Archives

The Lost Story Of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham

Capturing Your Heart

The Lost Story Of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham is a totally gripping dual timeline novel that I adored. It is set in 2000 and during the war years, mainly in Portugal.

We see that secrets that have been kept for over fifty years now need to come to light. Fact is stranger than fiction, and I confess to reading with dropped jaw as the book sped towards its conclusion.

The war years were a time of fear and suspicion. There were agents and double agents, and the Gestapo, all lunching in plain sight. As Siobhan Curham sets the scene, my heart rate and pulse rate rose.

We see that friends are born in adversity as a young singer puts aside all thoughts of personal safety in order to rescue a young Jewish girl from the clutches of the Gestapo.

There are all the wasted years as we ponder on what might have been.

Portugal is a vibrant place, even in times of war. The golden sands and the heat contrast sharply with the grey London skies.

Characters maintain their joi d’vivre even into their eighties, persuading others to abandon their straight way of thinking, throw caution to the wind, and dive into life.

Continue reading

The Cornish Witch by Elena Collins

Marvellous Dual Timeline

The Cornish Witch by Elena Collins is a marvellous dual timeline novel that consumed me from the start.

The action is set in 1625 and present day in a Cornish fishing village. A modern-day inn is at the centre of the action.

Tragic events in 1625 means that there are lost souls unable to rest. These spirits cause havoc in present day as they want everyone to suffer as they did. Present day owners of the inn are losing trade due to the restless spirits.

In 1625 there are women accused of being witches. They are in fact midwives with knowledge of herbs and plants. Locals believe they are causing mischief.

In present day there are a mother and daughter who run a new age shop in Minehead who also believe in the healing power of plants.

A shipwreck on the sea bed has lain there undiscovered for four centuries until a pair of divers come along. The Cornish coast is littered with wrecks as smugglers used to lure ships to their doom.

Continue reading

The Premonition At Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright

Engrossing & Entertaining

The Premonition At Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright is a powerful Christian dual timeline novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a compelling murder mystery suspense too.

The action is set in 1910 and present day. The two periods are linked by buildings and ancestors. In 1910 there were two murders and an attack. Present day saw another murder, and in 1982 a young woman went missing. Seemingly isolated events but is there a link? There seems to be no peace and rest until answers are found.

God speaks through dreams. Can it be that He also gives us visions whilst we are awake?

A character is drowning in grief following several miscarriages. “The daily task of surviving when she felt the overwhelming cloud of death surrounding her.” Death seems to attach itself to her, as there are even old gravestones in the basement of her new house. We learn that “grief is a shadow man that follows us into our futures and swallows it up if we let him.” Our grief will always be with us. We need to learn how to live with it.

Continue reading

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean

The Greatest Love

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianna MacLean is the most beautiful novel that I read in just one sitting.

The novel spans a lifetime as it is set in 1946, the following few years; and then into 1995.

The main setting is a wild and rugged small island off the mainland of Canada. The landscape is at one with nature – but nature can be dangerous.

The book is about the greatest love. It is a love that will never die, despite attempts by others to thwart it. People come and go; the years move on; relationships and people die – but this is a love that lasts. Like a diamond refined by fire. This is a love that only gets stronger.

All the characters were well drawn, likable and believable. I found myself cheering on the leading pair, willing their love to last.

Continue reading