Tag Archive | Harper Collins

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin

Mar30

Purrfectly Charming

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin is a most delightful contemporary novel that will warm your heart.

Following the death of her mother, a daughter is searching for her roots after a discovery of decades old letters. For all her life, it had been enough just being with her mother. Now she wants to seek out her father.

We see the importance of family. Family does not have to be blood related. The mother and daughter had spent their lives living with other women in a commune. “Women who will always strive to lift me up and love me. Help me when I fall.” These women were family.

Travelling to many places meant there is no one place to call home. But perhaps home was never meant to be bricks and mortar, maybe home is meant to be flesh and blood.

Sometimes when we are hurt, we build walls. “My walls are built high so that no one can ever leave me again.” Walls we build to protect can actually imprison us. Demolish the walls and begin to really live.

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A Secret Garden Affair by Erica James

Mar30

Enchanting

A Secret Garden Affair by Erica James is an enchanting dual timeline novel about love and life, guilt and grief, and memories that keep us warm at night.

The story is set in the summer of 1981 when the country was gripped by Royal Wedding fever, and also in the 1920’s moving forwards. We see the action in both the first and third person from alternating points of view.

We witness the passion for creating gardens that sees a character feeling at one with nature. And there is also a grande passion that not even death can break. Life is for living. We need to make the most of each day because we never know when life will be cruelly cut short.

There is a beautiful friendship between two ladies that has lasted almost a lifetime. Over the years they have shared each other’s confidences and kept each others secrets.

Guilt rears its ugly head as characters live with the fear that their individual actions caused a tragedy many years ago. Guilt binds us. We need to throw off the shackles and live free.

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Never Never by Colleen Hoover And Tarryn Fisher

Feb9

Coming 28th Feb

Read the first chapter now:

1

Charlie

A crash. Books fall to the speckled linoleum floor. They skid a few feet, whirling in circles, and stop near feet. My feet. I don’t recognize the black sandals, or the red toenails, but they move when I tell them to, so they must be mine. Right?

A bell rings. Shrill.

I jump, my heart racing. My eyes move left to right as I scope out my environment, trying not to give myself away.

What kind of bell was that? Where am I?

Kids with backpacks walk briskly into the room, talking and laughing. A school bell. They slide into desks, their voices competing in volume. I see movement at my feet and jerk in surprise. Someone is bent over, gathering up books on the floor; a red-faced girl with glasses. Before she stands up, she looks at me with something like fear and then scurries off. People are laughing. When I look around I think they’re laughing at me, but it’s the girl with glasses they’re looking at.

“Charlie!” someone calls. “Didn’t you see that?” And then, “Charlie…what’s your problem…hello…?”

My heart is beating fast, so fast.

Where is this? Why can’t I remember? “Charlie!” someone hisses. I look around. Who is Charlie? Which one is Charlie?

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Looking Out For Love by Sophia Money-Coutts

Feb4

Love In Action

Looking Out For Love by Sophia Money-Coutts is a wonderfully warm contemporary novel about love.

Love comes in many forms. We all need love. Love is what makes the world go round.

In the novel we witness the love between two best friends since childhood. Their friendship is rocked by a cancer diagnosis. Fear of the thought of anything other than a good outcome. They realise what they have and cannot contemplate life without the other. We see the love and care as they both look after each other’s different needs – from emotional to practical.

We meet Harold who lost his wife of many years and who pours his love into his Alsatian called Basil. Harold has a new lease of life after befriending the girls upstairs. He has a huge capacity for love as he volunteers in the hospital where his wife was cared for. He even tries internet dating!

A former police officer, Marjorie, investigates cheating partners. She believes in love not lies. She is a lively character with a big personality.

And finally, we meet Dr Sam who works in paediatrics and has a big heart and a compassionate nature. He always tries to do good wherever he goes.

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