dolly sets up a sewing circle and the ladies at Trout's play their part in defending the frontline as they arm themselves with their needles and set about stitching their way to victory. But as the full force of the Blitz hits London, the sewing bee are forced to shelter in the underground tube stations on a nightly basis.

In such close quarters, can Dolly manage to contain the secret that binds them all? And how will Peggy and Flossy cope as their lives are shaped and moved by forces outside of their control?

"Secrets of the Sewing Bee is a touching story that will surprise you more than once. With complex characters, secrets, love, friendship and tears, it has it all. I cannot wait to see what Kate Thompson comes out with next."

Read my full review here

This week I'm celebrating Historical Fiction Week on the blog, so I thought it would be the perfect time to read this novel set during WWII that has been patiently waiting on my shelf for a few months already. Have a look at my thoughts here: 

Blurb: Rachel Booker has a difficult start in life. When her father dies, deep in gambling debt, her mother must harden herself to make ends meet, but becomes so hard she has little room left for affection or warmth. Mother and daughter work at the open market in Birmingham, selling second-hand clothes or whatever they can find just to put a little food on the table.

But the market has a silver lining: it's there that Rachel makes her first childhood friend, Danny. As they grow older, the friendship grows into something more and their innocent romance gives Rachel the care and comfort she's always craved. But at just sixteen, as World War II breaks out, Rachel falls pregnant. They marry in haste but it isn't long before Danny is called up.

Left on the homefront with a new baby and little else, Rachel must scrape by with the other residents of Sparkbrook. But if Danny ever makes it home, will he be the same boy she loved so fiercely? And if Rachel can sustain the family until then, will she end up as hard-hearted as her own mother?

War Babies is a moving and insightful novel about hardships on the homefront and how the war changed everybody it touched...

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: War Babies tells the story of Rachel Booker. When the novel starts, she is only a little girl who has just lost her father. Because of that, her mother has now to take care of them both, something that she finds hard and unfair and soon Rachel becomes more of a burden than a loved daughter. Rachel's childhood is not an easy one so when she meets Danny on the market they both work, he becomes her ray of sunshine. 

As the story progresses, Rachel grows older and as Danny reenters her life, their relationship becomes more serious and stronger too. But soon, war breaks out and Rachel finds herself with a baby and no husband to help her. Reading about Rachel's life during those long war years, it was easy to forget she was still a teenager. We watched her grow "old" way too fast, with too many responsibilities and too little help. Luckily, Danny's aunt and their neighbours were a great support for them, especially for Rachel who was faced with one problem after another. 

I think that I enjoyed the first part of the story (seeing Rachel grow and the start of her relationship with Danny) more than the second part (all the war years) as I felt that this second part dragged a bit too much and the whole situation made me really sad, plus there were some new characters that I didn't like at all. Something I did enjoy in this part was the camaraderie that you could feel between neighbours and also how Rachel never gave up and became such a strong character.

But all in all, I found this story interesting and entertaining, especially if you are curious about women's life during the war. Plus, I've just found out there's a sequel for this story, one I would really like to read to see how Rachel and her clan's lives continue after war. 

Rating: 4 stars

Blurb: Orphan Flossy Brown arrives at Trout's garment factory in Bethnal Green amidst the uncertainty of the Second World War. In 1940s London, each cobbled street is strewn with ghosts of soldiers past, all struggling to make ends meet. For the women of the East End, their battles are on the home front.

Flossy is quickly embraced by the colourful mix of characters working at Trout's, who have turned their sewing expertise to vital war work. They fast become the family that Flossy has always longed for. Dolly Doolaney, darling of the East End, and infamous tea lady, gives her a particularly warm welcome and helps Flossy settle into wartime life.

Things aren't so easy for Peggy Piper, another new recruit at the factory. She's used to the high life working as a nippie in the West End, and is not best pleased to find herself bent over a sewing machine. But war has the ability to break down all sorts of class barriers and soon Peggy finds the generosity and spirit of her fellow workers difficult to resist.

Dolly sets up a sewing circle and the ladies at Trout's play their part in defending the frontline as they arm themselves with their needles and set about stitching their way to victory. But as the full force of the Blitz hits London, the sewing bee are forced to shelter in the underground tube stations on a nightly basis.

