Archive | November 2020

Open House by Jane Christmas

Nov12

Light Hearted And Fun

Open House by Jane Christmas is a most entertaining look at moving house, renovating and exploring reasons as to why the author is a serial renovator.

Jane Christmas has lived in thirty two houses. She is a Canadian now living in Bristol. Apparently Canadians move regularly in contrast with the British who are move adverse. The say opposites attract. The Husband, who is British and doesn’t like either moving or renovating, has been uprooted from London to Bristol via Brixham! The result is very amusing as the reader looks in but the tension is palpable.

I loved Jane Christmas’ style of writing. She was warm, friendly, honest and open. It felt like reading a letter from a dear friend.

The reader gets an intimate glimpse into the author’s life. We hear about her being raped (the subject of a previous book) in 1983 which has forever defined her life since then.

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The Chalet by Catherine Cooper

Nov10

Marvellous Debut

The Chalet by Catherine Cooper is a contemporary psychological suspense and an absolutely fabulous debut novel. My interest was grabbed and held from the very first page.

The novel is set in 1998 and twenty years later in a French ski resort. There are multiple known narrators and one unknown voice. I found this very intriguing as I tried to work out whose voice it was.

We all have a past. Sometimes it is a past that we want to keep hidden. A character wields power over another as buried secrets threaten to surface. As the novel progresses, the tension heightens.

Within the novel there is a defining moment. It is a moment on which everything else is finely balanced. The reader tries to predict what did happen and the outcome.

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A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr

Nov10

Healing Hearts

A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr is a delightful contemporary festive offering. It is the fourth book in the Virgin River series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed my return visit to Virgin River and greeting old and new faces.

Virgin River is a town with a huge heart. It is a place where the hurting can seek refuge from the world. The community care helps to heal souls. It is no surprise that this is a place that attracts war veterans who want to escape the world.

War damages people, physically and mentally. Guilt looms large when you survive what kills your comrades. The scars run deep. A veteran torments himself with what he believes loved ones are thinking but nothing could be further from the truth. Damaged souls need to heal.

The characters are delightfully drawn and realistic. I loved the verbal volleys between the leading characters. There were some highly amusing exchanges too.

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The Bride Of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen

Nov8

A Delightful Tale

The Bride Of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen is a fabulous Christian historical novel set in 1821. It is the third book in the Tales From Ivy Hill series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones.

There is a wonderful community feel to the whole tale. The people pull together and offer their skills when needed. New people are welcomed and there is much rejoicing when fractured families are reunited.

All is not completely idyllic as there are some who believe they are above others. The class system was very much alive in nineteenth century Britain.

In contrast we see others who value all people regardless of their status or skin colour. We are all equal in the eyes of God and this is how it should always be.

Characters with philanthropic hearts believe in education for all, regardless of the ability to pay. This was very forward thinking for the time as compulsory education for all did not come in until the second half of the century.

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