Tag Archive | Net Galley

The Arctic Cruise by Caroline James

Jan24

The Arctic Cruise by Caroline James

The Arctic Cruise by Caroline James is a delightfully fun novel that entertained me from the start.

A Christmas cruise is very charming. Along with the traditional festivities, we see the rather energetic Santa who wears swimming trunks on board ship; and we travel ashore to take in the delights of Norway.

The cruise is made up of an eclectic bunch of people – those who brave the ice-cold swimming pool for a daily swim, and those who prefer food, drink, and more leisurely activities. There is something for every taste.

We drop in on a small group of six guests – a couple where the husband has terminal cancer and who are determined to make memories while they can. “When the Beast [cancer] came back, it would be hungry…Her husband’s decline would be rapid… In the meantime, their lives were for living.”

There is a retired school master from Skipton, and a new widow from Lancashire. She was “in a widowed world she hadn’t been ready to enter.”

The final pair are a loud, showy couple determined to be the centre of attention.

We see the generosity of hearts who want to help those less fortunate. They are angels in disguise as they see those who are invisible to others.

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What Tomorrow Will Be by Julianne MacLean

Jan20

A Work Of Great Beauty

What Tomorrow Will Be by Julieanne MacLean is the most beautiful contemporary novel that will lodge deep in your heart and soul. Every once in a while, a book comes along that profoundly impacts me – and this is that book. I know it will stay with me forever.

The action is in three main time periods – 1998, 2006 and 2025. These are pivotal moments in the lives of characters. They are the defining years. A life is bookmarked by two freak accidents – both have huge emotional impact for all those involved. We often wonder – why do bad things happen to good people? Sometimes there are just no answers but I was reminded of the Bible passage in Genesis 49 where God uses bad circumstances and flips it round to good.

You never forget your first love – especially if it has been ripped away. A character has had the big love of her life, and of her present love she says: “It doesn’t feel earth shattering. It’s a quieter kind of love.” It is a love on which lives and a family have been built – but are the foundations strong enough to weather the storms?

Personal dreams are good to have, to give you something to strive for, but not at the expense of today. “I spend too much time mapping out my future. As a result, I forget to enjoy the present.” Do not miss the present because the future is not guaranteed.

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Little Black Dog by Kerk Murray

Jan16

Adorable Bundles Of Fluff

Little Black Dog by Kerk Murray is a most charming nonfiction tale of Maximus (Max) a black Yorkipoo and Spartacus a white and copper Morkie.

The reader is delighted by the antics of both dogs. These bundles of fluff are proper bundles of energy. Their enthusiasm for life has been perfectly captured by the author. It is easy for us to ‘see’ and empathise with their actions.

Both dogs have beautiful bonds with their dog parents. They wait for them to return, as soon as they leave! “To them, every return is a miracle.”

We see that where there are dogs, there are rules to be broken! Any human willpower disintegrates once one gazes upon their furry faces!

Food is something the dogs really love. The following resonated with me: “When she bakes these muffins, both boys camp out by the oven. Max whines, paces, and generally acts like he’s never been fed in his life.”

The author wrote this book as a tribute to Max, who at seven-year-old is still very much with us. “I don’t want this to end. But one day it will. Time will run out… I hope my heart remembers the love that never will.” This brings a lump to my throat. It is always too soon to say goodbye.

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Every Lifetime After by Jennifer Ross

Jan16

Love Remains

Every Lifetime After by Jennifer Ross is a very charming dual timeline novel that I loved.

The action is set in 2018 and 1943, and concerns the boys who flew from bomber command in Yorkshire. It is their story which is being filmed in 2018.

The leading actress has links to the area as it is where she was born and spent her first four years. Memories are awakened – some are her own, others are transcending time and space as she has a gift to ‘see’ past actions. Though their tale is already known, locations give her glimpses to the past. She is unsure what to do with her gift.

A character alive in 1943 is still alive and in a nursing home in 2018. He lives haunted by memories, grief and guilt. He grieves what he cannot change.

We see the pain of miscarriage. It affects the lives of the couple – until they share their grief, they are lone ships drifting along.

The reader ‘experiences’ the lives of the men and women of bomber command. Lives were uncertain – every time the boys left the base, they realised it could be their last.

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