In such close quarters, can Dolly manage to contain the secret that binds them all? And how will Peggy and Flossy cope as their lives are shaped and moved by forces outside of their control?

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Last year I had the pleasure of reading Kate Thompson's debut, Secret of the Singer Girls, which I thoroughly enjoyed. So I was over the moon to get a review copy of her new one. As soon as I started reading Secrets of the Sewing Bee, something sounded familiar and I soon realised that this story is set in the same textile factory as the previous book, Trout's. The difference is that The Sewing Bee takes place some years before, when the war is about to begin. This made me really glad, as I really enjoyed reading about some favourite characters from The Singer Girls and learning what they were up to before their own story. But the main characters for this one are completely new.

In Secrets of the Sewing Bee, we are introduced to two new recruits for the factory: fragile and shy Flossy and beautiful and proud Peggy. These girls couldn't be more different, they have had completely different upbringings, one being raised in an orphanage, the other in a healthy family, one ready to please, the other too cool to bother with work or making new friends. But soon war breaks out and willing or not they find themselves in the same boat with the whole Trout's family. And their friendship is one of the few things they can cling on. 

Something I love about Kate Thompson's stories is how you can tell the amount of research that she must have done for them. Her detailed descriptions of the buildings, the streets, the atmosphere and even the feelings of her characters make you feel part of the story. I always enjoy books that teach me something and with this one I learned so much, as we glimpse at the lives of those who lived through the horrific Blitz. Some made it and some didn't and the story reflects this and how everyone must have felt perfectly. 

Another bit that I found really interesting was that the author added some testimonies from the women  she interviewed during her research. They lived in the East End during that time and their words really resonated with me and made me understand the story even better. I really thing Kate Thompson captured their experiences perfectly in the story: that feeling of camaraderie, that almost joyous atmosphere they created in the underground stations where they had to hide from the bombs and also how brave and strong those women were. 

Secrets of the Sewing Bee is a touching story that will surprise you more than once. With complex characters, secrets, love, friendship and tears, it has it all. I cannot wait to see what Kate Thompson comes out with next. 

Rating: 

Blurb: The problem with first love is that it never truly dies...A funny, bitter-sweet romantic dramedy set to an 80s soundtrack.

Libby London fell in love in with the 80s, came of age in the 90s, and now, in the 21st Century, she's completely falling apart... Her New York City fashion sensibility is more 'vintage tragedy' than 'retro babe' and might just be what's holding her back in all matters of life and love...

At least that's what her well-meaning friends think. They've staged a #80sIntervention in an effort to bring Libby bang up-to-date. But how do you move forward when the one you love holds you in the past? Between her dreaded birthday party, friend's madcap ambush, and being forced to relocate her Pretty In Pink thrift shop, Libby's nearing the end of the rope... If her therapist isn't quick, it could be a literal one.

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: In 2014 I had the pleasure of reading Victoria Van Tiem's debut, Love Like the Movies, and I fell completely in love with her fresh and fun style. So when she announced last year that her second book was to be released in early 2016, I was over the moon, I couldn't wait to see what she would come up with next. So to say that I started reading Holding Out for a Hero with high expectations is quite the understatement. But I'm happy to say that just after some chapters, I already knew Victoria had done it again!

If Love Like the Movies was all about the movies, Holding Out for a Hero is all about the Eighties. The main character, Libby London, is stuck in the eighties. It might seem normal as she owns an eighties vintage shop so this decade is kind of her living but her friends think it's time for Libby to move on and leave the crazy neon style of that decade behind and embrace the new century once and for all. Libby is not overly enthusiastic about this #eightiesintervention but as her life is kind of falling apart at the moment, she decides to go for it.

We soon realise though that there's more to it than just an outdated dress style and musical taste... Libby is also emotionally stuck in the eighties and she is not ready to really let go. During the story we slowly learn what Libby is really going through and how hard her friends are trying to help her. She is a truly wonderful character, I was rooting for her until the last minute and I felt like I was part of her journey. She is definitely one of those characters you carry with you for a long time after finishing reading the book and once in a while wonder how they must be doing.

I think Victoria made just a fantastic job of handling such difficult and hard topics (if you want to know exactly what I am talking about, then pick the book, it's really worth a read). After finishing it, I was left with such an uplifting and warm feeling. I really think that Holding Out for a Hero is a wonderful read that a lot of people (including me) will connect with. Put a Libby London in your life!

Also, I didn't want to end my review without mentioning all the eighties references in the book. I think Victoria has a real talent to make us feel part of the story making us recall all our own great memories (with movies, songs and fashion). The first thing I did after finishing was watch The Breakfast Club, what a classic. And planning an eighties movies marathon soon. So all I have left to say is, when's Victoria's next book out? 

Rating: 

Welcome to Bookish Recipes, a feature on the blog where I cook or bake a recipe from a book I have loved and share the result with you. This week's recipe is inspired by the book A Parcel for Anna Browne by Miranda Dickinson. I absolutely loved this one. It is one of those magical books that make you feel better with yourself and with the world.

In the book, Jonah, Anna's good friend and neighbour, gets them a Sachertorte to celebrate his new job. As he says, "it's proper fancy and owt" and given that it was my sister's birthday this week I decided to mark the special occasion baking this opulent and delicious cake! I followed the queen Mary Berry's recipe (more or less): 

Ingredients: 

140g unsalted butter
115g caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
5 free-range eggs, separated
85g ground almonds
55g plain flour,

For the topping and the icing:
6 tbsp jam (the original recipe said apricot, but I went for strawberry)
140g dark chocolate
200ml double cream

chocolate to decorate

2) Break the chocolate into pieces, melt gently in a bowl set over a pan of hot water, stirring occasionally, then cool slightly. Beat the butter in a bowl until really soft, then gradually beat in the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate and the vanilla extract and beat again. Add the egg yolks, then fold in the ground almonds and flour. The mixture will be quite thick at this stage.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry. Add about one-third to the chocolate mixture and stir in vigorously. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites. (this is only agent that will make the cake grow so be gentle!) Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.

4) Bake in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until well risen at the top and the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool.

5) Once cooled, cut in half and add the jam. Put jam on top too (this helps level it and covers any possible holes)

6) Make the icing by breaking the plain chocolate into pieces. Heat the cream until piping hot, remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then cool till a coating consistency. Then pour the icing on to the centre of the cake. Spread it gently over the top and down the sides (don't forget to put something under the cake to contain the chocolate, otherwise you'll end with a kitchen full of chocolate, true fact) , and leave to set.

7) Decorate as you wish. I just melted some while chocolate and made random shapes. Once cooled, I just put some on top. And people, it was amaaazing! 

About the book: 

Title: A Parcel for Anna Browne
Author: Miranda Dickinson
Published: September 24th 2015 by Pan Macmillan
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: The gift of a lifetime?

Anna Browne is an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. Her day job as a receptionist in bustling London isn't exactly her dream, yet she has everything she wants. But someone thinks Anna Browne deserves more...

When a parcel addressed to Anna Browne arrives, she has no idea who has sent it. Inside she finds a beautiful gift - one that is designed to be seen. And so begins a series of incredible deliveries, each one bringing Anna further out of the shadows and encouraging her to become the woman she was destined to be. As Anna grows in confidence, others begin to notice her - and her life starts to change.

But who is sending the mysterious gifts, and why?

Check out my review here and enter the giveaway to get your own secret parcel

Blurb: The gift of a lifetime?

Anna Browne is an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. Her day job as a receptionist in bustling London isn't exactly her dream, yet she has everything she wants. But someone thinks Anna Browne deserves more...

When a parcel addressed to Anna Browne arrives, she has no idea who has sent it. Inside she finds a beautiful gift - one that is designed to be seen. And so begins a series of incredible deliveries, each one bringing Anna further out of the shadows and encouraging her to become the woman she was destined to be. As Anna grows in confidence, others begin to notice her - and her life starts to change.

But who is sending the mysterious gifts, and why?

First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Miranda's books are those you always go to when you need cheering up, they always leave you smiling and make the world a better place. But with A Parcel for Anna Browne, Miranda has gone a step further. The whole concept behind this story is just magical and Miranda writes it in a way that makes you feel part of the story too. You get excited every time Anna Browne gets a mysterious parcel and you start seeing the world and yourself a bit different too, just like Anna grows with each parcel, you do too.

I instantly warmed to Anna Browne, she will be a character I'll keep close to my heart and revisit from time to time. She was, actually, the kind of character you want in your real live, as your best friend. She was shy and liked to blend with the background when we first met her but when something extraordinary happened to her (aka the mysterious parcels she starts receiving at work) we started seeing the real Anna, confident, fun and with so much potential! But we are not the only ones seeing these changes, the whole News building where she works at reception do too and soon she becomes the star of their little community.

One thing I loved about this story is how Miranda added little snippets of text from other characters or even passersby's points of view so you could see how others saw Anna and what was happening to her and it all made you feel even more involved in it all.

As usual, one of Miranda's strong points are her characters. She creates such well developed characters, they feel so real that it is easy to relate to them. I loved the big family that were the news building coworkers, especially the reception workers (I really enjoyed reading their banter) and a certain chief of security who made me laugh out loud more than once. They all lived Anna's parcel in their own way but supported her no matter what. I am actually going to miss them all.

A Parcel for Anna Browne is one of those magical books that make you feel better with yourself and with the world. It's not only a story about a good deed but about reevaluating your life and deciding to make the most of it. But especially about believing in yourself. So you know, if you are feeling a bit down, need cheering up or need a reminder that you are awesome, put a bit of Miranda Dickinson in your life.

Rating:

Giveaway: A Parcel for You

Blurb: Portia Kane is having a meltdown. After escaping her cheating husband and their posh Florida life, she finds herself transported back home and back to square one. In need of saving herself, she sets out to find and resurrect a beloved high-school English teacher who has retired after a violent incident in the classroom.

But she quickly learns that it's not a one-woman job. Luckily she meets a few people on her journey. Can Chuck, the handsome brother of Portia's old school friend, together with a sassy nun and a metal-head little boy, help Portia's chances in her bid for renewed hope in the human race?

It's going to be quite a ride.

Moving and funny, Love May Fail is about the heartache and daring choices it takes to become the person you know deep down you are meant to be.

Review: When I finished this book I was a bit in two minds about it so I decided to wait a couple of weeks to write the review to have more of an insightful view of it. I think it was a good idea because now, almost three weeks after finishing it, I can tell you that I am glad I read this book, the whole of it. When I started it, I first thought it was ok-ish but then, after reading some more, I really thought about just abandoning it. But Matthew Quick being such a famous and acclaimed author (and after really enjoying Silver Linnings) I decided to persevere and I am glad that I did. All in all, I'm left with a good feeling of the book.

Love May Fail is divided in four parts, each part narrated by a different character. They are all linked and end up forming quite a unified story told chronologically with flashbacks to the past (especially in the first part). We start reading about Portia Kane who has just realised her marriage and her entire life don't really make sense and leaves her cheating husband to go back home. But home is not the welcoming place you might think, her mother has mental problems and struggled all her life to raise and care for her. That is when we learn about a very important figure in Portia's past, her high school teacher, Nate Vernon. 

Nate Vernon takes over the second part, where we find a hugely depressed man who has lost all hope in life. It's quite shocking to compare this shallow man with the idealized figure Portia presented. And when the two reunited, something didn't really work for me. I couldn't understand how Portia couldn't see what was in front of her eyes. The old Mr Vernon was no longer there, instead he was a man in great need of help, something she failed to provide in my opinion.

Next comes the third part which I found myself skipping more than once. It's made of letters from a mother to a son who has no intention of listening. Here is when I seriously thought about just leaving the story as it didn't hold my interest any more. But I was curious about the last part, narrated by Chuck, also an old student of Mr Vernon who is now part of Portia's life. This was by far the most interesting part. We learned a lot about all the character and it really helped me understand them and their actions better. This part was a bit the piece that made all the other parts fit. 

All in all, Love May Fail is quite an interesting read but in my opinion it drags a bit too much. During the book several years pass but the pace of the story is quite slow. As I said, I am glad that I finished reading it because at the end it really made me think. The topics it covers are important and quite well managed and you end up caring for the characters a great deal.